For all their glory in the one-day internationals and Tests, the Australians have hopelessly fallen short in the T20 main event with just one final appearance six years ago. Somehow, they have not been able to crack the Twenty20 code yet.
It’s not that they don’t have the players to see them through but it is the collective display and lack of consistency that has hampered their progress.
Oddly, their record in the tournament is not so bad with 14 wins and 11 defeats in 25 games for a winning percentage of 56.00, which is higher than former champions West Indies (52.08) and England (44.00).
However, they don’t inspire much confidence this time.
Their build-up has not been encouraging as they have suffered a 3-0 defeat to India at home.
And they will be entering the tournament after playing a Test series in New Zealand, where the conditions are completely different to what they will encounter in India.
.@JamesFaulkner44 and @mstarc56 talking to the #U15Champs players at the @BupaAustralia National Cricket Centre. pic.twitter.com/sRhnC0Mggl
— CricketAus Pathways (@CAPathway) February 24, 2016
Steven Smith & Co will not only have to quickly switch into T20 mode but also adapt to the Indian conditions as soon as possible if they are to make any impact.
The advantage that the Aussies have is almost all players have been regulars in the Indian Premier League so they know what lies in store.
STRENGTHS
In David Warner and Aaron Finch, Australia have one of the best opening combinations in the tournament. They have a very good stock of all-rounders too comprising Shane Watson, Glenn Maxwell and James Faulkner, all having plied their trade with aplomb in the Indian Premier League.
All-rounder Mitchell Marsh is another who fits well into that category. Inform Usman Khawaja and captain Steven Smith lend steel to their batting.
The Australian team has arrived in, and is enjoying, Cape Town ahead of the third and deciding T20. #SAvAUS pic.twitter.com/9GlA7yC4Jx
— cricket.com.au (@CricketAus) March 7, 2016
WEAKNESSES
The pace bowling lacks firepower. The likes of Josh Hazlewood, John Hastings and Andrew Tye may be good on helpful tracks but their potency is yet to be ascertained on flatter surfaces. They also have an untested spin combination in Ashton Agar and Adam Zampa which means they will be relying a lot on their all-rounders.
Steven Smith’s lack of captaincy experience in T20Is – led in just one match – is another concern.
STARMAN
David Warer
This left-handed batsman is the perfect example of a modern cricketer, who rose to dominate the world stage on the basis of his Twenty20 exploits. Warner has been prolific in all formats be it Tests or limited-overs for Australia and he will be key to their progress in the tournament.
He is quite familiar with the conditions thanks to his productive stint in the Indian Premier League where he has notched over 2,500 runs at a decent average of 34 and an impressive strike rate of 139.
Sport360 verdict
While they have excellent hitting power, their bowling doesn’t inspire a lot of confidence as they don’t have a pace or spin spearhead. They should concentrate on making it to the semi-finals as they have India and Pakistan in their group.
