Australia’s recent tour of the West Indies was meant to tidy up a few selection debates. Instead, the pitches – most notably the pink-ball surface at Sabina Park – left head coach Andrew McDonald feeling there is “really difficult” data to work with.
“It’s really difficult to make accurate judgments on both batting units based upon the surfaces that we played on,” McDonald told The New Ball on SEN Radio. “And you take that into the third Test, which is a pink-ball Dukes on that surface, that game just moved way too fast and at times, it didn’t even look like cricket. … That cricket was borderline impossible to play at certain stages.”
Mitchell Starc’s late-evening spells, the coach noted, were almost unmanageable for both teams. As a result, McDonald has quietly raised the broader question: is the pink Dukes still fit for Test cricket?
Unsettled top order
While the bowlers feasted, Australia’s top order finished no closer to a settled Ashes line-up. Sam Konstas, blooded with high hopes, left the Caribbean with an average of 8.33 and just one visit beyond 20. A couple of dropped catches during West Indies’ chaotic 27 all out only added to an uncomfortable debut series.
“It feels as though we’ll still be a little bit unsettled in terms of what our combinations look like at the top of the order with the way that the performances have gone here,” McDonald admitted. “In saying that, there’s a lot of cricket still to come to be able to gather that information.”
Konstas could yet partner Usman Khawaja in Perth when the Ashes begins in late November, though that hinges on strong early-season runs in the Sheffield Shield. If he falters, Cameron Bancroft, Marcus Harris and even Will Pucovski will sense an opening.
‘I don’t think anyone’s damaged’
Some pundits wonder whether Konstas’ baptism on treacherous Caribbean pitches might leave scars. McDonald disagrees.
“I don’t think anyone’s damaged by being exposed to Test cricket because I think what it does do is it gives you a taste of what that level is like,” he said. “All the things that come around being a Test cricketer, not just purely going out there, marking centre and going about your business. … There’s no doubt he’s got some things to work on, like all our players do, and they continually work on. He’s clear on what they are. We feel as though across the journey, he’s a highly talented player, and I hate to use that word talent, but his skillsets over time, I think we’ll see the real Sam Konstas.”
Labuschagne waiting in the wings
Marnus Labuschagne, omitted for the West Indies but retained on tour as cover, appears next in line. “We feel as though this wasn’t going to be a huge gap before he does return because of the quality, but the start of the Shield season will really shape that,” McDonald noted.
Those Shield matches now take on added importance. Selectors want empirical evidence rather than another guessing game on unpredictable turf. If the domestic competition offers fairer wickets, runs should carry more weight than they did in Kingston.
Question marks over the pink Dukes
Beyond selection, Cricket Australia will have to decide whether to persist with the pink Dukes for day-night Tests. McDonald stopped short of calling for its removal but clearly has reservations. Administrators tend to like the spectacle of a pink-ball match; players simply want something they can trust.
What next?
Australia’s squad disperses this week, most heading into a short rest before state pre-season. Coaches will keep an eye on rehab lists – Starc pulled up stiff but expects to be fine – while batting consultant Michael Di Venuto is already clipping video for winter reviews.
None of that, McDonald stresses, changes the bottom line: front-line batters barely faced anything resembling “normal” Test cricket in Jamaica. With an Ashes summer looming, the selectors’ spreadsheet is lighter on reliable numbers than they would like.
