Australia lost the series 2-1, hammered in each of the first two games. What’s more, those defeats made it five in a row for a team then led by Steve Smith. The Hobart hiding took place in scarcely more than two days, forcing a crisis visit to the dressing room by Cricket Australia’s then chief executive James Sutherland and performance chief Pat Howard. Selection chair Rod Marsh resigned that week.
This is not to say that a similar note of chaos would be struck if Australia were beaten by England this summer. But it underlines the fact that uncertainty around the composition of the bowling attack can contribute to circumstances of unease and losing big matches.
Moreover, this Australian side has been far more bowler-led since Cummins took over as captain, overturning norms of leadership and decision-making that historically come from somewhere in the top six of the batting order.
So while Cummins’ presence in Perth will be useful to team discussions and plans for the rest of the series, the reality of Hazlewood sitting at home is a far more unsettling one for the hosts, and a strong source of encouragement for England’s Ashes challengers.
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As the touring team’s performance boss Rob Key has said: “I always find it slightly frustrating how they managed to keep those bowlers fit for almost everything. That’s the dream, isn’t it? Cummins, Starc, Hazlewood, with the era that they’ve had, it’s been a lot because of those guys. That’s the holy grail, really, being able to keep your best bowlers fit like that for as long as possible.”
There are no guarantees England will be able to keep Jofra Archer and Mark Wood going throughout the Ashes. But right now, they have more chance of getting to the start line than a recovering Cummins and a convalescing Hazlewood.
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