The Summer of Australian Cricket's discontent

OK, so we beat the Kiwis. And we took wickets, keeping New Zealand under 200 runs in either innings. But no one is really satisfied, and the buzz surrounding Andrew Symonds and his off-field troubles only contributes to feelings of unease about where the Australian Test Team is currently at.

Yesterday there was more bad news. Jason Krejza rolled his ankle during a fielding drill and is in doubt for tomorrow's 2nd Test in Adelaide, where Australia always plays a spinner. Australian selectors have called up Nathan Hauritz as cover if Krejza cannot play. Hauritz is currently behind Beau Casson as New South Wales' preferred spinner, and Casson has taken one first class wicket this summer. Not much there to fill one full of confidence.

If Krejza doesn't play, it may be some time before he gets another opportunity. Considering the precedent set in Brisbane, Australia are very unlikely to play a spinner in Perth in the 1st Test versus South Africa. No one can say with any certainty what the pitch will look like in Melbourne, with new drop in pitches being laid in October. But over the years, Melbourne has not been synonymous with spinning success, bar local lad Shane Keith Warne.

By Sydney, Australia might be looking to ensure success against a South African outfit susceptible to leg spin by calling up Bryce McGain, if fit. Surely McGain would be in selector's plans for the upcoming tours of South Africa and England, the two teams Warne enjoyed the most success against. They would love to get McGain a taste of Test action before shipping him overseas on tour.

Australia's batting hasn't looked great since going to India. I believe the selectors want Matthew Hayden to get to England, or at least survive until Phil Jaques is fit. However, with Brad Hodge, David Hussey, Shaun Marsh and Chris Rogers all in good form and pressing for selection, the pressure is squarely on one of Australia's greatest opening batsmen to make some runs.

Hayden's opening partner is safe. Simon Katich may be Australia's most valuable batsman at the moment, because he protects his wicket better and more dearly than anyone else in the side. Also safe are the next captain in Michael Clarke, who deserved a 100 in Brisbane that would have been rated close to Mark Waugh's 116 in Port Elizabeth for importance, and Michael Hussey, who is always making runs.

The real problem, other than Hayden, is that Australia's most out of form batsman is the captain, Ricky Ponting. Since making 123 in the 1st Innings v India in Bangalore, he has made 17, 5, 2, 87, 24, 8, 4 & 17. And in the 2nd Innings v New Zealand in Brisbane, it was not Ishant Sharma getting Ponting out but Ponting himself.

Andrew Symonds will continue to bring more than his batting to the team, but he'll want to stop making 20s pretty soon. In one way his 26 & 20 was more disappointing than if he had made 8 & 5: he got a start both times, and played a pretty silly shot to get out both times.

Lee, Johnson and Clark will be fine, and all looked really good in Brisbane. I would still like to see Ben Hilfenhaus get a few Tests before taking him to England, but he appears to be behind Peter Siddle in the pecking order at the moment.

Finally, Brad Haddin is enjoying a lack of pressure from underneath. Unless Luke Ronchi can keep making runs, I can't see Haddin being displaced for a time yet. But this feels a lot like Marsh to Healy for Australian keepers, and that took four and a half long years, and Woolley, Phillips, Rixon, Zoehrer and Dyer before we got there.

Now is not the time for panic, as South Africa still have their mental issues and the Kiwis cannot bat. But the Ashes loom, and and England side beginning to get confident about their chances.