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One man coached Australia to 10 wins from 19 Tests and the other has guided the team to three victories from eight matches.
It hardly looks like a chalk-and-cheese comparison but for most observers, Mickey Arthur’s replacement Darren Lehmann has been a big improvement on the former South Africa mentor.
Arthur was dumped in June 2013, just a few weeks before the winter Ashes series which Australia lost three-nil.
However victories in the first three matches of the return series have allowed Lehmann and skipper Michael Clarke to regain the urn.
Clarke shifted uncomfortably in his seat at his pre-match news conference for the fourth Ashes Test at the MCG when the subject of Arthur’s legacy was raised.
“Now is not the right time to talk about that. Our focus is on the here and now,” Clarke said.
“The more you talk about a past coach or a past player there are implications that offend the current coach or the current player.
“If you don’t say what the past coach or the past player wants to hear you will offend them.
“I would prefer to offend nobody and not get involved. Mickey did the job to the best of his ability and did a really good job.
“Darren Lehmann is doing the job to the best of his ability and is also doing a good job. It’s Christmas Day and I have nothing bad to say about anybody.”
Arthur’s 19-month stint ended after a four-nil drubbing in India in March and David Warner’s suspension for aiming a punch at the chin of England batsman Joe Root in a Birmingham bar.
Watching Australia win in Perth was an emotional time for Arthur, who said he was happy for Lehmann and the players.
Arthur’s heartened to hear Clarke is pushing for the top ranking. A five-nil sweep of England would lift Australia two places to third.
“We won a hell of a lot,” Arthur told Fairfax newspapers last week.
“We lost one-nil against (top-ranked) South Africa. We were within two wickets in Adelaide of being No.1 in the world.
“That has been lost a little bit.”
The hosts are expected to be unchanged for Thursday’s fourth Ashes Test at the MCG where a crowd of around 90,000 is tipped.
England may dump Matt Prior for reserve wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow while Monty Panesar is likely to replace retired spinner Graeme Swann.
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