Australia made to suffer as new-ball wickets go missing

Australia will be banking on the returns of Mitch Starc and captain Pat Cummins to help them find the new-ball wickets that have conspicuously dried up in the past month. 

The Aussies have taken just four wickets in the Powerplay (the first 10 overs of the innings) in their past seven ODIs, one of which was a run out. 

Starc, whose 50-over record puts him among the greatest to play the format, has missed all of those with a groin injury while skipper and fellow bankable quick Cummins has missed all bar one.

The average opening-stand partnership Australia have conceded from those games is 67.29, allowing their opposition to build a solid platform from where they can launch. 

For comparison, Australia had taken 21 Powerplay wickets from their previous nine ODIs, with Starc leading the way with 11 of those and Sean Abbott the next best with five. 

And the importance of early wickets is exacerbated in India. Batting teams with wickets in hand for the final 10 overs can cash in because teams that have been bowling during the day have been contending with stifling conditions and the humid Indian October air, while teams that bowl during the night must deal with dew damaging the ball as the evening wears on. 

"We see if you don't take wickets through the start of a game or (start of) an innings, at the back end if you've got wickets in hand, it's a lot easier to bat," Starc told cricket.com.au before the second ODI in Indore. 

"Ideally (I'll) get a few Powerplay wickets and then some more wickets through the middle."

Starc has a phenomenal record bowling in the Powerplay: since the start of 2013 only New Zealand's Trent Boult (83) has taken more wickets in the first 10 than Starc's 68, although Starc's strike rate is slightly better (29.24 to 30.87). 

He has also made a habit of striking in the very first over of an innings, with his 23 opening-over strikes since 2013 streets ahead of the next best (Lasith Malinga with 15). 

The 33-year-old bowled in the nets for more than an hour last Thursday in Mohali and for a good 20 minutes on Sunday in Indore, paving the way for a potential return to the starting XI for Wednesday's final ODI in Rajkot. 

Cummins was rested for the second game in Indore but flagged before the series he wanted as much game time as possible as he returns from an injury to his left wrist. 

Abbott, who has been Australia's most prolific quick with seven wickets since the start of the South Africa tour, has recently been unable to strike at the top of the innings with his past 16 Powerplay overs going unrewarded.

Following Australia's loss on Sunday, the allrounder also stressed the importance of capturing early scalps and said their lack of breakthroughs has been contributing to the large opposition scores.

"You want to be putting the ball in an area where you're going to take wickets, especially while it's swinging," Abbott told reporters following India's 99-run win in Indore. 

"The ball does, here in India, tend to get a little bit harder to score against when it gets (scuffed up). In both games so far, the ball has been scuffed up quite a lot, and there's been a little bit of reverse swing, which stops a little bit when the dew comes in.

"That's the best time to take wickets; when the batters are having a look. 

"But if you don't execute like we did today, and last game, they're just going to dine out – and we're not putting them under much pressure."

"It's (the Powerplay) certainly the best time to bowl. You get a look at a fresh new batsman with a brand new 'stonker'. Josh (Hazlewood) did that pretty well tonight, he bowled some nice deliveries. But we just need to put 10 good overs together and I think we'll do that next game." 

Due to injuries and availability the Australian team has changed markedly almost every match in the past month – since September 7 they have used 11 different bowlers in the Powerplay including nine fast bowlers (Starc, Cummins, Abbott, Marcus Stoinis, Michael Neser, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Spencer Johnson, Aaron Hardie) and two spinners (Adam Zampa and Travis Head).

In South Africa, Hazlewood said he expected that to revert to the 'Big Three' of himself, Starc and Cummins.

"We'll probably share the first 10 overs between us more often than not," he said. "No doubt the quicks will play a huge part … at the World Cup."

2023 Qantas Tour of India

September 22: India win by five wickets

September 24: India won by 99 runs (DLS method)

September 27: Third ODI, Rajkot (D/N), 6pm AEST

Australia ODI squad: Pat Cummins (c), Sean Abbott, Alex Carey, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Tanveer Sangha, Matt Short, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa

India squad for first two ODIs: KL Rahul (c), Ravindra Jadeja, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan , Shardul Thakur, Washington Sundar, R Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna

India squad for the third ODI: Rohit Sharma (c), Hardik Pandya, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, R Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj