As far as numbers go, one thing’s on record. Australia have conceded totals of 399/5 and 416/5 in their last four ODIs. That, 10 days out from the World Cup, is a major red flag. Pacer Sean Abbott, who rued letting India “dine out” in Indore, is choosing to look at the “right things” that the team has been doing.
“It’s far from ideal,” Abbott said after Australia lost the Indore ODI by 99 runs. “We’re communicating well out on the ground, but we’ve just not executed as well as we would have liked.
“It is an extremely good dressing room to be in. We’re extremely disappointed that we’ve not executed as well as we would have liked but we’re moving forward.
“Although we went for 400 again, I thought our death bowling was pretty good. It can still be improved a lot but our execution in bringing those stumps into play, owning our lengths and putting pressure on the batters that way certainly has to improve, and I have no doubt of that, we’ve got a very skilled attack.
“We’re doing some right things moving into the World Cup, we just haven’t put them out there on the park yet so I’m confident we can turn that around pretty quickly.”
Australia’s bowlers, as Abbott underlines in his post-match presser, missed the stumps, something that the Indian batters laid into. In the first ODI in Mohali, Australia were guilty of bowling a touch short and too wide outside offstump, a clear hangover from South Africa, and making quick sense of conditions clearly remains a work in progress for the bowling unit.
“When we missed the stumps, especially up top, we were punished pretty badly, and we didn’t execute greatly with the ball,” the 31-year-old pacer said. “It showed today when we were bowling, and it was a little bit the same in South Africa.
“It’s not surprising … if you don’t execute like we did today, and last game, they’re just going to dine out and we’re not putting them under much pressure.”
Abbott, who conceded 1 for 91 in his 10 overs, came in as a first-change bowler and gave away 24 runs in his first two overs, a point in the game from where the Indian batters never looked back.
“It’s disappointing, especially from my end. I’d had a poor powerplay (after) a pretty good powerplay last game,” Abbott said.
“But I pride myself on the areas that I bowl and putting pressure on the batsman that way and I’ve just noticed this tour, so far in these first two games and then in South Africa, the batters are just too good; as soon as you’re off the stumps or pitching outside leg, they’re not going to miss out.
“I feel like I’ve made some of the same mistakes a couple of games in a row now. But I still feel like my game is in a good place and going in the right direction, I’ve just got to get out there and do it, and I know a couple of other guys feel the same.”
