Kerry O’Keeffe says Australian top six starting to take shape ahead of Ashes

[Glasgow]

Australia’s top six has seldom looked so unsettled.

Openers Aaron Finch and Marcus Harris have just four Tests between them, Shaun Marsh — the number four — has just become the first Australian top-five batsman to register six consecutive single digits scores since 1888, while the remaining two middle-order batsmen — Peter Handscomb and Travis Head — are trying to cement their positions in the side.

And yet, cricket pundit Kerry O’Keeffe believes Australia’s top six is coming together nicely ahead of next year’s tour of England.

Following day two of the first Test against India, O’Keeffe responded to revered broadcaster and journalist Harsha Bhogle’s examination of Australia’s batting psyche, after the home side crawled to 7-191.

“I’ve been coming to Australia since ’91,” Bhogle said on Cricket 360.

“Michael Vaughan, who has played for England was saying exactly the same thing, to us, we come to Australia and we see hard fought, forward-seeking cricket. Australia always come at you, Australia always taking the game ahead.

“I was just talking to Harbhajan Singh down the line the other day and he said, ‘I can’t believe this Australia because they’re playing defence.’

“To me, the Crash-Gerrard (Robert Craddock and Gerard Whateley) kind of journalism, always coming at you, but this is a very different Australia.

“I think an army must fight with the weapons that it has. If you don’t have the big weapons than you can’t pretend that you have them, and I think respect to Australia that they’ve accepted the fact that these are the weapons that they have and so we’ll play accordingly.”

In response, O’Keeffe said it was only a matter of time before Australia had the ability to go back on the attack.

“Cannons are coming back in March and the top six for the Ashes will be (Marcus) Harris, (David) Warner, (Usman) Khawaja, Steve Smith, Shaun Marsh and Travis Head,” O’Keeffe said.

“I think the six is taking some sort of shape now with the two that are serving their time.”

O’Keeffe added: “Marsh gets international hundreds. He’s our best player when he’s in form, he played a poor shot today, of course, but he’s a lock as far as I’m concerned. He’s a good slow pitch player. He’s got two one day hundreds against England.

“Head is now the six. And Warner and Smith are automatic returns.

“Harris looked compact at the top of the order, Khawaja’s a lock at three, Steven Smith can take his position at four, I think it looks pretty solid.”

Asked what caught his eye about Harris, who made 23 on Test debut before being caught at silly mid-off, O’Keeffe said the 26-year-old had the required technique to succeed in the five day format.

“I liked his short back lift and his compactness — that is the key,” O’Keeffe, the former Australian leg-spinner said.

“Aaron Finch takes the back to the North Pole. There’s going to be an ice berg on the way. You can’t open against the red ball with a North Pole pick up.

“Marcus Harris takes it back to about chest height and down quickly, with quick hands, big plus when you’re opening — not many do these days, but he does.”