As Australia win the ODI series in India, selectors see IPL as best World Cup return route for Smith and Warner
Australia’s Peter Handscomb knocked a handsome maiden century of 117 in 105 balls, underpinned by 91 sparkling runs from Usman Khawaja then Ashton Turner hit a match winning 83 to ensure that the tourists beat India by 4 wickets in the fourth ODI in Mohali.
The Baggy Greens levelled the series with their highest successful run-chase, beginnings of an undoubted psychological lift in their preparations for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019.
Meanwhile, contrary to popular prognosis, Steve Smith and David Warner with year-long ball tampering bans due to be lifted on the 28th of the month have been omitted from Australia’s squad to play the five-match one-day international series against Pakistan in March. According to the sports medics, both batsmen are apparently very close to returning to full fitness following elbow surgery.
Australia selector Trevor Hohns speaking to media, clarified the omission, saying:
“The best pathway for their return was to play in the Indian Premier League (IPL)”.
As it stands, the IPL Twenty20 competition is scheduled to start on 23 March. Smith is set to play for the Rajasthan Royals while Warner has joined the Sunrisers Hyderabad squad.
“Cricket Australia will continue to liaise with both Steve, David and their IPL clubs to monitor progress as we build towards the ICC World Cup and the Ashes,” Hohns went on to say.
Hohns also confirmed that the decision to exclude Smith and Warner out of the five-match series against Pakistan to be played in the United Arab Emirates had been made following consultation with Australia coach Justin Langer.
The duo’s return to the international cricket stage may now well only materialise against England in a World Cup warm-up game on the 25th of May.
Australia will also play a warm-up game against Sri Lanka 48 hours later on the 1st of June prior to beginning their World Cup campaign against Afghanistan.
Then with the Smith and Warner decision already done and dusted, Australia suddenly gained a glorious burst of World Cup momentum as the current squad of players beat India by 35 runs in the fifth one-day international in Delhi. At last, a massive dose of team spirit restored by an extraordinary comeback from 2-0 down to win the five-match series 3-2 in India’s front garden.
Opener Usman Khawaja now in sizzling form hit his second hundred in three matches to propel Australia to 272-9 from their 50 overs. His latest three-figure tally included 10 fours and two sixes, a 76-run stand with captain Aaron Finch ended prematurely when Finch was bowled by all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja for 27. However, Khawaja’s dismissal sparked a collapse for Australia, as they slid from 175 for 1 to 182 for 4, until Jhye Richardson and Cummins lifted them to the final score of 272.
Not a particularly demanding run chase in the international one-day game these days and most in the Delhi stadium would have predicted a victory for India as a foregone conclusion.
In reply, Rohit Sharma worked his way to 56 off 89 balls but was unable to build a decent platform beyond that, as wickets fell at the other end. Both Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli went cheaply and generally, the Indian middle order batsmen struggled against the Australian bowling attack, especially deft leg-spinner Adam Zampa who took 3 for 46 and incisive paceman Pat Cummins with 2 for 38.
Dhawan fell in the fifth over and once Rohit had been stumped after a reckless charge out of his crease to attack Zampa, India lost both their rhythm but more importantly their game plan. A spell of feverish last minute hitting from Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who thumped 46 in 54 balls, simply came too late to pull India out of the mire.
While this Expat Sport review has Australia’s World Cup preparation progress at its heart, the home team have also revealed some fault lines of late. A glaring vacancy at number 4, indecision as to both primary and backup wicketkeepers and a middle order that can still be exposed as decidedly fragile, should the likes of Sharma, Dhawan and Kohli fail to fire.
These issues were probably becoming apparent to the crowd, as a stunned silence prevailed across the massed ranks of Indian supporters when the hosts were bowled out for 237 enabling an elated Baggy Greens side to claim victory.
Statistically speaking it was Australia’s first one-day series win since they beat Pakistan in 2016-17, and the first time India have lost a home series since 2015. It was also India’s last match before the ICC World Cup, which Australia won four years ago; bearing in mind that the competition begins in England in May.
Meanwhile, despite not being included for the upcoming ODI series against Pakistan, David Warner and Steve Smith met up with Australian players and staff in Dubai on Saturday, for the first time since the ball-tampering scandal erupted last year.
“There were a lot of big hugs and cuddles,” Warner admitted to attending media. “It’s like we didn’t really leave, the boys were very accepting of us coming in and with open arms.”
Smith said of the meeting that followed their enthusiastic welcome:
“I guess it’s just been going through the values that are instilled in the team at the moment and making sure we are on the right path looking forward to what’s coming up.”
While Warner added:
“There’s been a big change, which is great, and it’s about accepting that and playing what our role in the team should be moving forward. It’s making sure that we are aligned with the team values moving forward.”
Australia coach Justin Langer described the reunion as being “like two brothers coming home”.
Following the get together, Langer went on to say: “We talked about making Australians proud. We talked about great cricketers and great people.”
He concluded, “I think it’s been a really worthwhile exercise.”
Turning the corner on a lacklustre, nay barren period in their cricketing history is of huge importance in terms of belief to what has been a fractious and frustrated Australia. They are back to winning ways at more or less the right time, add Smith, Warner and Starc to the mix as the old potency starts to return and the Baggy Greens’ World Cup chances begin to look a whole lot better.
Expat Sport’s Andy McTiernan, sees Australia’s cricketing fortunes beginning to change as a result of successfully winning their latest ODI series on Indian home soil. With three hugely talented talismanic players returning to the side before the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 begins in May, have they regained their mojo?
