While there is justifiable debate about whether we have seen peak Australia from this ageing Test side, it appears this summer’s opponent India have toppled over the edge.
New Zealand’s emphatic 2-0 victory over India earlier this month, the Kiwis’ first Test series triumph in India after almost 70 years of trying, has exposed that their greats aren’t that good anymore.
Captain Rohit Sharma is 37, averaged 28.2 over the past year, and may not be able to play the whole five-Test series in Australia for personal reasons. The once revered Virat Kohli is approaching 36 and averaged 32.64 without a century during the past 12 months. He has averaged 33 or less in nine of his past 13 series.
And two of India’s main weapons at home, spinners Ravi Ashwin, 38, and Ravi Jadeja, 36, have both only been bit-part players on tours of Australia, with neither managing a full series.
With Mohammed Shami ruled out because of a knee injury India’s fast bowling looks thin, leaving Jasprit Bumrah to carry a heavy load.
In the absence of the retired David Warner and injured Cameron Green it can be easily argued that Australia’s batting hasn’t been any better, with Mitch Marsh the only currently available Test player to average better than 34 over the past 12 months.
But Australia’s bowling has been exceptional, despite captain Pat Cummins being the baby of the attack at age 31.
In seven Tests across series against Pakistan and the West Indies and a tour of New Zealand last season. Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon claimed 124 wickets at 18.93 as Australia won six of those seven Tests and should have beaten the West Indies in Brisbane.
But with Hazlewood aged 33, Starc, 34, and Nathan Lyon 37 before the first Tests starts on November 22 in Perth, the charmed run of this quality quartet has a shelf life.
And they don’t have the additional pace of all-rounder Green to call on following his recent back surgery, leaving Marsh as the only genuine fifth bowling option in the team. Except that Marsh has bowled only four overs since he partially tore his hamstring during the IPL last April and none in his two recent Sheffield Shield matches.
“Realistically, we expect there’s going to be some changes throughout the summer,” Cummins told The Roar after the launch of his book Tested in Sydney this week. “We didn’t with the bowling lineup (last season), but I think that’s a rarity.
Rohit Sharma. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)
“In a perfect world we can all shoulder a little bit of extra bowling load and we’ll be fine. But who knows? Just as important as the playing 11 is making sure that you’ve got plenty of guys waiting in the wings who will be ready to step in.
“And Nath Lyon bowls plenty of overs. We’re all used to bowling plenty of overs here in Australia, so it’s nothing new.”
The only thing about the players waiting in the wings is that Scott Boland and Michael Neser are 35 and 34 respectively. The two logically in line as generation next, West Australians Jhye Richardson, 28, and Lance Morris, 26, have both been plagued by injuries.
With the possibility that all 11 members of the Australia Test team with be over 30 this summer, depending on who is chosen to fill the vacant opener’s position, Cummins laughed at the suggestion he would be captain of Dad’s Army.
“In the last couple of years there have been a lot more kids around Christmas lunch,” Cummins joked of the pre-Boxing Day Test family gathering, before slipping into serious skipper mode.
“I think for batters, age is just a number, and I think for the bowlers, we’re all reasonably fresh. I think we’ve managed our bodies fairly well over the last couple of years and are pretty well placed for the season ahead.
“Experience comes with a lot of positives. This particular group has been together for the last few years, and we know each other really well, so hopefully there are more positives than negatives.”
Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe – CA/Cricket Australia via Getty Images)
At the other end of the scale is Yashasvi Jaiswal, 22, who has been a sensation since he made his Test debut against the West Indies midway through last year. In his 13 Tests Jaiswal has been by far India’s most prolific batter, with 1372 runs at 59.65. His three centuries have been 214 not out, 209, and 171, on debut.
However almost all those runs have come on flat wickets in the West Indies and the sub-continent. His two Tests in usually fast-bowler-friendly South Africa netted scores of 17, 5, 0 and 28, suggesting Australia’s quicks will give him a torrid time in similar conditions.
Australia may have lost their last four series to India but emphatically won their most recent encounter, the World Test Championship final at the Oval in June last year.
Take that as the best form guide and enjoy peak Australia while it lasts.