Australia v West Indies: Tough questions loom for Pat Cummins and his battered troops

Australia’s trophy cabinet is bursting at the seams after a bumper 12 months – but with just eight wins from its last 16 Tests, is everything as rosy as it seems? Robert Craddock investigates.

If you are a glass full sort of person you might point out that despite losing to the West Indies, Australia’s trophy cabinet is still bursting with Test match silverware.

The Ashes, the World Test Championship, the Benaud-Qadir Trophy and the Sir Frank Worrell Trophy were all retained or won in the last eight months.

If you want to play the contrarian you could say the fine print is not as pretty as the silverware in that Australia has only won eight of its last 16 Tests and one of its last four Test series (with two draws and a loss) each side of its World Test Championship win over India.

The fairest conclusion of the truth of where Australia sits as a Test team lies somewhere in the middle.

This team is very good but not great. Hard to beat but not unbeatable. Calm and resilient but not frightening in the way of some of their predecessors. An exceptionally good bowling team and a good but not dam-busting batting side.

Australia won’t overreact to a loss against the West Indies but there are some key issues looming such as …

Pat Cummins and his Australia side are very good – but still have some big cracks to fill to become a great team. Picture: AFP

BATTING BLUES

That Australia’s batsmen scored just two centuries in five Tests this summer was partially a reflection of bowler-friendly decks – but it was still below par.

Marnus Labuschagne did not make a score above 70 which is a concern for Australia because has been tagged one of the key link men in a looming generational change.

Travis Head – with a century in Adelaide and a king pair in Brisbane – had a rocks or diamonds summer but Australia has accepted he is this type of player and he good days tend to make up for his bad ones.

THE BIG SWITCH

So much of Australia’s future depends on whether the brave switch of Steve Smith to opener and Cameron Green to No 4 works.

Smith batted through the innings on the last day at the Gabba at times looking as good as he has this season. But the challenge of cagey swingman Tim Southee is waiting in two Tests in New Zealand which will be a decisive duel.

Green looked bad then good in the second innings in Brisbane but at No 4 cannot be happy to simply be a 30-40 type of batsman.

Steve Smith scored a brilliant second-innings 91 – but was the switch to opener a success? Picture: Getty

A BRIDGE TOO FAR?

Australia’s fast men did fine work throughout the summer in an unchanged attack but it’s doubtful the selectors will try and play the same bowlers in all five Tests against India next season.

In the last Test at the Gabba the West Indies the tourists rallied from 5-64 to 311 in the first innings and a significant point about the two Gabba Test losses in the last three years is that they have been the final Tests of the summer after the quicks had heavy seasons.

Rotation is a dirty word in Australian cricket but sometimes every attack needs a freshen up.

THE NEED FOR SPEED

West Indian sensation Shamar Joseph pushed the speedometer to around 150kph, a velocity which creates its own level of discomfort.

It reminded Australia that an injection of pure speed from the likes of West Australian Lance Morris should not be discounted, particularly against India’s ageing top order next season.

Originally published as Australia v West Indies: Tough questions loom for Pat Cummins and his battered troops