There hasn’t been a lead-up to a Boxing Day Test this uninspiring for a long time.
Rain is forecast for the first couple of days, David Warner’s Perth ton removed the only element of Australian selection intrigue and there is an air of inevitability about the result.
Pakistan tried hard at Optus Stadium but were gradually worn down before collapsing in the fourth innings.
And now they’re down two more bowlers with Noman Ali and Khurram Shahzad ruled out for the rest of the series.
Bilateral Test cricket is still evoking interest when India and England come to Australia but with the other nations struggling to compete, perhaps a format rethink is needed.
If the men followed the lead of the women’s team and held multi-format series, the overall result may indeed end up the same but it may bring an element of much-needed unpredictability to the contest.
A Test is worth four points then two each for a pair of three-match T20 and ODI series like they do in the women’s Ashes. On a side note, the BCCI has kyboshed that system for Australia’s current tour, deciding each format will stand alone rather than being part of an overall trophy.
For half the time in the four-year cycle of touring teams to Australia outside of the Ashes and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy you could have the first side’s series culminating with the Boxing Day Test and the second one starting with the New Year’s fixture at the SCG.
A venue like Optus Stadium would get more fans through the gate if they were hosting three T20s than the modest totals that turn out for a Test in the West no matter how much of a marketing spend there is to point out that it rhymes.
Alex Carey and Marnus Labuschagne appeal for the wicket of Abdullah Shafique. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)
Teams like Pakistan, South Africa, New Zealand and Sri Lanka are some chance of upsetting Australia in some white-ball fixtures to make it interesting.
It would be worth a try rather than constantly repeating the drudgery of last summer’s four Test drubbings over the Windies and Proteas which was only saved from being five on the trot by Sydney rain.
A multi-format schedule could potentially soak up less of the already crowded calendar than a three-Test series where touring teams.
Melbourne fans will still turn out in big numbers for Tuesday’s start of the second Test even though the pre-match cricket headlines have barely been about the marquee event.
The only real Test-related storyline has had nothing to do with the match itself – Usman Khawaja being reprimanded by the ICC for wearing a black armband to raise awareness about the human cost of the Israel-Palestine war.
On the field, Australia need to be operating with dual focus in each of the six Tests they have left this season – ensuring they win each one and that everything they do is building towards next summer’s five-match series when they host India.
Usman Khawaja was given a reprimand for wearing a black armband to protest the violence in Gaza throughout the first Test against Pakistan. (Photo by Will Russell/Getty Images)
They’ve got two more Tests against Pakistan, the West Indies and on tour in New Zealand to iron out any kinks or weak links.
With Warner fulfilling his wish of playing on until his farewell Test in his home city, Khawaja’s new opening partner will have the two Windies outings to find their feet before facing a tricky assignment across the Tasman in late-summer conditions on likely seaming wickets.
With no Sheffield Shield matches before next month’s first Windies clash, Marcus Harris got a leg-up on opening rivals Matt Renshaw and Cameron Bancroft by scoring a ton in the two-day fixture jammed into the Pakistan tour this week to give them a chance to tune up for Boxing Day.
Hopefully it helps Pakistan put up a fight at the MCG. Australia have not been defeated in a Test at home in the 11 matches since India upset them at the Gabba in 2021 and the chances are they won’t lose another one until they come back again next year.
Ben Pobjie
Expert
Why not give every batter just ten balls to face each, after which they must retire? That’ll really speed the game up!
Kaphle
Roar Rookie
But it will remove late innings time wastages, bad/streaky shots, mismatch between bowler and batters' calibre, and moreover ensure all tests finish in four days. 4 instead of 5 days is the way for tests to go to ensure its viability.
Laurie
Roar Rookie
The Liebke Report as well and special mention to Ben Pobjie for his take on the Carey / Bairstow stumping.. ' The spirit of cricket was murdered in cold blood by sunburnt thugs and the game might never recover '
Naughty's Headband
Roar Rookie
Yeah that crowd for the test in India was massive. Must've been 150 there to watch India's "historic" win.
Tim Carter
Roar Pro
Numbers are going up
Tim Carter
Roar Pro
Are they suggesting Green as an opener? If so, Australia better bat first every game or Green's going to struggle to be an all-rounder. I really hope that this isn't the path that the selectors down. Some may say the three proposed openers aren't scoring enough runs, but aside from that being baloney (honestly, how many more runs can Bancroft possibly score?), it ignores the fact that opening the batting is harder than coming in in the middle order and middle order players feed off the foundation left by the openers (seeing out new ball conditions, showing the nature of the conditions, putting fatigue into the bowlers and fielders, etc).
Tim Carter
Roar Pro
I assume you don't mean they'd be one-off tests, and each of the test series would run back-to-back, right?
Paul Suttor
Expert
the ICC's finance dept would suggest u r in the minority with your T20 stance
Paul Suttor
Expert
in rough terms, 3 T20s in Perth v Pakistan, 3 ODIs in Adelaide, Test at MCG, then Test at SCG v Windies, followed by 3 T20s in Brisbane & split the 3 ODIs between Canberra & Tasmania
Paul Suttor
Expert
unfortunately that is their problem, as in the national cricket boards, the ICC should fund them to play Test cricket even if it's not making money, like CA does with the Sheffield Shield
Paul Suttor
Expert
We don't like cricket. Oh no. We love it
Paul Suttor
Expert
Thanx BigG. The editor has weeded out plenty of trolling types from this site this year & there has been a noticeable uptick in the discourse and the tone of the comments from people such as yourself & many others. It's much more pleasant when people can disagree with opinions without resorting to childish sledges. All the best for 2024 ... & the multi-format concept seems to work in the women's game so it's worth a try for the other other bilateral mens series apart from Eng & Ind
Rocky's Rules
Roar Rookie
@ Mr Suttor I've got a much better idea. Ditch all T20 international games. If people don't like the 2 formats of Test and 1 Day internationals then they don't like REAL cricket. T20 is not real cricket imo and BBL crowds and fan interest decreases every year. The womens formats with T20 included greatly degrades the content and I won't watch any T20 games. I won't watch any T20 cos it's not real cricket and results are based more on pot luck than any skill or ability factors. The reducing number of people who attend are more interested in the pop entertainment supplied than sport events on the field. And you may recall we've had many years of Test series being followed by 3 team ODI series in the past. That can be brought back. The major problem for Test cricket now is that there's only 4 nations who are competitive with eacth other. NZ are one of them and Aust could/should be playing them more often. This dull summer of Test cricket would have got far more interest if Aust was playing NZ instead of West Indies.
Barb Dwyer
Roar Rookie
True. It’s important to know when to stop arguing with people and let them announce to everyone that they are wrong.
Redcap
Roar Guru
He's not worth worrying about too much, Barb. It's occasionally interesting to poke the bear and see how it responds. There's more than a hint of grandiose narcissism from what I've observed; if that's the case, there's not much going on other than a constant cycle of attention-seeking, victimhood and righteous lashing-out.
Barb Dwyer
Roar Rookie
Another Don stock in trade: Ignore the fact that others are trying to be pleasant and talk about sport. Writing is all about the competition / being better than others and ensure that you finish with a pithy but meaningless comment. such as the exceptionally vague: “Ask yourself some questions." Oh … OK … I'll do that. He still doesn't seemed to have clicked that he keeps highlighting those he doesn't like and how this group is getting bigger. I wonder what we would put that down to?
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
You two, Frodo and Christo...what a collective!
Barb Dwyer
Roar Rookie
Or that other one of his: "“Good to see you are upset”. “You absorbing the pain of others now? Happy to cause it.” That really is vindictive stuff from the OG sub-bridge dweller.
Redcap
Roar Guru
No, you're not thinking about what you're being told. Your reflexive parochialism isn't offering anything. Ask yourself some questions.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
You are not thinking about what you are being told. Your reflex gainsaying isn't offering much.