Ashes 2017/18: 3rd ODI - Australian Inadequacies Left Bare

 

Ashes 2017/18: 3^rd ODI

Australian Inadequacies Left Bare

January 21^st 2017

As in the Test series, the ODIs have been settled at the first opportunity. Australia needed to win or tie to keep the series alive and, despite almost everything running for them, were never really at the races after England recovered from a difficult position.

Australia had to chase in what were probably the best batting conditions of a match, after England’s main strike bowler limped off having bowled just eight deliveries. After 48 overs, with two well-set batsmen at the crease and comfortably ahead of England at the same stage – having been well ahead during virtually the entire chase – the same thing happened as had happened in the first two matches: their chase died away. Australia’s batting simply fades out in the last five overs when other sides look to score fifty, sixty, or even seventy runs. Today was their best effort of the three matches so far, with thirty-seven from the last five overs but, when you need two-a-ball (a rate that should not be out of reach with two well-set batsmen, one of them a big-hitter), they managed the required twelve from a only single one of the last five overs and, by then, only when it was far too late.

Compare this with England’s effort. Tied in knots by the Australian attack, they were 200-6 after 40 overs and 236-6 after 45, with the pundits speculating that 270 would be defendable. The last five overs went for 8, 10, 10, 24 and 14. The seven death overs of Hazlewood, Cummins and Starc, brought back to slap down those irritating Poms, went for  a total of 83 runs. It all goes to show that what works in Tests, does not always work in white-ball cricket.

Steve Smith admitted that Australia were chasing thirty too many. At times though, their tactics were somewhat odd. Joe Root, brought in to complete Liam Plunkett’s allocation, was given some brutal treatment, finishing his first spell with 6.4-0-53-0: just what Australia needed – to attack the emergency bowler when Eoin Morgan really did not have a viable seventh bowler available to relieve the pressure. Root though came back and bowled his last two overs for just seven runs. Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid then bowled some cheap overs as the batsmen dawdled along and, suddenly, the RRR was climbing. Steve Smith, so different from the batsman who ruled the Test bowling with a rod of iron, scored at the equivalent of 4-an-over and managed only a single boundary in 66 balls. Mitch Marsh was a little quicker (5-an-over) but, with a run-a-ball needed, only Aaron Finch and Marcus Stoinis showed the necessary urgency. As in the previous match, the rest left them too much to do. It was all very well saying that Smith was setting a base for the final slog, but the final slog just has not been coming and the 1990s-style mid-over batting killed the chase.

Moeen Ali, although he has only two wickets in the series, continues to be the most economical bowler on either side. Adil Rashid has almost identical figures to Mitch Starc – they have bowled the same number of overs, have taken the same number of wickets, but Adil Rashid has conceded two more runs – and his mid-overs partnership with Moeen is proving to be England’s trump card. In contrast, only Andrew Tye is giving Steve Smith some control.

England’s other trump card is the finishing. Chris Woakes is proving a far bigger threat with the white ball than with the red. He has four wickets at good economy, but his 92 runs at a strike rate of 146 have given England the final push that they needed in both games in which he has batted because he has batted in support of someone at the other end. Australia, in contrast, have a finisher, Stoinis, who has 120 runs at a strike rate of 135, but he has played a lone hand with no real support: other batsmen have always left him far too much to do.

Today though, the story was of Jos Buttler. He has looked totally lost most of the time in Tests but, give him a white ball and a licence to hit and he looks a totally different player. A century from 83 balls, with his second fifty come from just 31 as he tore the Australia Test attack to shreds.

This being Australia and another defeat, there has to be some controversy. Defeat in the first two ODIs has been marked by suggestions that Australia are not really trying and have not fielded their best side (NB: England have not been able to field their best side either, only the best available, but that is another story). Today, they fielded another changed team and what is undoubtedly their best attack, so it was an umpiring decision that received the brunt of their ire. Steve Smith edged and looked back, guiltily. Jos Buttler swooped and claimed the catch. The umpire gave it out. And Smith reviewed. As is their wont, the TV images just added confusion and we were in a situation where unclear, foreshortened images were clearly out to one side and that the ball had clearly bounced to the other. The Third umpire took the pragmatic view that he could not say beyond all doubt that the on-field call was wrong, so a furious Smith had to go. Australians will blame their defeat on the umpires but, his dismissal probably helped Australia because, at that stage, the RRR was rising and Smith seemed unable to accelerate, while the fall of his wicket brought in the aggressive Stoinis. The Australians might well reply that the wicket lifted England when they might have started flagging, but Smith would have had to start to take some risks or sacrifice his wicket soon anyway.

There are still two ODIs and two T20s to come. You can imagine England winning most, if not all of them. It does not change what came before, but it will allow a more positive spin on the tour as a whole, so different to the 2013/14 tour. However, even if England win all the ODIs and T20s, were we to be counting points, as in the Womens’ Ashes, the final score would still be 22-18 to Australia. The Tests were lost – and lost badly – and that is what will be remembered in future years.