While Peter Handscomb’s omission appears to come down to a simple choice between batting and bowling, Simon O’Donnell believes it has left Australia exposed in another key area of the game.
The home side had a terrible day in the slip cordon with replacement first slip Mitchell Marsh dropping a sitter, while Cameron Bancroft spilt centurion Dawid Malan at third slip, from the opening delivery with the second new ball, as England reached 4-305 at stumps.
The former Australian all-rounder said fielding in a slips is a specialist position, and changing the dynamic around hasn’t been factored in.
“In general cricketers can field in lots of different positions because they have in junior cricket…but slips becomes a specialist area when you go through your cricketing journey,” O’Donnell said on SEN Breakfast.
“Peter Handscomb’s basically been there [first slip] since Matt Renshaw was dropped at the start of the series, and they’ve all got used to fielding in those positions. He was in third slip when Renshaw was there.
"That whole dynamic now changes for the Test in Perth. One you’ve got a bit more bounce in the pitch and two, Peter Handscomb’s not there.
“Steve Smith’s got to figure out where he stands, compared to where Mitch Marsh now stands and Cam Bancroft’s got to work out that Steve Smith’s now in a different spot.
“They’re the things that are not accounted for.”
O’Donnell feels there is too much emphasis on batting and bowling, particularly when catches can win matches.
“We always think about batting and bowling in cricket, but yesterday’s slip cordon to me just didn’t look right, and it definitely didn’t function right,” he said.
“Mitch Marsh dropping that ball, it can happen, but you just think a good first slipper just gobbles that up.”