The first showdown of the two-Test cricket series against Sri Lanka begins in Brisbane on Thursday. How will the new-look Aussie bowling line-up shape up?
It’s the dawn of a new age for Australian cricket. For the first time in living memory (if you’re a six-year-old), Australia will take to the field in a Test match without Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath to spearhead the attack. As human beings, we are conditioned to be wary of the unknown. As a cricket fan, I’m terrified by the prospect of starting a game without those two superstars. The first Test series of the Australian summer is shaping up to be a lot more interesting than the last offering against the Poms. Sri Lanka and Australia seem to bring out the best – and occasionally the worst – in each other. They are developing a rivalry that offers more interest than the Ashes, with England in current form. The Australian batting line-up remains mostly unchanged and is still the most dominant in world cricket. Adding Phil Jacques to the mix doesn’t diminish it in any way. Jacques has been the heir apparent to an opening slot for a number of years. In any other country he would have had 50 Tests under his belt by now. The rest – Matthew Hayden, Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke, Michael Hussey, Andrew Symonds and Adam Gilchrist – would strike fear into the heart of any attack. They offer tremendous balance and rarely all have a bad day together. The bowling, on the other hand, is a long way short of what we’ve grown accustomed to. The loss of Warne and McGrath is difficult to overestimate. These are the two pillars on which Australian sides have been built for 15 years and they will not be easy to replace. Stuart Clark is the best bet. He is a player very much in the mould of McGrath, bowling consistent line and length. He has already had some success at Test level, but has been a bit of a disappointment in the one-dayers. For now, all that matters is the Test series. Sharing the new ball with him will be Brett Lee who has really failed to live up to his potential and opening the bowling will not help him in the least. He has a tendency to try too hard when he has the new ball and ends up losing control in the pursuit of more pace. Hopefully, the Australian coaches have taught him a modicum of self-control – but don’t hold your breath. He’s a fast bowler and they are notoriously slow learners. The final pace spot will be filled by Mitchell Johnson thanks to the decision being made so much easier by Shaun Tait injuring himself – again. Johnson, a left-armer, will add a welcome degree of variety to the attack but, as a Test debutant, he is an unknown quantity. The real interest is in the spin option. Brad Hogg and Stuart MacGill are both very experienced spinners, although neither is in the same league as Warnie. MacGill has the runs on the board (or wickets in the bag) at Test level, but is not in the greatest of form. Hogg, on the other hand, is in great form, but struggles in Test matches. For me, Hogg is the better option. He has more weapons at his disposal and will be tricky on a bouncy Gabba pitch. MacGill doesn’t have much variation and if he has a bad day, can be very, very expensive. History suggests that the selectors will go with MacGill. Whoever the selectors eventually settle on, they have treated both bowlers with a complete lack of respect. It is all very well to keep a couple of youngsters waiting and desperately fighting for the last place, but it is wrong to do the same to these guys. They are both well established and their strengths and weaknesses are well known. Pick one and let the other get on with life.
The Sri Lankan team has a good balance of youth and experience and will provide some real headaches for the Aussies. The batting line-up has some real talent who have yet to show what they are capable of on this tour. Any batting list that has Sanath Jayasuriya, Marvan Atapattu, Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene in it should be treated with great respect. And there's nothing like the first morning of a Test match to sharpen the focus. The bowling, too, is impressive. The ever reliable Chaminda Vaas has proven his credentials many times. Lasith Malinga is a very exciting prospect and with the extra pace and bounce of Australian wickets will cause more than one batsman problems. And when the batsmen have seen off those two, up steps Muttiah Muralitharan. There is no doubt that the Aussie batsmen respect Murali’s abilities, even if some sections of the crowd do not. All up, it looks like a fascinating couple of Tests and the result is far from an easy series for the Aussies. We’ll still win, but we’ll just have to try a bit harder this time.