Batting collapses and fading Australian legacy

Today morning, I woke up momentarily at 05:00 AM to check out the score at Bellerive Oval, Hobart. I had put the computer to sleep last night for precisely the same reason. I watched the score. It was 135/4. Khawaja and Voges were the batsmen dismissed today. I said to myself, "They will be okay. Smithy is still there. Let us sleep for now, and watch the game in the last session after waking up." I dozed off to sleep again. While going to sleep, I was thinking, "Can Australia do it? Can they save this one? Can they get away with being blown away for 85? Will rain save them this time? Can they give Proteas a challenging total?". Then I answered myself cautiously, "Of course, they can. Because that's what they do." They are supposed to take away the happiness of opposition and they are known as "The Invincibles" for no other reason.

Except there was no last session. I woke up again at 08:00 AM. Even the post-match presentation was over. Abbott and Rabada scythed through the Australian middle order. I watched the scoreboard. It was all over a long back. Australia had last last 8 wickets for 32 runs. Another batting collapse. These batting collapses are becoming more common in Australian cricket than the lurking seagulls. 16 Australian batsmen were dismissed in single digit score in this match. Last time it happened was against England at the Oval in 1912. So long for more than 100 year record. Australian faces were forlorn, while South African dressing room was effervescent and they were chuffed. Now-a-days, the whole Australian batting lasts shorter than the length of a T20 game. They are struggling against pace, spin, swing and what-nots. The defensive technique of a lot of Australian batsmen is questionable. They seem to find more demons in the pitch than a horror movie.

They have now lost 5 tests in a row. They got whitewashed against Sri Lanka 3-0. Then, the response which from the Australian dressing room was "poor technique against spin". Now, they have lost in their own den against Rabada and co. It was certainly not a minefield. De Kock and Bavuma showed how to bat on the very same track one day ago. Had rain not intervened, Australia would have lost the test in 2.5 days. (Knowing this fact would send a shiver down the spine of Australian dressing room).

They surely passed (or call it Anti-surpass, to be fair) a lot of records in this humiliating loss. This was their first loss by innings at home since 2010-11. (That was against England in Ashes). They made sub-100 score in the first innings. This had not happened since 1984. (Breaking a 32 year old barricade). They have now lost three consecutive home series against South Africa. This was the first innings win by South Africa against Australia in Australia. They lasted a total of 558 balls during this entire test match, which is their second least in a test at home in last 100 years. Losing 8 wicket for 32 runs in their joint worst collapse in history. Total runs scored by Australia was 246 in this Test match, which is their sixth lowest at home in tests.

Before this series began, there was a lot of talk about the ability of South Africa to challenge Australia on their own turf without their star batsman AB Devilliers and star bowler Dale Steyn. South Africa have shut every one up by blowing Australia away even without them. They seem to have found their test match rhythm and look like a serious force to reckon with. They seem to have left behind the absence of legends like Graeme Smith, Jacques Kallis, Mark Boucher etc. They don't even seem to be missing AB and Dale at this moment. Everything seems to be working for them. First white-washing Australia 5-0 in ODI series at home and then clinching the test series without breaking much sweat in Australia.

I have grown up watching Australian Cricket as relentless hounds, who give you nightmares if you ever come in their way. They used to have so many match-winners. The pride of Baggy Green was enormous. I secretly wished I had one "Baggy Green" under my pillow while sleeping. I have never seen a Australian Cricket team in so much turmoil and self-doubt. It seems as if they have forgotten how to win games of cricket. The legacy of great "Australian Cricket" is fading, that is for sure. A cancer seems to be have spread in it. It remains to be seen how long it lasts. They seem to be trying everything within their power to turn it around. It just isn't working. World cricket needs a strong Australian side. They have set the standard so high for the beautiful game we love. Their dominance during 1990s and 2000s was one of the breakthrough period for any team in any kind of sports. Gone are those days.

Fun Fact: One biggest anomaly in world of cricket is Australia have not beaten South Africa in Australia since 2005, while South Africa have not beaten Australia in South Africa since 1970. These are the things, which make cricket the most romantic game in the whole world and bring smile to my face.

Hobart is empty now. Spectators have gone while talking about the batting collapse of Australia on their way home. Australian dressing room is silent. They are wandering around in the dressing room wondering what went wrong. Whole social media is buzzing with explanations of defeat and blaming selectors, coaches, staffs, captain and players. Not much need to mark this moment as these are the sights becoming increasingly common in Australian cricket.

A special day for Bangladesh, A horrible day for England

The day was October 30, 2016. England's last wicket, Steven Finn fell and they embraced a defeat of 108 runs against the 9th rank team in the world. There were smiles, handshakes and selfies being taken in Bangladesh's dressing room. It was Bangladesh's bowling coach Courtney Walsh's birthday. Bangladesh chose to give him the best gift he could have asked for. A test win against one of the top test teams in the world at the moment: England. On the other hand, England's dressing room was calm and everyone was looking at sky or ground or their shoes wondering what the hell exactly happened. Everyone was looking at life in retrospect. Such was the severity of the defeat. Losing 10 wickets in 22.2 overs in a single session against Bangladesh: That is what had unfolded in Mirpur.

There was a time not so long ago, that people used to shrug their shoulders when any team used to do well against Bangladesh and used to say, "But, it is only Bangladesh!!!". Gone are those days now. Bangladesh have developed into a potent team at their home. Yeah, they will struggle in alien conditions and it will take quite some time and a lot of wins away from home when everyone considers them a serious test team. But, in their own backyard, they have undoubtedly reached that stage. It was their first test win against any team other than eroded Zimbabwe and heavily under-strength West Indies. They easily could have won this series 2-0, had their not been a divine interaction in the form of Ben Stokes at Chittagong.

When England won at Chittagong, it was so easy to dismiss the idea that it was a fluke that Bangladesh even came so close to team like England, but those who follow test cricket closely knew otherwise in their hearts. Bangladesh were almost as good as England in Chittagong, but just failed to cross the line. At Mirpur, they completely outplayed England in all three departments. As an England cricket fan, The worst part of this defeat was knowing the plain, ugly truth that "At the end of the day, better team won". It was almost unimaginable and unbearable.

Bangladesh look like a very formidable opponent at their home. In the likes of Tamim, Kayes, Mushfiqur, Shakib, Mustafizur and Mehedi, they already have got the core of a very competent test side. They looked comfortable against the English spinners. They scored at a rapid rate against the new ball. The only worry which was ostensibly visible was their inexperience against the reverse swing with the old-ball. They look to counter that very soon. With a little bit of work, they can challenge test teams on a regular basis. They deserve full credit for that. Their fans needed this win. This was a special moment in the cricket-crazy country.

Coming back to England, it was an absolute disgrace. Many will say, "Yeah, well. It was a good day for test cricket." World cricket needs a strong Bangladesh, blah, blah, blah. But, World cricket needs a strong England side too. England probably spends more money on their cricket budget in one week than Bangladesh does in one whole year. England sends their teams to Asia on Lions and A-teams tour. There is absolutely no excuse for this defeat. Granted that they got undone by a young debutant Mehedi Hasan, but he was nothing England were not prepared for. He doesn't have variations of Ajmal or Ashwin. He undoubtedly bowled well throughout the series, but against England he was made to look like an absolute genius. England played him as if they are playing off-spin for the first time. On the other hand, England's spinners were nowhere near world-class and gave too many release balls. They were never able to quite build up the pressure.

Batting-wise, their team selection was terrible. Perhaps they do not know, who their best 7 batters are. Giving Gary Ballance so many opportunities in spite of the fact that he doesn't belong there at this moment is completely outrageous. Ben Duckett looked fine, but his catching was school-grade. It is just too much to ask Stokes to do everything. Root had a bad series, so did Cook. But other batters just couldn't step up on the occasion and this scenario is becoming increasingly familiar in English cricket. They are always left to wonder about "Only if" of the moments they could have seized. England do have some of the best stuffs in the test cricket world. Their reverse-swinging skills with the old-ball, the depths in their bowling and batting are outstanding. They have a stock of all-rounders at test cricket level in the form of Woakes, Stokes and Ali. Unfortunately, these disasters keep on happening with them more than any other team in the world.

No doubt, there are so many low-points in England cricket file. Jamaica (2009), Lord's (against Netherlands in 2009), Bangalore (against Ireland in 2011), the UAE (against Pakistan in 2012), Chittagong (against Netherlands again in 2014), First round elimination in 2015 world cup, Whitewashes in 2006-07 and 2013-14 Ashes. This name of Dhaka on October 30, 2016 must be added to that list, that is for sure. It was indescribably poor. Personally, It often frustrates me watching England lose like this. But, they keep on doing that. I am actually dreading to know that if Bangladesh was a trailer of this horror show, what is going to happen to them when they visit India in 2 weeks? It could be a very very long series for them. India are undeniably the best team in their home conditions. I am expecting a nice competent series, most of them will depend on how much they learnt from Dhaka.