“We were in T20 mode”: Smith’s Eden Park nightmare
Skipper Steve Smith refused to blame a jam-packed schedule for Australia’s terrible collapse in Auckland but conceded his side was stuck in Twenty20 mode.
Smith’s men could hardly have started their tour of New Zealand in worse fashion yesterday, when they were belted by 159 runs in an ODI at Eden Park.
Having been set a victory target of 308, Australia were 6-41 after nine overs and the game was was as good as over.
They were rolled for 148 shortly after the floodlights were turned on, lasting just 24.2 overs in total.
Australia have never been skittled so quickly in an ODI, suggesting they went too hard too early despite Smith demanding they do the opposite pre-match.
“The way we batted, it looked like we were in a bit of a hurry, almost in T20 mode if you will,” the skipper said.
“We let them get on top of us, we probably went a little bit too hard at them and we didn’t have it in us tonight.
“We’re going to have to improve on that and make sure we give ourselves a chance in the next couple of games.”
Smith was part of an advance party that landed in Auckland on Saturday.
But some players in the squad were involved in last Sunday’s T20 loss to India, while many had featured in the preceding Big Bash League.
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“I don’t think it [the schedule] is to blame. I think it’s part and parcel of the game these days,” the skipper said.
“You go from different formats of the game very quickly and it’s just about adapting quickly to whichever one you have to play.”
Smith noted “the most disappointing” part of the result was that his teammates failed to heed his advice about starting their innings cautiously.
“Playing over here against those guys [Trent Boult and Matt Henry] we need to take a little bit longer to get ourselves in,” Smith said.
“Give ourselves a chance… we didn’t do that tonight and we’re going to have to learn quickly and hopefully we can do that in a couple of days time in Wellington.”
Usman Khawaja is likely to return on Saturday, when the tourists will attempt to square the three-match ODI series in Wellington.
“After this batting display, [changes] will be talked about amongst selectors. It wasn’t our best display so I’m sure that will be talked about,” Smith said.
“We didn’t adapt well enough and we were outplayed… I’d like to forget tonight’s game, to be perfectly honest.
“It hasn’t been a great start to the series for us.”
The result is a wake-up call when it comes to Australia’s hopes of regaining the No.1 Test ranking, which they have a chance to do in the two-match series that starts in nine days against the Black Caps.
The debacle had a sense of deja vu about it, raising plenty of questions – of technique, temperament, selections and scheduling.
“I’m not sure it’s technical. It’s just about backing your defence early, giving yourself a little bit longer out there to get used to the conditions before you start playing bigger shots,” Smith said.
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The skipper spoke pre-match of the need to bat conservatively at Eden Park, vowing to learn the lessons of a woeful defeat at the same venue during the 2015 World Cup.
For months, Smith and David Warner have highlighted the need to be wary of the swinging ball in NZ.
The captain and vice-captain made it clear their side needed to be better in foreign conditions, especially when the ball was doing a bit.
Those words have been ringing out in recent years at Cricket Australia’s training base in Brisbane and administrative headquarters in Melbourne.
But when the heat went on after NZ were invited to bat first by Smith, the visitors were again found wanting.
Edges flew and wickets tumbled in scenes reminiscent of the side’s collapse of 8-26 against the same opposition in 2015 at the same ground.
“We did what we did here last time during the World Cup. We lost wickets early and we weren’t able to survive,” Smith said.
Smith and Warner pushed their side to 1-33 before all hell broke loose in front of 25,882 fans.
Warner was wrongly given out lbw but opted against reviewing the decision.
Otherwise, the carnage was caused by Trent Boult and Matt Henry – plus a spectacular one-handed catch from Kane Williamson.
“I don’t think the ball was really moving around that much today so that was a bit disappointing,” Smith said.
All of it unfolded on the same pitch that man of the match Martin Guptill excelled on, scoring 90 and sharing a boundary-laden opening stand of 79 runs with Brendon McCullum.
“It got a little bit slower… it was obviously tough conditions out there,” Henry charitably said after grabbing three wickets.
Marcus Stoinis will link up with the squad soon after hamstrung allrounder James Faulkner was ruled out of the rest of the series.
–AAP
