Aussies eye revamp for bold new ODI era

Chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns has echoed Australia captain Steve Smith's ruminations regarding the need for serious self-examination within the ODI squad as the world champions begin to hone preparations to defend their title in around 18 months.

Australia have been dealt repeated lessons in the 50-over format over the past 10 days by an England team playing a bolder, more aggressive style, which has resulted in them claiming the five-match Gillette Series with two matches still to play. 

Avoiding more unwanted history

It's only the second time Australia has lost a five-match bilateral series at home, while they have never been beaten five-nil on home soil – a chastening possibility that remains ahead of Friday's Australia Day clash in Adelaide. 

Additionally, this is the first time in Australia's decorated 47-year ODI history they have suffered a stretch of 10 defeats from 11 completed matches. 

They require two wins from the final two matches of the series to avoid mirroring Australia's run of 11 defeats from 13 ODIs between September 1996 and January 1997, which occurred a year on from their World Cup final appearance in Lahore against Sri Lanka. 

Remembering a revolution

That match ended in defeat for Mark Taylor's side, and as the trendsetting Sri Lankans ruled the world with a strategy based around ultra-aggression from their opening batsmen, Australia quickly found themselves behind the game, to the point that, by June '97, Taylor had played his last ODI. 

With a strong delineation between the Test and ODI teams implemented for the first time, Australia – led by Steve Waugh and with the dashing wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist partnering Mark Waugh at the top of the order – mimicked the Sri Lankan approach so successfully that they claimed the World Cup crown for themselves just two years later. 

The captain gives credit

Following defeat in the first ODI of this current series, Smith praised England's adventurous approach and suggested it was something his side could perhaps look at adopting; where the English top three has played with abandon (regardless of the wickets column) from the beginning of their innings, the Australians have been content to tick along at under six runs per over, with their strategy revolving around keeping wickets in hand until launching an all-out assault in the final 10 overs. 

It's a policy that relies somewhat on the presence of at least one set batsman entering that final period, and one that perhaps overlooks the value of cashing in on the first 10 overs of an innings when outfielders are restricted to two (as opposed to five in the final 10 overs), and maintaining that run rate through what have traditionally been the accumulating middle overs of an ODI innings.

A revised approach needed 

"With what's happened recently we are reviewing how we're actually playing the game and the type of player that's required in the one-day format," said Hohns in reference to the series defeat to England. 

"We haven't played well in this series, we don't seem to have been able to put it all together on the one day and there has been something lacking. We've got a bit of work to do there."

Australia already look to have taken at least one step toward adopting the English model, with Smith moving to No.4 with an eye to adopting the modern version of the sheet anchor role that has been so effectively performed for their rivals by Joe Root, who has sensibly steered his team home in two run chases in the ongoing series, scoring just seven boundaries in 164 runs while still striking at 82. 

"I think that's the starting point – that is definitely a starter to what we'll be doing in the future, with Steven at four," Hohns explained. 

"Now we need to make sure we've got other players in key positions to give us a little bit more hitting power in certain areas."

A new role for a new No.3?

Smith's shift frees up the No.3 spot for a more power-packed player to enter earlier in proceedings and dictate the pace of the innings. The identity of that player looks to be experimental at this point, with 34-year-old Cameron White making 17 at first attempt in Sydney on Sunday.

It could well be that selectors consider recalling the explosive Glenn Maxwell in a reinvented role that best utilises his talents, or they again gamble with the injury-plagued Chris Lynn, who represents huge upside as one of the game's great six hitters but has played just nine 50-over matches in the past three years, for a top score of 63.

Smith's presence at four also appears a wise move as a means of preventing the middle-order collapses that have plagued the Australians in recent years, and with the considerable improvements of Mitchell Marsh and Marcus Stoinis, there are promising options below the skipper. 

Dissecting the 'keeping issue

The issue of wicketkeeper-batsman is another still to be ironed out, with Tim Paine performing capably in two shots at the role since his recall to national colours, but falling short of the sort of strike-rate expected of a power hitter coming in to up the run-rate in the closing overs of an innings. 

It is interesting to note that Australia are now the only team in the ICC's top-eight ranked sides that has persisted with its wicketkeeper outside the top six; there is a school of thought that Paine, or perhaps next-in-line Alex Carey, would be better suited to accompanying Smith in those middle overs, with the likes of Marsh and Stoinis providing the fireworks at the back-end. 

"With the World Cup in 2019 there is a lot of one-day cricket to be played between now and then," Hohns said. 

"We will be trying very soon to get together the main nucleus of our squad so they can play together for some time.

"We are reviewing the personnel and also the way we're playing the game.

"Very soon we'll have to settle on a line-up that will take us forward."

Specialist spinner, allrounder who can tweak … or both?

Further down the order, Australia are well-stocked with fast-bowling options but the identity of a specialist spin bowler remains another talking point. 

Nathan Lyon's dramatic improvements in Test cricket, as well as his excellent returns in the KFC Big Bash (six wickets in 12 overs at 4.91 RPO) have led to a groundswell of support for his return to Australian gold, with the off-spinner the lead challenger for the spot currently held by leg-spinner Adam Zampa. 

Selectors may also consider the all-round skills of left-arm finger spinner Ashton Agar, another to have developed his game dramatically in recent times, and whose return of 5.51 runs per over in the BBL is the best of any bowler to have sent down more than 15 overs in the tournament.

Agar, who was yesterday selected in the T20I squad for the upcoming tri-series, has also been dismissed just twice in the BBL in scoring 142 runs at a strike-rate of 132, showing a penchant for fast scoring as well as clean hitting, with eight sixes in his six innings. 

By the same token, Hobart Hurricanes sensation D'Arcy Short could be more of a left-field middle-lower order option for the selectors after his record-breaking performances in the Big Bash, where the left-hander has clubbed a tournament-high 22 sixes while also impressing as a left-arm wrist-spinner. That pair's qualities could see them challenge (or join) Marsh and/or Stoinis for a place in Australia's middle-lower order, should conditions suit an extra spin option, while still allowing for the traditional three quicks and specialist spinner from numbers eight to 11. 

"Bowling-wise we've got to make sure we have specific and specialist one-day bowlers in our squad," Hohns added. "We are trying to refine that as much as we can."

A recent history lesson

Australia played all bar one match of their successful 2015 World Cup campaign without a specialist spin bowler, and with next year's tournament in England added to the bevy of fast-bowling talent at their disposal, coach Darren Lehmann and selectors could opt to repeat that strategy. 

Last year following their ICC Champions Trophy exit, Lehmann was bullish when asked about the possibility of echoing England's particularly aggressive tactics with the bat. 

"They're starting to take the way we play, not vice versa," Lehmann said. "When they win a World Cup, we can take the way they play."

It was a reference specifically to the performance of the Australians in the 2015 tournament under Lehmann, which they won emphatically despite a thrilling loss to New Zealand in the group stages. 

At the Champions Trophy, Morgan was asked about whether England were actually adopting the strategy of New Zealand, another team that reinvented itself as an attacking force under Brendon McCullum and reached the final of the last World Cup playing that brand of cricket. 

"The brand of cricket they (Australia, NZ, India and South Africa) played was completely different to everybody else," he said of the four World Cup semi-finalists, in a tournament at which England crashed out in the group stages.

"They were aggressive, they could score 350 if needed, and they always went for an attacking bowling line-up. Nothing they ever did was a step backwards.

"So that as a template, as opposed to just singling out New Zealand, I think, is more relevant."

2017-18 International Fixtures

Gillette ODI Series v England

Australia ODI squad: Steve Smith (c), David Warner (vc), Pat Cummins, Aaron Finch, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Tim Paine, Jhye Richardson, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Andrew Tye, Cameron White, Adam Zampa.

England ODI squad: Eoin Morgan (c), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Jake Ball, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Tom Curran, Alex Hales, Dawid Malan, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.

First ODI England won by five wickets at the MCG

Second ODI England won by four wickets at the Gabba

Third ODI England won by 16 runs at the SCG

Fourth ODI Adelaide Oval, January 26. Tickets

Fifth ODI Perth Stadium, January 28. Tickets

Prime Minister's XI

PM's XI v England Manuka Oval, February 2. Tickets

Gillette T20 trans-Tasman Tri-Series

Australia T20 squad: David Warner (c), Aaron Finch (vc), Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Ben Dwarshuis, Travis Head, Chris Lynn, Glenn Maxwell, Kane Richardson, D'Arcy Short, Billy Stanlake, Marcus Stoinis, Andrew Tye, Adam Zampa.

England T20 squad: Eoin Morgan (c), Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Tom Curran, Liam Dawson, Alex Hales, Chris Jordan, Dawid Malan, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, James Vince, David Willey, Mark Wood.

First T20I Australia v NZ, SCG, February 3. Tickets

Second T20I Australia v England, Blundstone Arena, February 7. Tickets

Third T20I Australia v England, MCG, February 10. Tickets

Fourth T20I NZ v England, Wellington, February 14

Fifth T20I NZ v Australia, Eden Park, February 16

Sixth T20I NZ v England, Seddon Park, February 18

Final TBC, Eden Park, February 21