If you want an example of how cricket shoots itself in the foot when it comes to looking after the Test format, consider the off, off-Broadway billing given to a clash of the two most recent world champions.
Australia take on New Zealand in Wellington on Thursday for what should be a marquee match-up of the two teams who have been crowned the kings in the only trophy available for the five-day format.
What should at the very least be a three-match contest is being decided (unless of course it’s a split series) over just two Tests.
And instead of being played in the heart of summer, it’s consigned to the changing of the seasons in the Antipodes when one side of the Tasman is engrossed in rugby union while the other has league and AFL taking eyeballs from cricket.
Nonetheless it should be a cracking contest between the criminally under-rated and terminally ignored Black Caps on home turf against an Australian side looking decidedly shaky with several players searching for a return to form.
Thankfully the T20-obsessed cricket administrators have rectified this slight on what should be a heavily promoted rivalry by making the return bout in Australia a four-Test series.
It’s a sad indictment on how the smaller countries have been left behind, not just recently but for decades, in Test cricket that New Zealand have not played a four-match series against anyone since 1999 when Stephen Fleming led them to a famous 2-1 victory in England.
How does the ICC expect the Black Caps and the other nations not named Australia, England and India to be able to genuinely compete in Test cricket when they are subsisting on the scraps of two-match and the occasional three-match series while the big dogs are feasting on longer contests.
On the one hand, Australia should be confident of coming away with a couple of victories in Wellington and Christchurch given that the Kiwis haven’t beaten them at home since 1993 and their only victory since then was the thriller in Hobart 13 years ago.
But there are plenty of perils awaiting Pat Cummins’ players among the politeness of their trans-Tasman cousins.
Australia are going into this series with most of their side having just T20 bashes as their only match preparation over the past month since the West Indies’ boilover win at the Gabba.
Cameron Green. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
Marnus Labuschagne, Alex Carey, Nathan Lyon and Cameron Green managed to squeeze in a Sheffield Shield match after the home Test summer while the others have been mixing rest with the shortest format.
An immediate switch from white-ball fixtures to red is more often than not the way of the modern cricketer but the Aussies have several question marks lingering over their line-up after a patchy home summer which was masked by their 4-1 win-loss record against a couple of weak opponents in Pakistan and the West Indies.
Steve Smith proved in Brisbane that he is a class act whether he opens or bats in the middle order but Labuschagne is in the midst of his leanest run in Test cricket, stretching back more than 12 months, Green is yet to prove he can cut it at No.4 and Travis Head has been rocks or diamonds.
The tempo of the batting order appears off with four accumulators bunched together at the top before a couple of cavalier strokemakers come in during the middle order in Head and Mitchell Marsh.
Because the Aussies have not played a Test in NZ since two matches in early 2016, only five of them have experience in these conditions – Smith, Lyon, Marsh, Usman Khawaja and Josh Hazlewood.
Pat Cummins celebrates after taking a wicket against New Zealand at Sydney in 2020. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
They may not admit it but the Australian batters, particularly Smith who would have copped a bumper barrage with a new ball this time around, would not be unhappy that fiery quick Neil Wagner announced his retirement on Tuesday after the veteran left-armer was told he would not be selected for this series.
With Trent Boult on the outer for Tests due to his preference for T20s and Kyle Jamieson out for up to a year with stress fractures in his back, you could be forgiven for thinking the NZ attack will struggle.
But they have unearthed a new seamer with similar height and pace to Jamieson in Will O’Rourke, who will share the load with captain Tim Southee and Matt Henry with
It’s hard to get too much of a read on the recent 2-0 series win over South Africa’s second-stringers but O’Rourke took 4-58 and 5-34 to bowl them to victory in the second match on debut.
When assessing New Zealand’s potential to cause an upset over the Aussies, perhaps a better guide is the corresponding series last year when they upset England by a solitary run in one of the greatest comebacks in Test history after following on.
Central to that win was a superb 132 in the second innings from Kane Williamson and the veteran No.3 has surged back to the top of the ICC Test batting rankings ahead of Smith on the back of a recent purple patch.
Since that epic hundred against England, he has peeled off scores of 121 not out, 215, 104, 118, 109 and 133 not out. That’s seven hundreds in his past 12 Test innings.
The other subplot to this too-short series is that Australia can’t afford to drop another match in their attempt to defend their World Test Championship crown next year after their Brisbane collapse against the Windies.
Australia are third on the table behind second-placed India and world cricket’s quiet achievers, their opponents over the next couple of weeks.
With a five-match homestand against India next on their Test schedule, the upcoming clashes against the two teams above them on the standings will likely determine whether they even qualify for the next final.
ols
Roar Pro
Problem is NZ, Australia and SA all want to have a summer test series and a Boxing Day Test is the biggest of the season for all of us. That’s why OZ and NZ end up playing each other in March.
Micko
Roar Rookie
Super Smash just doesn't get the kiwi interest Riccardo, so can't see it being involved with the BBL.
Micko
Roar Rookie
The Super Smash has little public interest, so there's just not the appetite in NZ for T20 cricket.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
You mean 2001/2002 summer. Australia were better in rain affected Brisbane test but made a generous declaration given the pitch was basically a 3 day pitch at that point and NZ almost got the total.
Linphoma
Roar Rookie
Cruel but fair! :silly:
Riccardo
Roar Rookie
Even a cursory analysis reveals that, while it's unfortunate for both sides, one side is less affected than the other. I'm guessing it's the one paying around $1.50 according to the TAB...
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Which of those is playing today?
Riccardo
Roar Rookie
Bond was fearless; he WANTED to play the Aussies. Had his career not been curtailed by injury (and NZC) I have no doubt he would have been an all-timer...
Riccardo
Roar Rookie
He's bang on the money tho...
Riccardo
Roar Rookie
Wrong... and you know it Don...
Riccardo
Roar Rookie
Several pundits have suggested a stronger involvement, or even merger of BBL and Supersmash, Paul. Great idea IMO, as long as logistical challenges can be met. This may even pave the way for an annual Test series, home and away.
Riccardo
Roar Rookie
Probably by comparison Tim. Hesson, by far our best coach, took a team in the doldrums, employed able assistants in Bond/McMillan, and was part of the management change in captain, from Taylor to Baz. Initially this went down like a cup of cold sick with the public, but this was on the back of a disastrous tour to South Africa, and in hindsight, innovative and brave. Bond, in particular, made a huge difference with the bowling team, re-learning how to apply and build pressure amongst other initiatives, and we started taking 20 wickets. Macca deserves some praise too. He and Hesson ensured batsmen valued their wicket and improved technique and some very able batsmen were performing. Add in some selections like Kyle Jamieson to accompany a group that became tight under the leadership of coach and captain and the transformation was visible. Since Stead's appointment there have been some highs and the Black Caps have been particularly successful in shorter format tournaments, but overall, there has been a steady decline as that innovation, combined with an average selection policy, halted the groups' advancement. NZC have had a change at the top, a change in selectors and now need some innovation from a new coach, and assistants, in this fan's opinion.
Micko
Roar Rookie
Eden Park would be fantastic for cricket, with excellent closeup viewing for spectators.
13th Man
Roar Rookie
Haha ouch - I do get the irony though…
Morz
Roar Rookie
You forget about the 2000/01 summer in Australia, when the series was drawn, Hadlee and Crowe long retired, and arguably facing the Greatest Australian Team of all time under Steve Waugh's captaincy. I remember that series - pretty sure Bond came in from the 2nd Test onwards, though didn't have an impact until later in the summer during the one day tri series when they were too good for Australia and knocked them out, and faced an equally too good Sth Africa in the finals series. Though, Australia did win the Test series easily against Sth Africa. Anyway, my point on the test series of that Summer against NZ, is that the Kiwis came within a whisker of winning in both Brisbane, and especially Perth. Aussies were on track to win in Hobart until rain struck. That could easily have been a 2-1 series win to NZ, and Australia got out of jail in my opinion. However, there has been a mental block since the 2011 I would agree - not sure why, the Aussies have had some good, bad, and awful teams in test cricket, especially struggled away. Now, Aussies have a great bowling attack - really really great - but a pretty ordinary batting line up in my opinion. Bookies have Aussies as fairly hot favourites - which is justified in my opinion only because of the mental block situation.
Morz
Roar Rookie
This series is all about NZ for me. We all know about the Aussies fantastic bowling attack and how it has been covering, barring one or two exceptions, with a pretty brittle batting order. It's been good enough cover to win the WTC and draw the Ashes, but was smashed into little pieces when the so called 'Weak Indies' were too good for them in the final test at home. So as I say this series is about what can NZ bring to the table. Can they raise the spirit of Hobart, where they appeared to have no worries or any 'psych out' situation facing the Aussies over ten years ago. Since that time, NZ, despite building up a team good enough to wipe the floor with all teams EXCEPT AUSTRALIA on their way to the inaugural World Test Championship. There is definitely a psychological block in playing the big bruvva across the ditch. Will they be able to smash that block, and provide the Aussies with their sternest test of the summer? We will find out
Reddy
Roar Rookie
If NZ considered alternative dates then the Australian series would not have been played, can't move if there is nowhere to move it too. It was a good outcome for NZ easy and vital wtc points from the South African series, a team NZ has never won a test series against in history.
Reddy
Roar Rookie
I would like to see the bbl and super smash merge as long as NZ retains all 6 teams that are in the super smash. It would also have to add new teams like Canberra, Gold Coast and a second Perth team. So the NZ teams aren't at the bottom of the table.
Reddy
Roar Rookie
As I have mentioned before eden park is not suitable for test cricket, it is aucklands only international ground for cricket. Though seddon park in Hamilton is suitable. Unless it's australia or india playing test cricket doesn't make money in NZ.
All day Roseville all day
Roar Guru
Fair enough TB, If we're simply talking a week annually of white-ball internationals, especially in preparation for an upcoming World Cup, that would be a great idea. And it would also help NZ out financially.