{"id":95672,"date":"2023-11-06T01:09:08","date_gmt":"2023-11-06T01:09:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stopsmokingway.com\/?p=95672"},"modified":"2023-11-06T01:09:08","modified_gmt":"2023-11-06T01:09:08","slug":"with-a-semi-final-spot-at-stake-australia-must-avoid-this-pitfall","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stopsmokingway.com\/sports-news\/with-a-semi-final-spot-at-stake-australia-must-avoid-this-pitfall\/","title":{"rendered":"With a semi-final spot at stake, Australia must avoid this pitfall"},"content":{"rendered":"

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At first glance, Australia would appear to have a down-hill run into the semi-finals, but their opponents in the remaining two group matches have taken more wickets with spin than pace in this World Cup, and spin in India has created plenty of unsettling moments for Australia.<\/p>\n

Victory against either Afghanistan on Tuesday or Bangladesh on Saturday will shore up a place in the play-offs, but that will require negotiating some south Asian mystery.<\/p>\n

Before a ball was bowled in the tournament, India lent on that old colloquial saying of deception \u201ccome in spinner\u201d to highlight just how susceptible Australia could be against the dark arts of slow bowling.<\/p>\n

Veteran spinner Ravi Ashwin has regularly tormented Australia in Test matches, but had hardly played one-day cricket for seven years until he was picked for India\u2019s opening match against Australia. Spin claimed six of the 10 Australian wickets that fell in that match, but Ashwin (1-34 off 10) hasn\u2019t played since.<\/p>\n

Four more wickets fell to spin in Australia\u2019s second loss against South Africa, before the Australians righted themselves to go on a five-match winning streak.<\/p>\n

Not that the Australia needs reminding of spin\u2019s value in this tournament. Leggie Adam Zampa is the leading wicket-taker with 19.<\/p>\n

Afghanistan have been the World Cup surprise, winning four of their past five matches to find themselves now fighting with New Zealand and Pakistan for fourth place.<\/p>\n

England\u2019s demise was Afghanistan\u2019s launching pad, and the Australians would be well advised to watch the highlights of that match. The unravelling started when Joe Root played back to the off-spin of Mujeeb Ur Rahman \u2013 the slowest opening bowler in the World Cup \u2013 only for the ball to clatter into his stumps.<\/p>\n

Then, veteran fellow offie Mohammed Nabi bewildered Dawid Malan in flight, producing the simplest of catches to cover.<\/p>\n

The Afghanis also have the cheeky Big Bash regular Rashid Khan, a vibrant Eveready Bunny, who constantly challenges batsmen with his zippy, homespun leg-breaks. Now at the age of 25, he has also played 410 matches in Twenty20 franchises around the world.<\/p>\n

Even if spin doesn\u2019t get the Australians out, it slows them down. Take Mitch Marsh as exhibit A. This was highlighted when between Travis Head (109 in 67 balls) and David Warner (81 from 65) put on a rampant 175-run opening partnership in just 19.1 overs against New Zealand. They hit 13 sixes and 15 fours between them. Head finished with a strike rate of 163 and Warner 125.<\/p>\n

Contrast this with Marsh, who was forced to contend with New Zealand\u2019s spinners after being pushed down to No.3 in the batting order. His 36 runs took 51 balls, and his strike rate of 70 was the equal with Marnus Labuschagne as the lowest of any batsman during Australia\u2019s innings. All other batsmen managed comfortably better than 100.<\/p>\n

Part-time Kiwi off-spinner Glenn Phillips claimed 3-37 from his 10 overs, his best bowling in a one-day international. He combined with fellow spinner Mitch Santner to claim the first five Australian wickets, although Santner did receive an early mauling from Head and copped a battering later from Glenn Maxwell.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Afghanistan, Australia\u2019s opponents on Tuesday, have won four of their past five matches.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Getty<\/cite><\/p>\n

Just eight days earlier, Marsh had scored 121 from 108 balls against Pakistan in Bengaluru as part of an opening partnership of 259 in 33.5 overs with Warner (163 in 124 balls). Marsh, Steve Smith and Labuschagne all shuffled down the order following Head\u2019s return.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s an interesting one,\u201d Australia\u2019s batting coach Michael Di Venuto said after that match. \u201cThe openers put on a fantastic partnership. It\u2019s more situations rather than the number next to your name. It\u2019s about adapting to the situation when you come in.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe could be better at that, certainly [adapting in the middle overs], but there was some good bowling from their spinners. There are areas where we can certainly improve.<\/p>\n

Marsh averages better than 55 with a strike rate of almost seven an over as an opener when the ball is hard and the field is up for the first 10 overs. But at No.3, when the field is more often pushed back and the spinners are operating with protection on the boundary, he averages 23 at a strike rate under five.<\/p>\n

Even during Australia\u2019s victory over England on Saturday night they found the most challenging of the bowlers was wrist-spinner Adil Rashid, and now more challenges are on the way.<\/p>\n

Watch every Australian game plus other big match-ups live and free on Nine, 9Gem and 9Now.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Join us for live coverage online of every Australian match with our live blogs.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

News, results and expert analysis from the weekend of sport sent every Monday. <\/i><\/b>Sign up for our Sport newsletter<\/i><\/b>.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

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