After a successful end to the 2015/16 season at home to the West Indies and away to New Zealand, no one could have predicted the cataclysmic fall the following year would have in store for the Australian cricket team.
An embarrassing Test series whitewash away to Sri Lanka was followed by a 5-0 one day whitewash away to South Africa, concluding with a 2-1 Test series loss on home soil, again to the Proteas, and suddenly the team scoring runs for fun last summer was completely unrecognisable.
Following the disastrous six months, Chairman of Selectors Rod Marsh stepped down, citing the obvious need for fresh thinking required for a squad that was fractured perhaps beyond repair.
Marsh’s departure saw Trevor Hohns step back into the role on an interim basis, a decade after he voluntarily stepped down.
Hohns’ previous stint as Chairman of Selectors oversaw arguably Australia’s greatest era of Test dominance, as well as two World Cup triumphs in 1999 and 2003.
Right from the outset, returning to the role with Hohns were two things that had made Australian cricket so successful during the Queenslander’s last run in the role – enterprise and winning.
Gone were those who had not impressed quickly enough, such as snail-paced opener Joe Burns, as well as wicketkeeper Peter Nevill, having scored only 468 runs in 23 Test innings.
Callum Ferguson’s three and one on Test debut and Joe Mennie’s 1/85 were also not impressive enough to earn themselves a recall under the Hohns regime.
Instead, Peter Handscomb made his long awaited Australian debut, and has thus far impressed with two centuries of 105 and 110 in seven innings, as well as three not outs.
Also introduced to the Test fray with much less fanfare and many more question marks was 20-year-old Queenslander Matt Renshaw, who, notwithstanding an impressive 71 in his third knock, showed he has the guile to partner David Warner, making an impressive 184 in his sixth appearance at the crease.
Unfortunately for Hohns, not all did go to plan, with Nic Maddinson struggling under the weight of expectation and finding himself quickly bounced from the side, as well as ignominious returns by Matthew Wade and Jackson Bird also raising eyebrows.
Hilton Cartwright, cap number 450, also made a fairly platonic debut, issuing 37 with the bat and going for 15 off 4 overs, for an economy of 3.75.
Australia subsequently swept Pakistan 3-0 at home, showing Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland that he may need to look no further if Hohns is game for a full-time return.
Australia’s success did not stop in the Test arena, winning seven out of nine one day internationals contested since Hohns’ return, including a stunning outing at Eden Park from Marcus Stoinis, which saw the Victorian become the first Aussie to score a century and pick up three wickets in the same match, despite a six-run loss.
The shortest form of the game was not to be outdone by it's two older brothers either. It continues to smash it's own records in attendance, TV audiences, sponsorship and soon, broadcast deals.
Arguably the finest hour for the sport came during the ‘Sydney Smash’ held at the Sydney Cricket Ground, when 40,000 fans showed up and one million tuned in on TV, the latter figure dwarfing anything recorded by the A-League match next door.
Once again, all is right in the cricketing universe. The proverbial cat has landed on its feet once more.
