Despite what you may have heard and fervently wish to be true, Australian cricket is not stuck in an early 2000s vacuum.
There no longer exists “a queue of six-foot-two beefcakes around the Gabbatoir”, to quote the Wisden Cricket Weekly Podcast, ready to stroll out to the crease and bang around a double-hundred on a flat pitch against traumatised Englishmen.
The world, in as many non-cricket-related as cricket-related ways, is very different the one that existed from 1995 to 2005.
If Stuart Law were playing in the Sheffield Shield today, he would be guaranteed 100 Tests. Matthew Elliot would probably be captain, Greg Blewett would slot in comfortably at five or six, Jimmy Maher would be behind the stumps, and Queensland would be happy.
Only three of Australia’s top seven that played in Brisbane would keep their place if the same kind of depth that existed then existed now.
No one currently playing in the Shield, apart from Will Pucovski, would be able to challenge for the national side. Many would probably be consigned to playing grade cricket in their respective states.
Would anyone be talking seriously about Travis Head as a possible Test captain if Michael Di Venuto was around today? Or Jamie Siddons? Or Martin Love? Or any of the other also-rans who would have had storied international careers in any other era?
(Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
Jamie Cox scored over 18,000 first-class runs and never played a Test. He would play 80 if he were 25 years younger.
Even James Brayshaw would probably be a 50-Test player in the current era.
There is nothing wrong with our bowling stocks. A second attack consisting of James Pattinson, Michael Neser and Jhye Richardson, with Scott Boland, Sean Abbott and Mark Steketee as back up, represents unprecedented pace depth.
The anxiety around Nathan Lyon’s lack of successor could fill a book. However, there is cause for optimism with the emergence of Mitch Swepson and the re-introduction of a spinner’s wicket somewhere in Australia would assist in his and others’ development.
The panic surrounding the performances of Mitch Starc and Lyon in the 2020-21 summer is entirely unjustified. This is a mess that must be owned by the batsmen and the tired, predictable tacticians in the coaching staff.
This was also utterly inevitable. Of course India, with endless cricketing riches, were going to lead the world at some point. To quote the Grade Cricketer podcast, “this is the Asian century”. The only thing that is surprising is that it has taken so long.
Greg Chappell wrote a good piece in the Sydney Morning Herald. He wrote: “Our young cricketers are weekend warriors compared to their Indian compatriots”.
(Photo by Patrick Hamilton/AFP via Getty Images)
He also points out that while cricket in Australia must compete with the footballing codes for the best young athletes, Indian cricket has little to no other competition. At 16 they are playing three-day matches, at 19 they play four-day matches, all before they make a first-class debut.
A 20-year-old making their Shield debut will likely have never played more than a two-day match.
Then, in the last five or six years, India began developing fast bowlers who were not just Zaheer Khan-a-likes. Perhaps Ishant Sharma, 2009 vintage, was the prototype.
Today, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj, Thangarasu Natarajan, and the countless others that we in Australia have never seen or even heard of make up an attack of great skill, high pace, and immense depth.
The fast bowler is a special thing in cricket. It can be clever like James Anderson, brutal like Shoaib Akhtar, or both, like Michael Holding, Malcolm Marshall, Ian Bishop, Pat Cummins, Jasprit Bumrah and Neil Wagner.
The fast bowler is a creature that cricket has spent much of its history resisting, and India now have plenty. India out-batted, out-thought, and very nearly out-bowled Australia.
They may not have a century, but this is certainly their decade.
WillowWiz
Roar Rookie
Yes because "nice" teams have their captain abuse the opposition batsman with the apparently intended aim of distracting them in complete contravention of the Laws of Cricket.
WillowWiz
Roar Rookie
Agreed, Paul.
Paul
Roar Guru
You're right about NZ playing reduced games in a series of course, but that should not detract from the Black Caps recent results. India are the benchmark top team and like all top teams in sports generally, everyone else tries that little bit harder to knock them off. If India are not taking countries like New Zealand more seriously, they then can't be seen as the dominant force in Test cricket, if they are losing series.
WillowWiz
Roar Rookie
"didn’t rely on intense fiery sermons that sounded reminiscent of a religious minister." You're absolutely right. I didn't realise just how much Langer sounds like a priest/ pastor - especially when he's sermonising his "boys". :laughing:
WillowWiz
Roar Rookie
As much as I adore the Black Caps, they remain to be tested in a four/ five Test series against the likes of India. Can't wait for that to happen. Better sides eventually come up on top over the course of lengthy Test series.
WillowWiz
Roar Rookie
A highly successful India is extremely beneficial for global cricket - and in more ways than one.
WillowWiz
Roar Rookie
Yeah. India's economy is already poised to recover in a massive way post-covid this year.
WillowWiz
Roar Rookie
There's no such thing as luck, mate. It's an illusory construct thrown about by people who don't really understand probabilistic outcomes. India were handily better than the Baggy Greens - and are, along with New Zealand, the best team on the planet. A World Test Championship finals between the Black Caps and the Indians is the best possible outcome for cricket. Australia's World Test Championship aspirations on the other hand are, as we now know, history.
WillowWiz
Roar Rookie
As much as I love the Black Caps....they have never been tested in a four (much less a five) Test series against India. India prepares hardest for England and Australia and have understandably better results against those two nations.
WillowWiz
Roar Rookie
I'd love to see a bloated Hungary to be honest.
WillowWiz
Roar Rookie
Well, it's not like the Indians had a tonne of first class games to prepare against the Baggy Greens. India also came into the contest having played IPL cricket.
WillowWiz
Roar Rookie
India was/ is a Third-World nation. Not least because of Britain (who also colonised Australia but left their people behind in the "Lucky Country" in massive droves). India, on the other hand, had no such advantages. The fact that India have become so dominant in cricket despite all its poverty and social issues and despite sharing a border with two nuclear-armed adversaries (one of which is China - the world's second superpower in recent times) is an incredible accomplishment that needs to be lauded. Now with China becoming a massive global influence, the West is trying its best to court India. India's cricketing accomplishments continue to remain an indicator of what India can potentially achieve in other areas as well.
WillowWiz
Roar Rookie
Utterly laughable. Australia with a per-capita GDP of 57,000 US dollars per year was chastened by a Third World developing country with a GDP of barely 2,000 US dollars per year. India has extremely high unemployment and MASSIVE social issues to boot. It also has hostile, nuclear-armed, adversaries right across its borders. Australia, on the other hand, has NO such problems. The fact that India competes so handily despite all its enormous handicaps needs to be acknowledged and admired. India will, over the next 40-50 yerars, only get richer and more efficient. Its human resources will gradually become even more developed. What we have witnessed in Australia from the Indians is anything but hyperbole. It's simply the start of things to come.
Srinjay Dutta
Guest
Since when did srilanka or new zealand won a odi icc trophy or a test in India ? India is simply best in the world because of their away performances and ome domination.
Football is relatively popular in China but the sport that occupies the kids in China is basketball. Even in the shopping centres I saw three on three competitions; and all they want to talk about is NBA.
Amit a
Guest
Countries dominating sports is directly proportional to countries economy.As Indian economy grows and becomes top 3 economy in the world in couple of decades you will see India dominating in lot of sports especially Olympic sports.Take a look of example of China
Raju Fernando
Roar Rookie
You have got to love the twist. You have mentioned how unlucky India was in New Zealand, South Africa, new Zealand. But you did not mention India’s lucky home run by skin of their teeth. India was lucky to win the series known for his laxman’s heroic innings. India was lucky in their previous trip to Australia in 2018because a caught out which was not spotted could give Australia 2 -0 lead. Australia was unlucky not to win last series in India because of one bad session in last test. I can remember India’s lucky run which stretched back as much as their sole t20 world cup win. This is also part of cricket. India should give luck it’s due credit and they should not be emotional too.
Homer
Guest
I will be loath to believe that India's ambition is limited to becoming the dominant team in the next decade. My expectation is that with the quality of cricket at the domestic level improving, both the context and the contest at international levels will be laid by the side. And contrary to what you hear, there is a sufficiently large segment of the population that is invested in the longer formats of the game. So if franchise cricket becomes the de facto way ahead, both in terms of contest and context, it will be a win win for everyone.
Raju Fernando
Roar Rookie
New Zealand showed up and Indians surrendered.
Just Nuisance
Roar Rookie
Succinctly put Jeff.. I agree..