The Australians returned home last week after a torrid time in India. They now face an even tougher test in England for the five-match Ashes series in July. After consecutive losses home and away, things look bleak. Krishnaraj Singh Jasana tells you why it is too early to write this team off — it may be down in the dumps for now but has all the potency of being quite a team of the future

Once upon a time in India we either hated to love them or loved to hate them. They were the ruthless Australians of yore. So with that mindset we should love the ones that toured India this year. They were delightfully timid and astonishingly feeble as India romped home 4-0 and retained the Border-Gavaskar trophy 2013, just a week back.

There were questions galore. Is this the worst Australian side everIJ Are they really AustraliansIJ What is wrong with this Australian teamIJ  Are they going the West Indies wayIJ Or is it that period where a young side in transition might start with defeat but develops as a force in some timeIJ

The last question would be an ideal one that the reeling Kangaroo camp would want as one that explains their current predicament and also acts as the foundation for a better future. The question also explains why the Aussies were humiliated with a whitewash in India.

Just four from their squad had Test-match experience in India, which included two of the top-six batsmen — Michael Clarke and Shane Watson, and two of their bowlers — Peter Siddle, who played all four Tests, and Mitchell Johnson, who was a part of the final Test in Delhi. Then, this was the first series without the retired Ricky Ponting and Mike Hussey, which means their lower-order had neither the stability nor the experience to do something special in India. Traditionally, a mix of youth and experience has won series in India.

So, for first timers, touring India is a mountain with conditions requiring adjustment and if one’s not up to it, days become long as it happened with the Australians.

But Cricket Australia have stuck with the current crop, they may not have many options also, but there are certain things going right for this team which means things may augur well for them in the future. Firstly, most of the players are in their 20s — sans captain Clarke, Watson, Johnson, Brad Haddin and Ed Cowan — which means they are only going to get better after the Indian experience. Then, 65 of the 79 wickets of the Australians that fell were to spinners on tracks that were assisting spin, this talks about their ability only under certain conditions and putting a question mark in front of them would be a call a little too early.

Next, they were completely outplayed, were flat and found wanting at most times but they had instances which would give them the required confidence and also shows that they can once again become top contenders in the years to come. A way of going ahead is by taking the better moments with you while relieving yourself of the burdens of ordinariness. They can take home the fact that even if their openers, David Warner and Cowan were dismal, they shared two stands of over-fifty and a hundred-plus one in the seven innings they batted together. This means they weren’t facing many problems when the ball was bowled at a decent pace. Two of their fast bowlers have had five-wicket hauls under uninspiring conditions and their top spinner had a match haul of nine wickets when conditions favoured him. And, their captain was in top-form scoring a hundred and 91 in the first innings of the first two Tests.  

So, as the captain and their coach Mickey Arthur have said, ‘there are plenty of positives to be taken’. But, they have to learn and learn fast because an even bigger, tougher challenge awaits them.      

And, that test is not far away as they play two back-to-back Ashes series in the coming year. The first one starts on July 10 in England and the other one would be Down Under at the end of the year. But what makes the test bigger is the fact that England, before Australia toured India, had beaten India at home 2-1 in a four-match Test series for the first time in eight years. A feat that was, ironically, achieved by Australia in 2004 and Clarke had debuted then.

What the Aussies would counter during the Ashes of 2013 is more of pace, swing and some verbal duels. Some time and minor adjustments in the game could make them a potent force because for some time now, the Australians have looked good on paper but have not performed to their potential. In England during Ashes 2009, it was just one session during the final Test at the Oval that cost them the Ashes even when they looked the better side.

Here, the Indian experience can tell them that yes, you were outplayed but then that should be the lowest point and as after night there’s always day, things can change around if they give it their all, which they do on most occasions.

A look at their side and tactics, it is evident that as this side plays together, they’ll improve. Warner attacks while Cowan is the sheet anchor with a good temperament. On his part, Warner needs to cut down on the risk part of his game while the voracious reader Cowan would want his concentration power to increase. He’s got out many a time trying to dominate spinners in India instead of just grinding them to make them blunt. England captain Alastair Cook did this to perfection in 2012. Though a batsman of lesser pedigree, he can surely take a leaf out of the Cook book.

At number three, Phillip Hughes has looked both stupid while also brilliant at times. He looked completely out of sync while handling spin but showed improvement at the latter part of the India series to just make the selectors a little confident about him. But Watson has to be the one for the Australians. His experience and ability set him apart in the world but performance has been frustrating for the Aussie camp. Clarke has made the number five spot his own but number six is a worry. There might never be a replacement for Hussey but Matthew Wade looks more like a number seven batsman than at six. That would be one big problem that needs to be sorted out and if Watson starts bowling again, he can come at six as an all-rounder and provide the team with another batting option. One person who can come in the team is Shaun Marsh, who scored a hundred in debut in Sri lanka. But where is heIJ

The Australians though do have a potent bowling line-up for England in James Pattinson , Mitchell Starc and Johnson, Siddle among others.

They’re down and almost out but the Australians are wishing that the bad period is behind them and sun shines again.