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Why the Adelaide test match marks a referendum for the future of Australia’s ageing Test stars
Oliver van Bronswijk • December 4th, 2024 2:49 pm
SEN Cricket’s Adam Collins has drawn a line in the sand, earmarking the second test match between Australia and India as a turning point in not only the series, but the careers of some of Australia’s finest cricketers.
Collins is increasingly worried that the past failures of the side at home cannot be overcome despite the likelihood that for many of these players, the 2024-25 season is their final opportunity to vanquish India at home.
Staring down the barrel of another loss would see history stacked up against a side that has won everything except the Border-Gavaskar trophy in the last decade.
“It’s a referendum on this team,” Collins told SEN Sportsday.
“We spent a lot of time in the build-up to the series saying this could be a defining series on the basis that they (the Australian team) haven’t held the Border Gavaskar Trophy for a decade.
“The last time they won it was in 2014-2015 which feels an eternity ago really. A lot of the generation, or most of the generation who are playing right now, aren’t going to get a chance to play India at home again.
“So, it does feel like so much rides on this test match because they’re one-nil down. If they’re two-nil down the probability of coming back from that has happened once in test match history.”
The Australian 11 that faced India in Perth featured all but one player over the age of 30 raising concerns of a drop-off comparable to the post-Australian golden era of the late 2000s.
Questions have arisen if the Australian selectors have spent their dwindling time properly, ensuring the test team remains competitive after the current group retires.
Collins however remains pessimistic about potential selection changes unless India takes a commanding two-nil series lead after the Adelaide test.
“I think it has to do with the age profile,” Collins explained.
“If you had your time again, if we all had our time again might they (the Australian selectors) have used the last 12 months to have moved a couple of players on and maybe given them their farewell laps last season?
“Probably I reckon, but who exactly and when exactly is the tougher question. Yep, David Warner, I acknowledge that he ended up playing all the way through until Sydney last year and he telegraphed he wanted to leave a long while before that.
“But where they really going to drop Usman Khawaja or pension Usman Khawaja off 12 months ago? It never felt like it, it wasn’t a part of the conversation at all.
“So, it is Labuschagne at the moment. Personally, I feel like taking him out of the firing line was something they might’ve considered. I thought they might do it after Perth. It feels like he will play, there is no real sign out of the Aussie camp that he won’t.
“You’re looking at the older guys in the squad, Khawaja and Smith most logically based on their ages. But I really can’t see that (a selection change) unless they are truly out of the series.”
Injury concerns have already started to plague the Australian team with both Josh Hazlewood and Mitch Marsh having a cloud over the rest of the series. This is likely to further strain Australia’s bowling stocks.
Collins thinks inclusions in either Adelaide or Brisbane of Beau Webster and Scott Boland could add a dimension of versatility that has been previously missing with the current 11.
“Mitch is playing but the other thing here is there are only three days between Adelaide and Brisbane. There is some signals and Daniel Brettig from The Age has reported that Mitch Marsh may not bowl in this test match,” Collins elaborated.
“Does that mean they’re trusting the four bowlers plus possibly Labuschagne and Head? I’m not sure but back-to-back test matches if you’re not completely cherry-ripe that might be where Webster gets an opportunity next week in Brisbane.
“Look, his numbers have warranted selection in the test squad. He was the leading run scorer in the shield last year. He’s had runs and wickets pretty much every time he has had to make a contribution for Tasmania or for Australia A. Including last week in the recently completed day-night shield rounds.
“Hazlewood out of the squad with a side strain. This is the third summer of the last four where he has been hounded by a side strain early in the summer. So that’s one to watch they’re describing it as mild, but they’ve described it as mild the last couple of times.
“It does open the door to Scotty Boland, and we know that Scott Boland’s record in Australia is ridiculous. Six test matches at 27 wickets so yep, he’s 35. He is at that part of his career where he is nearer to the end than he is the start. But he’s never let Australia down so in a test match that has a lot riding on it I think a lot of people will rest easy that Scotty Boland is likely to be in the 11.”
The second Test between Australia and India in Adelaide gets underway on Friday, December 6. Listen to every ball LIVE on SEN and the SEN app.
