Big Marnus Question Arises as WTC Decider Approaches Amid Decline

Young gun shines on debut with HUGE 6s | 02:35

With a brief flourish in Galle on Sunday, Australia completed a clean sweep of the Warne-Muralitharan Trophy series to put the exclamation mark on an outstanding summer of cricket.

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It also puts into shade the concerns at the start of the summer surrounding the Australian sides, with the men thrashed by India in the opening Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy Series in Perth just a month after the women were bounced out of a World Cup.

From the moment Mitchell Starc bowled Yashasi Jaiswal with a ripper to open the Adelaide day-night Test, Australian cricket has been on an upswing.

The nation’s women blitzed India and World Cup winners New Zealand in white ball series before smashing England in an unprecedented Ashes whitewash.

The men, meanwhile, defeated India 3-1 and were unlucky not to add another triumph when washed out in Brisbane, before heading to Sri Lanka to win its first series there since 2011.

Record crowds attended matches, while Fox Cricket enjoyed a massive uptick in viewership while introducing a string of innovations aimed at bringing fans closer than ever to the action in the middle.

Australian eyes now turn to the Champions Trophy in Pakistan before the World Test Championship Final against Sri Lanka at Lord’s in June.

Fox Cricket runs through the big Talking Points from the Sri Lanka series!

Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne and Travis Head.Source: FOX SPORTS

THE VIEW TOWARDS CONQUERING THE FINAL FRONTIER

As a blueprint on how to succeed on the subcontinent, the excursion to Sri Lanka could not have been any more successful.

With Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood at home and SCG hero Scott Boland not required given the conditions, the Australians still bowled Sri Lanka out four times with ease.

The preparation Australia enjoyed in Dubai ensured they were well-prepared to handle the spinning conditions in Sri Lanka with the bat and the ball.

The multi-pronged spin attack led by Nathan Lyon and Matt Kuhnemann, who finished the leading wicket-taker for the series with 16 wickets, was effective and one selectors can look forward to deploying again when travelling to Asia.

Big Marnus Question Arises as WTC Decider Approaches Amid Decline

Steve Waugh dubbed beating India at home the “final frontier” his all conquering team wanted to accomplish and it is no different for the Cummins-led contenders either, with that opportunity presenting in a couple of years time.

Todd Murphy was unfortunate to be dropped for the Second Test but remains at the forefront of off-spinners in line to replace Lyon, but Corey Roccochioli is clearly a candidate to keep an eye on as well.

Travis Head spins the ball so well he could be considered an all-rounder as opposed to a part-timer, while Beau Webster only enhanced his standing in Sri Lanka with a handy knock in the Second Test while also sharing a wicket with off-spin and adding expertise in the field with his superb catching.

Copper Connolly did not enjoy the greatest debut, but clearly he is a player of the future and the experience will further his knowledge on what it takes to become a First Class cricketer.

Sam Konstas did not play but he, too, said he had learnt from the experience of travelling to the sun-continent.

“(I) understood the reasons why (I was dropped), but for me it’s a great learning curve. If I do get another opportunity with the Test team, I’ll grab it with both hands,” Konstas said on returning home to Australia for a Sheffield Shield outing at the Gabba.

“I just need to keep playing games and scoring runs. I understand why Travis Head opened the batting because he is a legend of the game and he has been dominating. (There were) no real messages, (but I have) been very lucky to be working with those coaches.”

HUSSEY HAILS PATHWAYS AS CRUCIAL TO AUSTRALIA REMAINING TOP DOG

Australian great Mike Hussey believes the steady introduction of new talent into the Test team will stand the nation in good stead in coming years as the transition increases.

The Western Australian, who has spent time working with the national team and will soon travel to India for an IPL coaching role, is encouraged by the performance of the recent debutants.

Aside from their individual contributions, he said the fact most of the newcomers had an impact after receiving their “Baggy Green” suggested the traditional development pathways were working.

“I think that’s what we’ve got to trust those pathways. We’ve got to really value the Sheffield Shield,” he told foxsports.com.au.

“We’ve got to value the second level of cricket and we’ve got to value the Under-19 and Under-17 carnivals. I think they’re so important for the development of our future stars.

“I think a lot has to go down, like in any successful era, I guess, to the structure and the pathways and that’s one thing that Australia’s generally done really, really well. There’s a clear pathway for young, talented cricketers, (as to) where they go and the steps they have to take to get up to hopefully make the Australian team.”

The Fox Cricket expert said he could understand the concerns that were raised at the start of the summer given the Aussies were fielding a mature squad of players predominantly aged in their 30s.

While both Nathan McSweeney and Sam Konstas have come and gone from the opening position after a “bat off” for the vacancy left by David Warner’s retirement, Hussey believes they demonstrated they could be valuable players in the future.

McSweeney was beaten by Jasprit Bumrah in his three Tests when promoted to open, but did show significant fight in an important session in Adelaide that helped change the momentum of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy Series.

The fact he travelled to Sri Lanka as part of the squad suggests he remains at the forefront of selectors thinking with a view to the future.

Konstas, who also toured Sri Lanka before returning early for Sheffield Shield duties, helped turn the Boxing Day Test Australia’s way with his aggression and is yet to turn 20.

“We start to worry. We worried about when (David) Warner was finishing, when Starc was finishing, when Usman Khawaja is done (and wondering) ‘what are we going to do?’” Hussey said.

“But it’s fine. There’ll be some other new players coming through. And some are getting a little opportunity now. McSweeney’s had a taste and he looks like a good player. Okay, it hasn’t worked out just yet, but it will.

“Konstas has come in and sort of shocked us all with how he’s gone about it. Josh Inglis has got a bit more experience, but, I mean, 29 is not old. He could play for a decade.

“And then from the bowling point of view as well, I mean, you worry. You think, ‘Oh gosh, are we going to be able to replace the Nathan Lyons, a Mitchell Starc, a Pat Cummins or Josh Hazelwood? But we will.

“They might not be initially as good as those guys are initially, like when Pat Cummins came in, because he wasn’t initially as good as Glen McGrath. But they will grow and they’ll learn, and because we’ve got such a great grounding for these guys, then it gives them the best chance of hopefully being able to perform consistently.”

Hussey pointed to Australia’s women’s team when noting that just because legends are in the twilight of their careers, it does not mean the next generation will not also be a success.

Meg Lanning retired last year, Alyssa Healy has battled niggling injuries for 18 months and Ellyse Perry hurt herself during the historic pink ball Test at the MCG.

But the Aussies excelled with young stars including Belinda Clark Medallist Annabel Sutherland leading from the front when thrashing England in the Ashes series.

He said by introducing youth to the national teams while legends including Healy and Smith are still in their pomp, the next generation of Australian performers can learn from the greats.

“I’d be the first to admit I was worried that when the likes of Healy go, Lanning’s already gone, is there enough talent coming through below? But we’re seeing it now,” Hussey said.

“And it’s just great that these young players have an opportunity to play with these old legends, so they can tap into that culture that’s been developed and see how you go about it at this level. There’ll be a nice, smooth transition. And hopefully that keeps snowballing along.”

MARNUS FEARS SPARK QUESTIONS OVER INGLIS LORD’S BERTH

A back spasm cost Josh Inglis a chance of cashing in on the runs on the second day in Galle as Steve Smith and Alex Carey ran amok and put Australia on the path to victory.

And his stint at the crease was short lived when he finally got the chance when falling for a second ball duck.

But the Western Australian, who made a century on debut in the opening Test in Sri Lanka, shapes as a likely candidate to fill a vacancy should one arise over the next year.

That is a possibility given the question marks surrounding Marnus Labuschagne after his failures in Sri Lanka.

The Queenslander, who made a couple of half-centuries during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy without ever rediscovering peak form, was the only batter who failed to cash in on the subcontinent.

Scoring the winning runs in the brief second innings chase was his only real highlight, with his 26* joining a 4 in the first, and a 20 in the first Test.

“For the first time ever, it does look like his place could be under threat,” Bharat Sundaresan said on SEN ahead of day four.

“When he got out yesterday, just the way he reviewed it and his body language as he looked up at the screen and the way he walked away, there was a sense of resignation as if to say what more can I do.

“Unfortunately for Marnus, yes his contributions were vital again during the Border-Gavaskar trophy, the two 70’s in Melbourne and the 64 in Adelaide, but this decline in his average which is in steep decline, it’s coincided with a lot of others vying for that spot, who are not playing shield cricket, who are within that dressing room who are performing.

“The squeeze is on. The squeeze is on and Cameron Green is coming back.”

Inglis has now succeeded and failed in two Tests and will have a better understanding of the roller coaster ride international cricket can provide.

Hussey has kept an eye on Inglis since he emerged as a talent to watch in Western Australia and said the most impressive thing he has noted is that Inglis continues to improve.

While Carey appears to have a lock on wicketkeeping duties in the red ball arena given his form with the gloves and the bat, Inglis is pressing his claims as a specialist batter.

“Just the way he went about his innings, he’d look really good for 20 or 30, and then just play that silly shot and get out, but you would think, ‘Oh, wow, there’s something special here.’” Hussey told foxsports.com.au.

“And he’ll learn and he’ll grow. He seems like a really fast learner to me. It seems like every year his game has gone up a notch. The first year with Australia it went up a notch. Then I feel like it went up two notches. And I think over the last year it’s almost gone up three notches.

“So initially I thought, ‘Okay, could this guy make it in first class cricket? Yeah, I think he can.’ Then it is ‘Do you think he could play for Australia? Maybe.’ Suddenly it is ‘Hang on, this guy could actually dominate international cricket for a while.’

“When he got his opportunity to play for Australia in white ball cricket, he played some pretty special knocks. I can’t speak to the keeping side of things as much, but from a batting point of view, he’s an excellent player of spin, which is going to help him, especially when we go overseas.”

WILL THE WORLD’S HARDEST-WORKING KEEPER PLAY IN THE CHAMPIONS TROPHY?

The sublime form of Alex Carey with the bat has thrust him into contention for the Champions Trophy beginning later this month in Pakistan.

But as impressive as the South Australian’s deeds with the bat have been in Sri Lanka, they should not overshadow the excellence of his work with the gloves, which is his day job.

The 33-year-old performed superbly behind the stumps in Galle, which continues his outstanding form throughout the Border-Gavaskar Trophy Series as well.

While Carey credited a change in stance at the crease for his improved form when batting, his golden period with the gloves stems from his dedication to the task.

It has become commonplace across the summer to see Carey working in tandem with Australian assistant coach Andre Borovec through an extensive set of drills, as occurred again on Saturday despite the fact he was going to resume batting after his century on Friday.

The drills do not appear overly complicated but none would question their effectiveness given both the reflexes and outstanding footwork the wicketkeeper has displayed this summer.

In a chat on SEN during the Second Test, former leg-spinner Bryce McGain likened the partnership between the two to a tennis player honing their craft with a specialist coach.

“Is Andre Borovec the Darren Cahill of world keepers? He will be much sought after, then, around the world,” McGain said.

“All the little drills that they do together, the little ramps, the simple drills, Carey is really lapping it up and he is improving as they go along. From when he first stepped into the Australian squad, he is a much better keeper now.”

Borovec hails from Geelong, where he was a wicketkeeper, was rated by former Australian cricketer Aaron Finch as one of the hardest trainers he had ever seen.

Australian coach Andrew McDonald met Borovec after his own career ended and the pair have now worked together for more than a decade.

In a profile in 2021, he described his assistant as a success story given he had made his way into an international coaching role despite not playing at the level.

“I’m not swaying you can’t be a good coach with a strong playing background because there are some great coaches out there who have played a lot of Test matches who have great cricket intellect,” McDonald told cricket.com.au.

“But over time we’ve been a bit narrow with some of the appointments we’ve made. The knowledge that you gain from playing definitely gives you a head start against the rest of the pack, but to me, we’re starting to move past that.

“There are guys and girls who have incredible skill sets and just because they haven’t been able to conjure up a certain amount of Test matches or first-class games, they probably haven’t entered the conversation.

“I think it is a great story that Andre Borovec is here and he has entered that conversation without a strong playing background. It is a great moment for coaching.”

STRIKE-BOWLING STARC UP WITH THE GREATS

While Inglis is in the infancy of his career, fast-bowling stalwart Mitchell Starc continues to impress despite carrying a heavy load, with his resilience as admirable as his skills and speed.

It can be argued that Starc was the catalyst for Australia turning its summer around after the debacle in the opening Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy Series in Perth.

The New South Welshman, who looked in superb touch in a Sheffield Shield match against Victoria at the MCG in October, struck with the first ball in Adelaide to turn the momentum against India, as McGain noted.

“From there, all the way through the summer, he has not missed a spell, I don’t think. He is at the top of his game. It is so pleasing to see,” he said on SEN.

“He is in the latter years of his career but he has just got it. He has moulded everything and he knows his preparation. He knows his skill. He executes so well with the ball, being able to move the new and the old ball, and he is so resilient and so confident and so relaxed.”

As a measure of how well Starc is bowling, only Jasprit Bumrah with 77 and Pat Cummins with 73 scalps have taken more wickets than the left-armed bowler in this cycle of the World Test Championship.