4th Test Day 3: Careless Australia Again Sell Themselves Off Cheaply

Back in 2010/11, when England did a number on the Australian cricket team and Ricky Ponting presided over his third failed Ashes series, there came a time when it was impossible to keep saying the same things about what was happening. Describing poor bowling plans, asking for more penetration from the bowlers, imploring the batsmen to stand up and make a stand and build an innings under pressure like past Australian teams had been able to do. Eventually it just became too much asking and looking for the same things day after day, and nothing more could be said. 

We have now reached that same stage in this series against India, who are now without a doubt about to win their first ever Test series in Australia.

On a perfect wicket for batting, against bowling that was persistent without being brilliantly penetrative, four of Australia’s six dismissed batsmen once again found a way to get themselves out rather than be taken out, in the most disappointing way imaginable. At 1/128 early in the second session Australia had finally shown some initiative and solid batting, setting a platform that should have been the perfect way to get through to stumps with a good total behind them and few wickets lost so that there was still something to play for on days four and five. Instead what we saw was another collapse, one that tore the heart out of the watching public while being joyously celebrated every step of the way by India and their supporters.

The two positives on the day were Marcus Harris and Marnus Labuschagne. Harris was superb, looking to be proactive immediately and not be dominated by the Indian bowlers. He almost holed out to the first ball he faced from Jadeja on the day but from there looked as though he belonged in Test cricket. He brought up his second Test half century and at lunch looked as though it was only a matter of time before he passed the century mark. After lunch though he got into a bad habit of just trying to dab the ball on the off side rather than playing a definitive cut shot, and it brought about his down fall when he dabbed one off the inside edge onto his leg stump. It was a deflating way for his innings to end, and it was the start of a bad period of play for the Aussies. 

Labuschagne had come to the crease at the fall of Khawaja’s wicket under the shadow blanket of criticism over his selection and played a circumspect and solid innings. He watched the ball carefully, he played straight and waited for the ball to be in his scoring areas. He looked assured against both pace and spin, and still found a way to smile at the end of each over. He played some lovely drives to the boundary and didn’t look overawed at the situation. Even the shot he played on his dismissal was not a poor shot, it was played with authority and barely off the ground, only to be snared by a brilliant catch at short mid-wicket. It was an unfortunate way for a promising innings to end, and his disappointment at having made such a good start and not gone on with it was obvious for all to see. 

On top of this was the major disappointments of the day, perhaps of the summer. Usman Khawaja and Shaun Marsh came into this series needing to take on the role and responsibility of senior batsmen and be the ones to score the big runs and lead the inexperienced batting line up. If Australia was to succeed, they both needed to perform. The fact that they have not, and both got out to poor shots again today, leaves their immediate futures up in the air and under a microscope. Khawaja and Harris had put on 71 for the opening partnership and looked to be doing it easy, until Khawaja went down the wicket and scooped Kuldeep straight to mid-wicket for a particularly ordinary dismissal, handing his wicket to India when they hadn’t earned it for just 27. He sold his wicket cheaply again when Australia needed him to stand up, and it was a bitter pill to swallow. His Test average is close to dipping below 40, and there can be no guarantee of his spot for the upcoming series against Sri Lanka. Shaun Marsh too just keeps on not producing, making only 8 today before he meekly edged Jadeja to first slip. Khawaja has 194 runs at 27.74 in this series, and Marsh has 183 runs at 26.14. Khawaja has Australia’s only Test century in its last nine Test matches, while Marsh in his last 11 Tests over three series has scored 344 runs at an average of 18.11. Those are seriously awful numbers for a Test batsman. He cannot be – CANNOT BE – selected any longer. It would be a travesty to every batsman who has only received one chance in the Test team if he is retained any longer. 

Australia finished the day early when rain moved in to curtail play. At 6/236 they have now no chance of forcing a victory but perhaps more importantly avoided the chance of being bowled out on a road in less than a day. Travis Head will still be cursing himself after once again throwing his own wicket away for just 20, while Peter Handscomb on 28 not out still has the opportunity to make a career saving innings tomorrow. With him stands Australia’s most consistent batsman Pat Cummins, who with 25 not out looked the most comfortable of all the batsmen on the day. The bowlers toiled long and hard, and will have the second new ball available tomorrow in order to hasten the end of Australia’s first innings. The only question remaining now with two days to play is will India force a victory to win this series 3-1, or will they be happy to draw this without any qualms and take the series 2-1. Tomorrow could be the final day of this series unless Australia can fight again, something that it feels as though only their tail can do.