Australian Cricket - Crisis, What Crisis ??

[laj]

It is now too late to radically change the side. Pity, as the side is in need of radical changes.

[1] Our batsmen are averaging less than the bowlers. That is the sort of thing that loses games, and it has.
(a) Finch should not be opening. He hasn't opened for Victoria for a number of years now. Now his form is shot, he looks to be one of the first ready to be dropped. With his present average this series, he should be dropped. But playing him further down the list could have delivered results at least as good.
(b) Head appears to have some idea, but he gets out too easily. Mentally weak at the moment. He isn't that bad a spin bowler either, yet he hasn't had a decent spell.
His present numbers do not deserve a game, but he may in the future.
© Harris has disappointed. I think he may have a future, but his present batting is not deserving of a spot.
(d) Shaun Marsh's performances are borderline at best. he makes runs just often enough to keep in the team. But I think test cricket has passed him by. We need someone with his father's mental strength. Both of Geoff's sons have more natural talent than he did, but neither has even half his application and mental strength. Pity, as but they have been given a lot of chances that other guys simply couldn't get.
(e) Mitch Marsh: I think his bowling in the last game was better than it has been in quite some time. The only problem with that was that he was wicket-less. His batting: he is a flat track bully. He can slaughter an ordinary attack on a flat deck. But he is not getting to play against ordinary attacks and the decks have not been what we either expect or require. Result? Mitch Marsh fails again.
(f) Usman Khawaja: coming back direct from injury set him up for failure. he played no warm up games and has struggled against one of the best attacks in the business.
For all that, he isn't that bad and probably has a future in the team for a little longer. But he was underdone and got smashed.
(g) Marnus Labuschagne will probably play in Sydney. He might have a future: I liked his spin bowling. His batting, on the other hand, is unlikely to succeed against such a good attack. But I can hope.

Harris has looked the part but just hasn't gone on. worth persisting with though. Head's done ok but too often goes out to the $hit shot, actually, done that every innings. He's frustrating but at 25yo has a future. Again, hasn't gone on. Khawaja is certainly ok. S.Marsh, like you said, has done just enough with a 60 and two 40s but not going on.

Batting has been terrible, yet if they weren't trash in the First Test we are up 2-1 given we lost by only 31 runs. Didn't even need to be good, just better.

Also, don't want to see the toss deciding games. The pitch was a slow road for two days, near impossible to get wickets, hence on 5 fell in that time. After that it played horrible trick hence 15 wickets fell on the 3rd day and India declared at 8/106 on the 4th.

If we had Smith and Warner we'd have the series won, think that's obvious. If they didn't have Kohli and Pujara they'd be down 3-0.