Australian predators playing possum, waiting to pounce

Sports Desk News :: So has Australia just been playing possum? Have they been lulling the cricket world into a false sense of security with regard to them possibly not being serious contenders for the World Cup trophy? Remember, as they did in 2007 when they got comprehensively clean-swept by New Zealand in a three-match series only weeks out from the tournament before, of course, marching to their third consecutive title without losing a single match in the Caribbean.

You’d have thought so, based on the many comments on social media alleging this ‘conspiracy’ around the Aussies intentionally flying under the radar at the conclusion of the second ODI against India in Indore last week. It was Australia’s fifth straight loss after all, each one of them more damaging than the last, at least in terms of pure numbers.
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Just for the sake of comparison, Australia had lost that famous Chappell-Hadlee Trophy in early 2007 with more or less the same bowling attack that would win them the World Cup. Unlike in the last month or so, when due to injuries and workload, most of the playing XIs that they’ve employed bore no resemblance to the one that will front up at the MA Chidambaram Stadium against India in their tournament opener on Sunday (October 8).

It is completely understandable, however, for non-Australian fans, to be wary of these results going into a big event. For, if there’s one cricket nation that is better than any other when it comes to winning major titles, it is Australia. And it’s not surprising that nothing short of lifting the cup constitutes a fair result for an Australian team at World Cups. No wonder they’ve won it more often than any other team in history.

Aaron Finch’s team had an overall unremarkable campaign four years ago in England, even though they were among the first teams to qualify for the semi-finals. Finch and David Warner in particular were consistent throughout, alongside Alex Carey, while Mitchell Starc put on another World Cup masterclass with the ball.

However, they lacked the ‘team to beat’ aura that Australian teams generally carry during world events. And though this is a new era of Australian ODI cricket under Pat Cummins, nine of the original 15 from England 2019 will still be around in India. That should mean that the overall make-up of the team will not have a very ‘new’ feel to it. Having said that, going in with the tried and tested has historically worked wonders for the Aussies.

This World Cup of course comes at an interesting phase in the present and the future of ODI cricket as a format. And the diminishing interest in it has been as stark in Australia as anywhere else. What was once arguably the most fertile region of the world for 50-over cricket has taken a turn, in keeping with the trend seen everywhere else.

While for decades, the popular tri-series on Channel 9 (during the best part of the year in January and February) was often the marquee event of the Australian cricket summer, these days ODIs are scheduled because they have to be, and with very little buzz or excitement.

The best illustration of this was the three-match series between Australia and England, who had been crowned T20 World Cup champions three days prior to the first game in Adelaide, last year.

This is not to say that Australia winning the World Cup for the sixth time will suddenly regenerate the allure of ODIs in the land Down Under. Nevertheless, their not doing so will only do further harm to the already-stagnating interest in 50-over cricket.

Squad: Pat Cummins (c), Steve Smith (vc), Alex Carey (wk), David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Marcus Stoinis, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Josh Inglis, Cameron Green, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Adam Zampa, Sean Abbott

Probable XI: David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Steve Smith, Cameron Green/Marnus Labuschagne, Alex Carey (wk), Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins (c), Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood