Boland’s Dominance against Australia’s Opener Raises Fresh Ashes Questions: WTC.

First Ashes Test at Edgbaston looms large over flopping Australian openers

The recently concluded World Test Championship (WTC) final saw Australia seize its maiden title by defeating India by 209 runs. However, the win came after a dramatic collapse by India in the second innings, which saw them lose seven wickets for just 55 runs. Australia‘s victory, despite their not-so-impressive performance, adds momentum to their upcoming Ashes campaign. The Australian openers, David Warner and Usman Khawaja, however, failed to impress in the WTC Final.

David Warner:

David Warner has secured his spot for the upcoming Ashes Test at Edgbaston despite scoring just 44 runs in both innings of the WTC Final. Warner showed initial stability at the crease but was eventually dismissed by a poor shot selection. But, he did showcase questionable footwork in the second innings. Thus, he needs to concentrate harder on his technique to face the challenge of the English pacers.

Usman Khawaja:

Usman Khawaja’s nicking behind contributed to Australia‘s weakened performance in the WTC Final. The Dukes ball remains Khawaja’s Kryptonite; hence his average test score in England has slipped to 17.78. Before his dismissal, he looked in control during the second innings but recklessly swatted a wide delivery from Umesh Yadav – making his departure cheap and easy.

Steve Smith and Travis Head:

The Australian batting line-up also had its stars. Marnus Labuschagne threw his wicket during the first innings with an extravagant drive, but the world’s No. 1 Test batter still made valuable contributions. Steve Smith brought up his third Test century at The Oval and looks destined to replicate his heroics from four years ago in the upcoming Ashes. In the first innings, Travis Head, who brought up his first Test century outside of Australia, left the national selectors looking foolish for dropping him during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series opener.

Cameron Green:

After giving highlights duriung his Test career, Cameron Green had a disappointing start in the WTC Final. His lack of consistency with the ball and his batting technique needs further refining.

The bowling attack:

The bowling attack mostly remained up to the mark. Nathan Lyon snatched the crucial wicket of Ravindra Jadeja and rival captain Rohit Sharma. Pat Cummins showed signs of rust that resulted in costly no-balls, but he also displayed glimpses of his destructive potential. However, Mitchell Starc’s performance was underwhelming; he struggled to find his length and failed to swing the Dukes ball. Starc’s position for the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston remains under scrutiny.

Scott Boland‘s splendid performance:

The Victorian, Scott Boland, playing his first professional match in the United Kingdom, immediately looked at home with the Dukes ball during the WTC Final. He was comfortable with the ball and was comfortably Australia’s most economical bowler, sealing India’s fate. His excellent opening spell and remarkable performance by creating fresh Ashes headache left the national selectors in a dilemma on who to choose for the series-opener match.

Editorial

The Australian team’s victory in the WTC Final demonstrates their dominance in the Test arena. However, their win was not entirely convincing as they were far from their best. The first Test of the Ashes series against England looms large, and there are still areas of concern for Australia to address. Their batting must improve, particularly the openers’ role, before they face the challenge of facing England’s world-class pacers. The performance of the bowlers was reasonably well, but the no-balls must be eliminated to provide better results.  Furthermore, there is a need for consistency from Cameron Green with the ball, bat, and field. Meanwhile, Scott Boland‘s remarkable performance against India, which led to a fresh Ashes headache, gives selectors more players to ponder over for selection for the first Ashes test at Edgbaston.

Advice

To face the upcoming challenge of the Ashes, the Australian team must focus on revamping their opening pair, which has struggled in recent times. David Warner must concentrate harder on his technique, while Usman Khawaja needs to overcome his inadequacies and improve his batting performance. The team’s overall batting performance must improve significantly before they face the English pacers. The bowlers have to maintain their focus and make sure to correct issues like overstepping. The national selectors must also work to boost the consistency levels of Cameron Green. Finally, seamer Scott Boland‘s excellent performance must result in a fair consideration from the selectors for the Ashes series.