Australian chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch may have given a clue to the mystery of Brad Hodge last month.
In hinting that he now regarded international limited-overs cricket as a better indicator of Test readiness than the domestic first-class arena, Hilditch opened up the possibility that Hodge’s mediocre record for Australia in one-day matches had a bearing on his brief Test career.
For years to come, indignant Victorians will quote Hodge’s Test stats – six matches, 503 runs at 55.88, one double century – and claim he was robbed of a longer stint at the top.
But his one-day digits, 575 runs at 30.26 with one century from 25 appearances, are less impressive, despite a greater number of opportunities.
Hodge has wondered at length at the point of staying on because he was only ever going to be Ricky Ponting’s deputy.
But in truth, there have been plenty of players who started out as injury replacements then forced a permanent place for themselves by simply doing too well to be dropped when they had the chance.
This is something that, in one-day cricket at least, Hodge never quite did.
In his first three one-day series between 2005 and 2007, playing as a substitute or rotation player in the Australian domestic tri-series, he averaged 24 from three matches, 3.50 from two, then 38.50 in five.
He picked up better returns in New Zealand in 2007, averaging 65.50 including an unbeaten 97 despite a rare Australian series loss, and that was enough to give him a support role at the 2007 World Cup, where he made one century and averaged 76 from limited opportunities.
However Hodge’s next series in India later in 2007 was a disaster, featuring just 59 runs at 9.83 across seven matches.
For once he had been given an extended run and could not make use of it.
After that Hodge only played once more, as Ponting’s Test deputy in the Caribbean, and he was never again given an extended chance.
Hodge was treated harshly at Test level, but had he made more of his one-day appearances, things could easily have been quite different.
Factbox on Victorian batsman Brad Hodge
DOB:
December 29, 1974
First-class debut: 1993-94
Test debut: 2005-06FOR AUSTRALIA
Tests: 6: 503 runs @ 55.88, HS 203*, one century
One-day internationals: 25: 575 runs @ 30.26, HS 123, one century
Twenty20 internationals: 8: 94 runs @ 31.33, HS 36FOR VICTORIA
First-class matches: 145: 11,278 runs @ 47.39, HS 286, 33 centuriesCAREER
First-class matches: 222: 17,012 runs @ 48.88, HS 302*, 51 centuries
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