The bowling transition: Something ‘blurry near the nose’ for Australia amid Ashes dominance

From L to R: Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Starc, and Pat Cummins (Source: AFP)

Australia seem to be in a good position in the ongoing Ashes 2025-26 against England. One of the primary architects of their success in the first Test at Perth and in the Brisbane Test so far has been the veteran pacer Mitchell Starc. In the absence of his two pace-bowling mates, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, Starc has been leading the charge single-handedly with an amazing brilliance. 

But still, even after having good results so far in the iconic rivalry against England, there’s something very ‘blurry near the nose’ for Australia, which they don’t seem to see and understand clearly, especially amidst a big transition in their bowling attack. 

It has been seen in their recent struggles with the bowling options after the skipper and star pacer Pat Cummins alongside Josh Hazlewood was ruled out of the squad for the first two Ashes Tests in Perth and Brisbane. 

The lack of plans beyond Starc’s brilliance 

No doubt, the ‘best in the business’ Mitchell Starc has been proving his excellence since the start of the ongoing Ashes against the arch-rivals England. But, what if he fails in any game or he has a bad day at office, that’s the ‘point of chaos’ at which Aussie management seems to have a sheer lack of plans to execute. 

Leading wicket-takers for Australia in Ashes 2025-26 so far

In the absence of the senior quicks, Cummins and Hazlewood, the hosts haven’t something strong in their bank which they can cash in during a tough situation. The numbers are echoing this fact quite loudly. Starc is currently the leading wicket-taker in the ongoing Ashes 2025-26, be it overall or for Australia, with 18 wickets in just four innings, including two five-wicket hauls. 

Speaking from the Australian perspective, the second leading wicket-taker for them in the series is Scott Boland, with just seven wickets in four innings, followed by Brendan Doggett’s six wickets in four innings and Michael Nesser’s just three wickets in two innings. 

A difference of 11 wickets between first and second leading wicket-takers for Australia in the series is something very serious that needs to be addressed at the earliest. 

This difference of wickets between Starc and Boland, alongside other bowlers clearly reflects Australia’s backup plans and short-sighted crisis management. It also exposes their over reliance on Starc’s ‘purple patch with the ball’. 

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Management of ageing pacers and future approach: Serious concern to address 

All the three main pacers in the Aussie bowling are past 30 and almost in the start of twilight of their respective Tests careers in the next couple of years. With Starc and Hazlewood turning 36 and 35 next month, alongside Cummins turning 33 next year may, it is something very serious that must be addressed by the Aussie camp before they face any sudden collapse if any of these three announce a Test retirement.

Meanwhile, what’s more serious is the management of these ageing pacers by the Aussie cricket’s decision makers. Australia haven’t been seen with a strong workload management in case of their ‘nearing the retirement’ pacers. The excessive exhaustion of prime pacers in their 30s is something which makes them more ‘vulnerable to the injuries’.

Apart from that, for the last couple of years they must have been looking for the strong like-to-like replacements in the domestic cricket to fill the potential void which could be there for a long time in case your senior pacers hang the boots. 

Leading wicket-takers for Australia from June 25 till now with Cummins and Hazlewood:

Leading wicket-takers for Australia from June 25 till now without Cummins and Hazlewood:

There’s a big difference between the numbers achieved by the Aussie pace attack, with Cummins and Hazlewood compared to the numbers in their absence. From the start of the Test series against West Indies till now, Starc has bagged 33 wickets in 10 innings, followed by Hazlewood’s 14 wickets in six innings and Boland’s 13 wickets in six innings and Cummins’ eight wickets in five innings. 

What seriously is the reflection of the absence of Cummins and Hazlewood is a dip in the performance of their substitute option Scott Boland, who has scalped only seven wickets in the absence of his senior mates. 

Conclusion: Time to trust performers in domestic cricket 

Amidst a flawed approach in handling the bowling transition in the Test side, it’s high time when the Aussie management must have a look at their domestic cricket. To find like-to-like replacements for their ageing pacers and understanding their ‘vulnerability to the injuries’, the Aussie think tank should invest and trust the performers with the ball in the ongoing Sheffield Shield 2025-26. 

Leading wicket-takers in Sheffield Shield 2025-26: 

Two of the leading wicket-takers in the ongoing edition of Australia’s premier First-Class tournament, Liam Hatcher and Perry are under 30. They are placed on the second and third spot, respectively in the list of leading wicket-takers in the tournament. 

The 29-year-old New South Wales pacer Liam Hatcher has claimed 22 wickets in eight innings with a decent bowling average of 19.40, including a four-wicket haul and a five-wicket haul. Following him, is Victoria’s Mitchell Perry (25), who has also picked 22 wickets in 10 innings with a good bowling average of 19.54, bagging a four-wicket haul and a five-wicket haul. 

These two pacers could be a great fit to replace any two ‘injured’ or ‘out of form’ pacers in the current bowling setup. 

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