Wannabe selectors are sharpening their axes after Australia’s stunning and historic Test match loss to Bangladesh in Darwin.
As the cricket world comprehends that nine-wicket win for Bangladesh, we rate the performances of the Australian XI.
8. Josh Hazlewood
Bowled perseverance and skill to claim 6-89 including his 300th Test wicket. Importantly in his first Test in a year he maintained good pace and snap while staying fit to play.
8. Cameron Green
It took a dire match situation and a Top End venue closer in atmosphere to the Sheffield Shield arena he has dominated, but Green finally came good with his first Test hundred in Australia. After a poor first innings exit, he found the right tempo to balance attack and defence, while also playing to his strengths on the drive and pull shot. Australia must build their future middle order around him.
6. Steve Smith
Top scored on day one, but it was a fortunate innings, getting away with an apparent edge early on, and he then got out when Australia needed him to shepherd the tail to a respectable total, as he famously did at Edgbaston in 2019. Dropped a key chance in the field, and was fuming at himself for offering Mehidy a tame return catch in the second innings.
4. Alex Carey
Kept tidily for a long innings and claimed three catches, but would’ve wanted to do more with a pair of batting starts. Bangladesh bowled well to Carey, preventing him from playing with the positive momentum that has been a hallmark of his excellent scoring over the past two years.
3. Travis Head
Twice dragged deliveries onto the stumps and dropped a difficult catch when Bangladesh batted. Was unable to take control of either innings against tight and intelligent bowling, leaving the rest of the batting order vulnerable.
3. Pat Cummins
Made a contentious decision to bat first at the toss, handing the best bowling conditions to Bangladesh, then was unable to genuinely impose himself on the match with the ball. Will need to have a serious think about the way his team approached this game.
3. Mitchell Starc
Similarly to Cummins, was frustrated by determined Bangladesh batters who showed plenty of application. Also let his frustrations be known a few times, including a confrontation over Bangladesh batsmen running on the pitch.
2. Marnus Labuschagne
His future has to be a topic of conversation for the national selectors after a pair of dismissals that betrayed both indecision and flawed judgment. On day one he edged a delivery a more confident player would have left alone, and in the second he tried to do too much with a delivery drifting into leg stump when a simple push down the ground would have been safer. No Test hundred since 2023.
2. Beau Webster
Had not let Australia down in any of his previous Test matches, but this was one to forget. Twice bowled on the outside edge – something of a recurring theme in his batting – Webster was also ineffective with the ball when bowling his medium pace, and did not try out his finger spin.
2. Nathan Lyon
Was thoroughly out-bowled by Bangladesh’s spinners on home soil, and that is not something that has been said often over his 15-year career. Also dropped a critical catch early in the visitors’ innings that would have removed centurion Tanzid Hasan. Could make way for Scott Boland in Mackay.
1. Jake Weatherald
An unhappy Darwin homecoming for Weatherald and his fate is now in the hands of the selectors. Looked scratchy on the first morning until he lashed out and was caught behind, and after a long stint in the field he exhibited heavy legs and a tired mind in a three-ball stay that ended with a drag on.
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Daniel Brettig is The Age’s chief cricket writer and the author of several books on cricket.Connect via X.From our partners
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