Australia's Ashes Squad : Are they good enough?

The Mother of all Rivalries is just round the corner

The Australian squad for the first two Tests of The Ashes threw a surprise with the inclusion (or exclusion, rather) of a couple of names. To be honest, ten of the thirteen gentlemen in the squad could have been selected even by the neighborhood aunty, the watchman or the guy who still thinks cricket is just the name of an insect.

Selectors were already in a dilemma over the choice of the wicket-keeper and the absence of a genuine all-rounder in the squad again sheds light on the faith shown over tried and tested names. Australia has decided to play it safe, probably going in with a 6-1-4 combination at the Gabba, a venue which has been a fortress for the Aussies for about three decades.

Six proper batsmen on a fast and bouncy Gabba pitch with the firebrand pace trio of Starc-Hazlewood-Cummins looks like a good combination on paper. But with the deep English batting lineup to bowl against, taking 20 wickets with just four specialist bowlers is a task easier said than done, even at The Gabba. Also with the same squad going into Adelaide which has traditionally been a batsman's paradise, omission of an all-rounder makes little sense.

What has been most perplexing is the continuous ouster and re-selection of Shaun Marsh and lack of clarity over his role in the team. The southpaw was selected for the India tour given his ability to play spin in the sub-continent. But after a couple of fifties across four Tests, Marsh was dropped for the tour of Bangladesh.

Marsh hadn't exactly set the ongoing Sheffield Shield season on fire when he was included in the Ashes squad over other contenders vying for the no. 6 spot. An aggregate of 236 runs at an average of 39.33 in three matches isn't something with which you can walk into an Ashes squad as a specialist batsman, with selection in the playing XI almost confirmed.

Also, with Usman Khawaja and Peter Handscomb more than settled in the line-up, no. 6 was the only spot open for contention, where an all-rounder was being deemed fit. But a king pair in the Shield game against New South Wales didn't help Hilton Cartwright's cause. Glenn Maxwell is another gamble who has been losing faith by the day. It looks like skipper Steven Smith himself would have to don the fifth bowler's duty if the need arises.

Another issue plaguing the selectors was Matt Renshaw's lack of form. The opener was a revelation on his first tour of India, with a batting style being a throwback to eras gone by. But his form deserted him on the subsequent tour of Bangladesh and in the Shield season. Joe Burns too didn't inspire much confidence with the bat and the selectors had no option but to go with the uncapped Cameron Bancroft.

Although an arguement can be made towards providing Renshaw an extended run in the national side, his woeful returns in Shield games forced the selectors to look elsewhere. And with the high profile Ashes series looming, the choice was between an in-form but inexperienced Bancroft versus a patchy Renshaw.

Still in his early days, a young Bancroft has shown enough promise with the bat for a long time. A timely double hundred against Western Australia at Perth came as a blessing, as lack of options guaranteed his selection. But how he fares against the likes of Anderson and Broad remains to be seen.

An Ashes series at home comes with its own added pressure and the responsibility on Bancroft would be huge, given that he has to compliment Warner in providing Australia a good start against arguably the best new ball pair in the world.

All the above issues might take care of themselves if Marsh and Bancroft play their part well. The bowling attack in itself looks pretty well rounded as far as the specialist bowlers are concerned and can be backed to deliver match-winning performaces on any day. But the biggest gamble of all was the inclusion of Tim Paine, the wicket-keeper.

Matthew Wade had been hanging by a thin string for as long as anyone can remember. Since his comeback into the team in the series against South Africa, Wade had the utmost backing of his skipper. His vocal skills behind the stumps and reputation of being an explosive batsman worked in his favor for a while. But the selectors have eventually run out of patience with his 'rusty' glove-work and meagre returns with the bat.

Wade has scored just 263 runs at a dreadful average of 20.23 since his return to the team. Only one fifty in ten Tests do not justify the confidence the team management has shown over him. The other keeper in contention, Peter Nevill, who Wade had replaced on his comeback, was primed for selection in everyone else's opinion but the selectors.

Nevill hasn't helped his own cause either. Although much better with the gloves than Wade, his skills with the bat are atmost limited. Inconsistent outings in Sheild matches have reduced the faith in him further. Moreover, skipper Steven Smith has openly declared that he wants his wicket-keeper to be constantly in the ear of the batsman at the crease, something Nevill is not accustomed to given his quiet nature behind the stumps.

All the stars and planets might have been in perfect confluence for Tim Paine when the Ashes call-up arrived. And why not, as Paine himself admitted that he had decided to quit cricket a year ago, with injuries and lack of form affecting his love for the game. But such has been the turnaround of fortunes for the Tasmanian that now he has a real chance to cement his place in the Test side.

From an overall perspective, Australia'a Ashes squad might still be handy in home conditions. With the English side slowly waking up to reality in Stokes' absence, and their pacers dealing with injury problems of late, Australia might just sneak in with a chance.

The Gabba has been a lucky hunting ground for the Kangaroos. Their pace attack is by far their best asset in the squad. The batting mostly revolves around Warner and Smith, with inexperience at both the top and lower-middle order.

Usman Khawaja was in good nick during Sheild games and Peter Handscomb has already proven his worth in the ten Tests he has played so far. Still the middle-order bears an iffy outlook with Shaun Marsh and Tim Paine making up the numbers. This Ashes might well be the last chance for Marsh to showcase his talent. Tim Paine, for the first two Tests atleast, might ride his luck and go in with little inhibitions.

It is still hard to imagine how the Aussies would fare against England with the first ball of The Ashes yet to be bowled. Joe Root's team has shown a lot of self belief in the build up to the Mother of all Rivalries. Australia have gambled in despair and Steven Smith hopes to redeem himself with an early lead in the series, after a disastrous outing in the subcontinent.

Smith's team would surely enter the first battle at Gabba with all guns blazing. But whether his plans would pay off, or the gambles are a recipe for disaster, only time will tell.