Booney wrote:This series really has highlighted weaknesses in the current Australian national team.
Leadership - Well documented on here how I feel about Langer, he was the right man for the job to bring Australia out of the mire post Sandpapergate, his pride, moisture inducing pride, in the baggy green was what was needed to bring some respect back to the Australian side. He did that, along with Tim Paine, they once again demanded we respect our opponents. That had eroded under Smith and Lehmann. Now though, as demonstrated in Sydney and Melbourne, we don't know how to show some mongrel when we have too. We've gone too far the "other" way. Warner, clearly on best behaviour barely says much and if he does it's a much more tempered approach than before and the likes of Labuschagne and Paine have had to push themselves into that role, the aggressor, and it doesn't suit, or work for, either of them.
We've debated on here who the next long term captain of Australia is and the best we can come up with is Cummins in the short term, perhaps Head if he can get back in and cement his spot and Carey who isn't even in the side! Given Smith won't be given it and who the f*ck would want to listen to Labuschagne as skipper the cupboard is bare bar a 37 year old keeper and a bowler. Good times ahead.
Batting depth - No Smith, no 'Straya. With Warner hobbled this summer we looked to Smith to build us totals and when he failed we had nobody to turn to. Burns was thrown to the wolves, Wade went from 5 to open and back to 5, we would never have debuted a young opener against the best attack in the world if we didn't have to then it was back to the future with Harris at the top of the order. Bar the shining light of Green the summer has been a disaster when it comes to finding blokes who can build scores. Labuschagne keeps keeping on, credit to him, he's the only bat who has done his job this summer.
So, bar leadership and batting we're in good shape.
I'd never give the captaincy to a bowler, it's the captains curse, you either over or under bowl yourself and it plays on your mind, let Cummins just do his job, so yeah, we are stuck with Paine for a bit longer.
In your final line I think you missed out bowling, we are all clouded by the Adelaide 2nd dig, we're not that good.
India won by 8 wickets in Melbourne, despite being 1/0 then 3/64 they took the first innings with relative ease.
They held on for 131 overs in Sydney where batting on day 5 is usually a war zone, our bowling was pathetic and without tactic.
In the first dig in Brisbane we allowed some nobodies to pile on 150 runs for the last 4 wickets soaking up 45.1 overs, and they had to endure the new ball.