Cameron Green and Tim David Hand Australia some Selection Headaches

With David Warner out, Cameron Green was promoted to open. He has never opened in a T20 and has less experienced with just 1 T20I and 14 T20s behind him. His inclusion in the side alone was rather lucky. With Warner, Stoinis and Marsh missing, Cameron Green came in and was given the opening spot more to fill up the gap at the top rather than anything else.

Cameron Green though, fortunate to open, proved to be more than capable at the top. In two out of the three games, Green got Australia off to fliers, with quick fifties. While Cameron Green is not in the World Cup squad, his performance leaves the other players with some competition. The top-order currently settled with David Warner at the top and Aaron Finch leading the side. Cameron Green though now casts a huge shadow with his recent returns.

Along with Cameron Green, Tim David brings some headaches to Australia. Tim David is now known all over for his big-hitting and finishing skills. His finsihing abilities were on display in this tour as well. Tim David supported Wade in the first T20I and making a fifty of his own in the last T20I. The last T20I though saw another element to Tim David’s game. With wickets falling, he curbed his style of play and batted with some maturity as he built an innings steadily before going all-out in the last few overs. With a lot of competition in the middle-order, it will be interesting to see how they fit him in the eleven for the World Cup. For now though, Steve Smith could be the one under threat with Tim David rising rapidly.

coming to Smith, Australia may have some tough calls to make. With Warner, Marsh and Stoinis coming back to the side, there will be some competition for his spot at number three or number four. In the present series, Steve Smith did a decent job but could not prove his ability in the shortest format. In the first game, he looked solid with his 35, batting fast and with intent. The innings though was still slower than the average strike-rate of the series despite Smith batting with a rate of 145. In the second game, Australia’s view of Steve Smith was evident. With eight overs per side, Smith went down the order. If Smith is to find a place in the eleven it will be at the expense of Tim David. In picking between Tim David and Steve Smith, Australia has some tough decisions ahead.

While it is not a huge concern, Glenn Maxwell’s form is starting to grab attention. He made only seven across three games, failing to occupy the crease for longer periods. His skillset though and ability to turn the game around on his own still makes him a valuable player, and one to hold on to patiently.

See also: IND vs AUS Match Prediction- Who Will Win the Match Between India and Australia, 3rd T20I (cricketwinner.com)

The bowling looks rather solid for Australia, with slight issues around the death bowling. While Pat Cummins is a tad expensive, Josh Hazlewood is doing as well as ever. Adam Zampa is also doing really well in his role, and is proving to be one of the best leg-spinners going around. The return of Starc will help them in the death. Batting though is an aspect to ponder for Australia. The performances are their, but with first choice players coming back it will be interesting to see how Australia fit their players in the batting line-up. They are in a good place, having a happy headache with their surplus of options.