Australia have won 9 & lost 9 ODIs since CWC 2023; What are the chinks in their armour post WC win?

Australia have won 9 and lost 9 ODIs since the 2023 World Cup. What are the top reasons behind Australia’s slump in ODIs post WC triumph.

The ODI World Champions, Australia, have had a mixed bag in the format since winning the championship for a record sixth time. After creating history in the final against India, the Aussies have featured 19 times in ODIs, winning just nine. 

They started strongly in the home series against West Indies, where they won 3-0, but soon their 13-match winning streak was halted by England. Then Australia faced two back-to-back losses against Pakistan and Sri Lanka before suffering defeat in the ICC Champions Trophy semifinal against India. Now, just a couple of days back, they got thumped by South Africa at home. 

Before taking a look at the reasons for their indifferent form, let us delve into the team they have fielded during the World Cup, and post that. 

Australia’s 2023 World Cup playing XI: Travis Head, David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Steven Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Josh Inglis, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood  

Reserves: Alex Carey, Sean Abbott, Cameron Green, Marcus Stoinis

In the World Cup, the top 3 positions had predominantly been Travis Head, David Warner, and Mitchell Marsh. With Warner retiring, Marsh has taken up the position. However, there have been a slew of changes when it comes to the No.3. Here is the top five run scorers for Australia in the top order (1-3 position) 

Apart from the players mentioned above, Australia have experimented with batters like Josh Inglis (3), J Fraser-McGruk (7), Aaron Hardie (2), Cooper Connolly (2), along with Marnus Labuschagne.    

This shows they have been trying out different combinations at the top, but now they seem to have zeroed in on the Marsh-Head combo in the ODI format. These two have been the most consistent batters at the top of the order for Australia.

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Most runs since ICC World Cup 2023 for Australia (No. 4-7)

Again, Australia have used 11 different players at these positions, with the likes of Josh Inglis, Labuschagne, Alex Carey, and Cameron Green being the constants.

Carey has been the most consistent of the lot, while Inglis and Green have shown sparks of brilliance in certain games. With the likes of Glenn Maxwell (after the Champions Trophy) and Marcus Stoinis (Post World Cup) retiring from the format, Australia had to use all-rounders like Hardie, Connolly, and Short, but with limited success. 

Who have been the best bowlers in this phase?

Adam Zampa is the most capped player for Australia since the World Cup, and the leggie is the most prolific of the lot as well. New pacers like Ben Dwarshuis and Sean Abbott have also captured a handful of wickets in the absence of regular bowlers like Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and skipper Pat Cummins. Other pace bowling options like Aaron Hardie and Nathan Ellis have largely been inconsistent.

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So, the indifferent form of the Aussie ODI team can be due to the following reasons:

Retirements: Stalwarts like Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, and Steven Smith have bid adieu to this format in the last few months. This has left a huge void in their batting and more specifically in the team management.

This has forced them to try out next-gen players such as Cooper Connolly, Aaron Hardie, and Matthew Short in the middle- order. As the stat shows, the results haven’t been positive but these are still early days in their respective careers.

Experimentation: Australia have been actively trying out new players to see who can fit in the future scheme of things.The likes of Matthew Short and Jack Fraser-McGurk, have featured in the top of the order despite the availability of regulars such as Marsh and Head in the past. Even in the bowling department, they have fielded a completely new side on many occasions.

The other factor is that their first choice players haven’t been playing this format regularly. For instance the World Cup-winning captain, Cummins has featured in only two ODIs since the World Cup, while Hazlewood and Starc have played eight and six games, respectively. 

To conclude, we can say that Australia are currently going through a transition phase in ODIs. They are still figuring out the possible options to replace their outgoing stalwarts. 

Many of the available seniors have also missed many games but the team management do know that they can come back into the team and perform at any time.

However, in experimenting, Australia have lost their dominance in a format they used to rule and it’s high time that they start fielding their strongest possible team. They need to close this gap or the rest of the pack will leave them behind.

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