While Australia’s batting struggles in the ongoing tour of India might have given the team-management a lot to ponder before the Ashes, national selector Mark Waugh is confident it will have no impact on the five-Test series against England, starting November 23.
Barring the ODI in Bengaluru and the T20I in Guwahati, the team from Down Under, had suffered collapses in all the other games against the Men in Blue. Aaron Finch and David Warner gave Australia good starts during the ODIs, but the middle-order failed to capitalise on it. In fact, the only player below No. 3 to make a fifty in the ODIs was all-rounder Marcus Stoinis.
With just over a month left for the Ashes, many feel that the ongoing tour is ill-timed, but Waugh is not too much worried about it.
“It’s got to be said, it’s not an ideal time to be away from Australia,” Waugh told Sky Sports Radio on Thursday (October 12). “This series has been a bit spread out. It would have been better probably if it was a week or two shorter.”
The former Australia batsman also praised the scheduling of three Shield matches before the series against England.
“Once they get home, they’ll have a little break then they’ll be back focused on red-ball cricket, then the Ashes,” Waugh said. “The players are pretty much used to it. It’s probably more the travelling, flying around.
“This one-day tournament and T20 tournament has been to about eight different places, so there’s been a lot of travel. But I think they’re coping pretty well,” he added.
He also said Steven Smith’s early departure from India due to a shoulder injury is a blessing in disguise.
“Obviously Steve Smith going home might be a blessing in disguise, a bit of a freshen-up. He’s got a heavy workload, as do a lot of the players. We’ll be right. Those three Shield matches will have us in good stead for the Ashes,” Waugh said.