Australia shouldn’t get carried away after thrilling Test win over India – here’s how England can exploit their biggest weakness in the Ashes

Victory for Australia on Monday in front of a monstrous crowd in Melbourne summed up the magnitude of the task facing England Down Under next winter.

India were on their way to 112 for three as they entered the final session of an enthralling Test, which attracted an Australian record crowd of 373,691 over the five days, exceeding the attendance total of the 1936-37 Ashes match at the same venue exceeded.

But the tourists’ batting imploded after Rishabh Pant was sucked in by Travis Head’s occasional off-spin and, roared by the majority of the nearly 75,000 spectators on the final night, Australia raced to an 184-run success that left them on the brink of the final were. qualifying for another World Test Championship final.

Another win for Pat Cummins’ team over India in Sydney next week would guarantee them the chance to defend their title against South Africa at Lord’s in June.

Once again it was their bowlers who sealed the deal. This current line-up features four of Australia’s top 10 most productive of all time in Tests plus the reliable Scott Boland, currently in the line-up due to an injury to Josh Hazlewood, as first reserve.

England know all about the dangers of facing Boland at the MCG. Three years ago he finished six for seven on debut – a performance that allowed Australia to wrap up the Ashes at lunch on day three of the third Test.

They remain a major force and England will have their work cut out for them in next year’s Ashes

But Australia have an aging bowling attack, including Mitchell Starc (pictured), who has struggled with nagging injuries in recent times

Here he finished with a total figure of six for 96, having made a crucial last wicket stand of 61 in the third innings, pushing his captain Cummins (six for 117 plus 90 runs with the bat) to the club’s man . -match award in the process. Off-spinner Nathan Lyon finished the innings, just as he had done the first.

There is no doubt that in their own conditions Australia have the attack to dismantle any opponents, with the amount of pace and bounce they generate meaning even an English team at their Bazballian best could cut loose.

But their strength could perhaps be their weakness, given their profile. When the Ashes series starts in less than eleven months, the average age of their fantastic five will be 35, a time in life when injuries become harder to avoid.

The injuries are indeed already starting to bite. Hazlewood started the series against India with a side strain and has since been sidelined due to a calf problem.

Mitchell Starc is nursing a rib problem ahead of a final match of the series that India must win to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

If Starc fails, it could go some way to answering a pretty important longer-term question: does Australia have enough bench strength?

For while England have been working on theirs this calendar year, sending Jimmy Anderson into retirement shortly after his former new-ball sidekick Stuart Broad bowed out of the game, and bleeding Gus Atkinson and Brydon Carse, the Test world champions are moving freely towards a Ashes match gone. assignment seen as the last message for many of them.

But what if creaking bodies means their main men don’t get there? It’s not easy to answer. Why? Because Australia simply hasn’t tested its reserve supplies. It is an astonishing statistic that among their active frontline bowlers, only Lyon, Starc, Cummins and Hazlewood have taken more Test wickets than Shoaib Bashir’s 49 for England.

England have found two promising bowlers in Gus Atkinson (left) and Brydon Carse (right) who can shine in Australia

Australia also have problems with their batting line-up, with all-rounder Mitchell Marsh (pictured) struggling for runs, and England could benefit from this

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Jhye Richardson, who is on standby to replace Starc next week, has played just four first-class matches since the most recent of his three Test appearances two years ago.

There are problems elsewhere too. Yes, teenager Sam Konstas made a half-century on debut, but his selection only came about after Nathan McSweeney failed his audition as David Warner’s replacement. Mitch Marsh also faces the heels of the all-rounder role – with Beau Webster waiting in the wings – after 73 runs in four Tests.

Cameron Green, a shoo-in starter in Australia’s top team, is out for six months after spinal surgery.

So while thousands of people packed into the barracks of ‘Straya’ enjoyed their moment on Monday, this is not the baggy green machine of old. At their best, they justify their No. 1 ranking, but if cracks continue to appear, they may not be so easy to repair.