South Africa vs Australia 2015-16: David Warner’s new role of middle-order batsmen can do wonders for visitors
South Africa vs Australia 2015-16: David Warner’s new role of middle-order batsmen can do wonders for visitors
David Warner, Aaron Finch, Steven Smith, Mitchell Marsh, James Faulkner, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and other Twenty20 specialists fill in the Australian T20I squad. Despite these players strengthening the side, Australia have failed in the format. With the likes of Usman Khawaja, Warner, Finch and Smith, Australia have been juggling with their combination for top-order. While Finch and Warner have been in-form, Smith and Khawaja have been striving to get runs in the shortest format. Since Australia’s bowling attack is without the services of Starc at the moment, it is relatively inexperienced. Thus it becomes crucial for the batsmen to make the job easy for the bowlers. Amid this, Australia’s experiment of dropping Warner to the middle-order in the ongoing series against South Africa seemed to have done the job. FULL CRICKET SCORECARD: South Africa vs Australia, 3rd T20I at Cape Town
The second T20I against South Africa at Johannesburg witnessed one of the most thrilling T20 matches when Australia chased down 205 in a last-ball finish. The win came at the courtesy of Warner and Glenn Maxwell’s record fourth-wicket partnership of 161 off 79, which was the highlight of the match. This was the second instance when Warner has come down the order in the last couple of matches. While Warner came at No. 3 in the opening match of the series, he came in at No. 4 in the second game.
The left-right combination is usually preferred by teams and in the current Australian side there are only two left-handed batsmen—Warner and Khawaja—with the latter being newer in the side and still in the settling phase. Khawaja has been in rich form, but his T20I numbers suggest otherwise. He may not be the right option to be sent in the pivotal middle-order, where experience, reliability as well as explosive batsmanship is demanded more. Contrastingly to the demand, Khawaja has been cementing his position in the longer format. Talking about his experience, Khawaja has played only two T20Is and has scored 23 runs. It is up to Australia if they are willing to take the risk, which is unlikely because there is the venerable Watson—the best possible partner for Finch at the top.
Warner justified the left-right combination after their famous win. He was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo, “The fortunate thing for us was that I was in and we had a left-hand, right-hand combination, that’s what we try and do when you have a spinner who spins it away from the right-hander. We’ve only got myself and Ussie [Usman Khawaja] and when he’s in the team he’s at the top and I’m in the middle.”
Having Warner in the middle-order gives a realistic chance of him partnering with Maxwell in the crucial middle overs. It’s important for teams to carry on the momentum provided by their openers and if Australia are able to get off to fliers, they have an excellent combination in Warner and Maxwell. They not only ensure a left-right combination, but provide necessary leverage towards the end of the innings.
And then, their experience counts as well. Warner and Maxwell have been playing together for a while, and their partnership is likely to flourish more than that of Khawaja and Maxwell’s. Warner and Maxwell’s stand of 161 was smooth: there was no misunderstanding in the middle while running, they rotated the strike well and kept on complimenting each other—a very important trait of good partners—along the way.
If at all Australia decide to go ahead with this move, they will need Smith to do a little more with the bat. Keeping the ICC World T20 2016 in mind, Smith’s rich experience of India will come in handy and he will be needed to bat long and big. If that happens, either of Warner or Maxwell will have the license to cut lose right from the beginning. READ: South Africa vs Australia 2015-16, 3rd T20I at Cape Town: Preview
With the ICC World T20 2016 a couple of days away, Australia will be desperate to end this season on a high and head into the big tournament with momentum on their side. Australia face the likes of India, Pakistan and New Zealand in group stage, and there are very few doubts that the road to the Super-10 will be tough. Thus, a win in the T20Is against South Africa will give Smith and Co the confidence to turn tables around in the World Cup and maybe challenge the top-ranked sides for the only trophy they are yet to have their hands on. And with Warner and Maxwell pitted in the middle-order, Australia might just find themselves having a greater chance.
(Sakshi Gupta, reporter with CricketCountry, is a sports fanatic whose mantra in life is “do only what you enjoy.” Her Twitter handle is @sakshi2929)