New Zealand vs Australia 2nd.Test,Feb.20-24,2016 at Christchurch

[Sir_Loin]

Imagine what Bradman would have average if he got to pad up his stats against Bangladesh half the time!

The Don really was a great. In a time of no helmets and body line as well.

Voges has to lift his game though sliding down in the averages.

 

[damochandler]

Marsh just needs the breakthrough innings, much like Symonds did a few years ago. We can't wait forever though.

I'd love Cummins to be fit next summer. Starc, Cummins, bowling them down at 150kmh, with Hazelwood, Marsh (if he can make some runs) and Lyon, would be the best in world cricket.

cummins won't be and shouldn't be considered next summer if fit

 

[Moonwatcher]

$1.09 for those playing at home.

Well the cost of living is about 9% higher in Australia.

 

[smasha]

India's ranking will fluctuate with the season. It will rise mid year and then drop away between November-February.

India beat us on their pitches because even Thommo turns into a slow medium pacer on them.

 

[smasha]

Need a totally different outlook on the dusty shagpile carpet of India.

 

[Cmarsh]

Imagine what Bradman would have average if he got to pad up his stats against Bangladesh half the time!

Tendulker played 7 of his 200 tests against Bangladesh, and all of those 7 were played in Bangladesh.

 

[The_Reaper]

For comparison:

Warner ------ Hayden
Burns -------- Langer
Khawaja ---- Ponting
Smith -------- Clarke
Voges -------- Martyn

It is a similar style of top 5, but each of the old brigade you would have to say is better than the current analogue at this point. Smith might just end up the best of all of them, though.

I think a pace attack of Starc, Hazlewood, and Pattinson has the potential to be right up there, though. Not McGrath/Lillee level of greatness, but maybe worthy of mentioning in the same sentence or paragraph at least. If you compare it to an attack of McGrath, Gillespie, and Lee; I can see all three of the current guys surpassing Gillespie and Lee if not McGrath. Obviously can't know what they'll actually do in the future yet but I see the core of an excellent team over a long period of time.

I personally don't really consider Clarke part of that old lineup.

 

[Noobz0r]

I personally don't really consider Clarke part of that old lineup.

Who bats at 4 in the old setup? I can't recall who was in that middle order niche between M Waugh and Clarke.

 

[The_Reaper]

Who bats at 4 in the old setup? I can't recall who was in that middle order niche between M Waugh and Clarke.

Martyn batted at 4 at that stage with Lehmann and then Katich in the side.

Ponting was injured for that India series and Clarke came in and then Boof decided to retire before the 2005 Ashes.

Martyn was dropped after the 2005 Ashes and Clarke and Katich followed soon after. Langer missed the first two tests of the 2005/06 summer and Hussey scored a century opening so was moved to the middle order alongside Brad Hodge. Hodge was dropped for Martyn.

Then Watson got injured just before the 2006/07 series which got Clarke into the side and then Marto retired and Symonds came in

 

[Badesumofu]

It varied a bit over time. I mean you could go with the Steve Waugh era lineup, I just kind of picked 5 names to compare the current guys to.

 

[Noobz0r]

Martyn batted at 4 at that stage with Lehmann and then Katich in the side.

Ponting was injured for that India series and Clarke came in and then Boof decided to retire before the 2005 Ashes.

Martyn was dropped after the 2005 Ashes and Clarke and Katich followed soon after. Langer missed the first two tests of the 2005/06 summer and Hussey scored a century opening so was moved to the middle order alongside Brad Hodge. Hodge was dropped for Martyn.

Then Watson got injured just before the 2006/07 series which got Clarke into the side and then Marto retired and Symonds came in

Just post your batting order pls reaps, ceebs reading that.

 

[The_Reaper]

1. Langer
2. Hayden
3. Ponting
4. Martyn
5. Lehmann/Waugh
6. Katich

for the side after Waugh to around the 2005 Ashes.

Clarke really only made the step up in 2006/07

 

[JackOutback]

Who bats at 4 in the old setup? I can't recall who was in that middle order niche between M Waugh and Clarke.

Marto batted at four, Waugh at five, Lehmann at six. Clarke came in at five/six when Waugh retired, Symonds or Hussey came in at six when Lehmann retired.

 

[JackOutback]

Or, for more detail, read Reaper's post

 

[Barry_Badrinath]

Who bats at 4 in the old setup? I can't recall who was in that middle order niche between M Waugh and Clarke.

In that dominant 2000-2007 era it was always:

Langer
Hayden
Ponting
Martyn (batted at 6 in the earlier days)
-
-
Gilchrist

Those guys were rarely out of the team. The other 2 were pretty much always a combo of (roughly in order): Mark Waugh, Steve Waugh, Lehmann, Katich, Clarke and Hussey.

 

[SherbertLemon]

Pattinson is a much better bowler than cummins. People shouldn't be too obsessed with raw pace. If you can bowl it over 140 and constantly put it in good areas you're a better bowler than a 150 pie chucker

 

[stewie griffen]

The media are so salty over here

It's delicious

 

[HBF]

cummins won't be and shouldn't be considered next summer if fit

I agree. Cummins is still a long way behind in the pecking order at the moment. Needs a full season at domestic level.

 

[MisterMarcus]

Makes Bradman's average all the more remarkable...really makes me laugh when Indian supporters try and compare Sachin to Sir Don...not even close to being in the same class.

Yeah, but Bradman was the sole professional in a sport full of amateurs! My dad could have averaged 100 against coal miners and sheep farmers bowling off 5 steps!! Sachin faces real bowlers so his runs count for double!!!! [/sarc]

(This is actually what Indian fans argue.....)

 

[DT_fanatic]

Yeah, but Bradman was the sole professional in a sport full of amateurs! My dad could have averaged 100 against coal miners and sheep farmers bowling off 5 steps!! Sachin faces real bowlers so his runs count for double!!!! [/sarc]

(This is actually what Indian fans argue.....)

Yeah probs not.

 

[damochandler]

I agree. Cummins is still a long way behind in the pecking order at the moment. Needs a full season at domestic level.

Needs more than that

 

[HBF]

Needs more than that

Agreed. He just needs to bowl without his body breaking down.

 

[Barry_Badrinath]

Yeah, but Bradman was the sole professional in a sport full of amateurs! My dad could have averaged 100 against coal miners and sheep farmers bowling off 5 steps!! Sachin faces real bowlers so his runs count for double!!!! [/sarc]

(This is actually what Indian fans argue.....)

It's pretty embarrassing seeing them argue that Tendulkar is the GOAT. There's about 5 batsmen from his own era that could lay claims to being an equal player (Lara, Ponting, Steve Waugh, Kallis, Sangakkara). Most of his records are around longevity.

I hope Steven Smith continues to beast it up. He currently has a strong record in every country he's played, which is the main argument they use for Tendulkar being great.

 

[DT_fanatic]

It's pretty embarrassing seeing them argue that Tendulkar is the GOAT. There's about 5 batsmen from his own era that could lay claims to being an equal player (Lara, Ponting, Steve Waugh, Kallis, Sangakkara). Most of his records are around longevity.

I hope Steven Smith continues to beast it up. He currently has a strong record in every country he's played, which is the main argument they use for Tendulkar being great.

In the same way I find it amusing that people on here generalize how an entire country thinks based on a few comments from a handful of Indians on Facebook threads.

I'm pretty sure a significant proportion of Indians don't believe Tendulkar is better than the Don.

There's obviously enough reasons to argue why he was the best in his own era, I'm not gonna bother getting into that.

And as far as Smith goes, he'll enter these discussions when he plays about a 100 more games and continues to bat at a similar level.

 

[Wolfs]

Tendulkar is interesting case. He's never had a massive peak like Ponting did in the test arena but he had a massive consistent prime but he just didn't have the same oomph as a Lara and Indians argue that Dravid and Laxman won more games.