Questions have been asked of Australia’s bowling attack after they failed to bowl England out to secure the fourth Test on Day 5 in Sydney.
While the Aussies took nine wickets and found themselves at the doorstep of victory at stumps, England ultimately held on for 102 overs to force a draw.
Despite being one of the better performed players in the series thus far, left-arm quick Mitchell Starc failed to take a wicket in the fourth and final innings, showing signs of fatigue in his spell of 18 overs 0/68.
While hindsight often makes decisions obvious, SEN cricket commentator Adam Collins believes the Aussies made the wrong call to not give the paceman a rest after the series was wrapped up in Melbourne.
“I must say, I was advocating they rest him (Starc) for this Test match (in Sydney),” Collins said on SEN 1170 Mornings.
“That’s no reflection on how he bowled in Brisbane, Adelaide and Melbourne, in fact, if the series ended after Melbourne I would’ve said Starc was the player of the series.
“But, you’ve got to remember, it’s such an athletic approach to the crease, it’s all arms and legs and he’s bowling at over 150 clicks all day long.
“He bowls a lot of overs, and it’s five Test matches in six and a half weeks.
“George Bailey said pre-series that the intention wasn’t to play the ‘Big 3’ (Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood) for all the Test matches as a trio.
“I never thought Starc would play all five, and I think the best way to engineer that would have him miss Sydney in order to be fresher for the final Test with the pink ball in Hobart.
“But again, I understand what they were trying to do.”
As an advocate for giving Starc a rest, Collins says the Sydney Test looking back would’ve been the perfect time to blood uncapped leg-spinner Mitch Swepson.
“We saw (Steve) Smith and Marnus Labuschagne bowling leg breaks on the final day,” Collins said.
“You can never foreshadow a situation like we had yesterday when you pick the team for a Test match … but I’m of the view Swepson will play nine Test matches this year (in the sub-continent).
“He’s always been around the squad … he’s taken a big step in the domestic level in the last few years.
“Why wouldn’t have there of been a look to play him in Sydney or Hobart? It wouldn’t be with the pink ball, so it probably should’ve been in Sydney, to give him the chance to play a Test match (at home).
“They probably missed a trick there, and absolutely he would’ve been handy with how things played out on the final day.”
While Swepson is unlikely to play the fifth Ashes Test in Hobart, he’ll likely line up alongside Nathan Lyon in a two-spinner attack when Australia tour Pakistan and India this year.
The fifth and final Ashes Test begins in Hobart on Friday afternoon.