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George Bailey has been hammered from all points of the cricket compass for being the weak link in the Ashes whitewash of England.
But how does he compare to 43 of Australia’s best performers on aggregate and/or averages in their first eight visits to the Test crease?
The results are staggering.
Sid Barnes is the top scorer, Don Bradman is sixth, Steve Waugh’s at the bottom of the selected list.
Only Arthur Morris (155, 122, 124) and Neil Harvey (163, 112, 178) scored three Test tons in their first eight digs.
Bill Ponsford (110, 128) and Doug Walters (155, 115) the only two to score centuries in their first two Tests.
Others to debut with centuries – Herbie Collins (104), Greg Chappell (108), Mark Waugh (138), Michael Clarke (151), and Jimmy Burke with 101.
Burke holds the least-known world Test record. He went through his entire career of 44 digs, and was never dismissed for a duck.
The full scoreboard of the 43 selected Australian batsmen, with their centuries in their first eight innings:
541 – Sid Barnes – 234
534 – Neil Harvey – 153, 112, 178
520 – Herbie Collins – 104, 162
503 – Arthur Morris – 155, 122, 124*
503 – Doug Walters – 155, 115
478 – Don Bradman – 123
442 – Mike Hussey – 137, 133
440 – Adam Gilchrist – 149*
420 – Bill Lawry – 103, 102
414 – Keith Miller – 141*
412 – Mark Waugh – 138
400 – Michael Clarke – 151
383 – Bill Ponsford – 110, 128
380 – Michael Slater – 152
380 – David Warner – 123*, 180
363 – Dean Jones – 210
352 – Mark Taylor – 136
343 – Simon Katich – 125
336 – Bill Woodfull – 141, 117
317 – Ricky Ponting
300 – Stan McCabe
299 – Bill Brown – 105
284 – Norm O’Neill
271 – Allan Border – 105
246 – Bob Cowper
243 – Greg Chappell – 108
241 – Alan Kippax – 100
237 – May Hayden – 125
235 – Hack Ryder
219 – Brad Haddin
204 – Chris Rogers
204 – Shane Watson
241 – Bob Cowper
199 – Lindsay Hassett
199 – Jim Burke – 101
187 – Steve Smith
183 – George Bailey
182 – Justin Langer
179 – Ian Chappell
172 – David Boon
170 – Damian Martyn
159 – Warwick Armstrong
136 – Bobby Simpson
113 – Steve Waugh
So there were seven Australian batsmen in the list who scored less runs than George Bailey in their first eight Test digs, but went on to be world class.
Who’s to say George Bailey can’t do the same?