4th Test: Australia v India at Gabba Jan 15-19, 2021

[The Mad Hatter]

Baz makes some fair points, he was overly negative at times as a skipper probably from the early hiding he copped as a skipper. But from where we were when he took over and where he left us it was light and day. He toughened up a group core of world class cricketers under his watch and for that we should be all grateful. But it is ironic it took for him to retire for us to finally topple the windies and become number 1. Simpsons role shouldn't be understated as well.

Baz is 100% in regards to the aggressiveness.
He’d been a decent bloke before 89 Ashes and it’s on record from Gower and Poms that he’d changed...grumpy, abrasive, unfriendly etc.

 

[Bazal]

Excellent little partnership this, hopefully they can get through to stumps so i can drunkenly abuse them tomrrow.

For the love of god don't order a glass of Shiraz....

 

[The Mad Hatter]

I've heard he was abruptly forced into retirement. Any truth to this at all?

correct.
He wanted to retire after 1994/95 Ashes but didn’t want to go to Pakistan so said let Tubby deputise and get a taste of captaincy. CA / ACB said it wouldn’t be right so AB retired.

Edit - he did crack the shits too as hiney says.

 

[hineyrulz]

I've heard he was abruptly forced into retirement. Any truth to this at all?

No not really, they were waiting for him to make the decison but he held on for a little longer. When they sort of asked him him what he was doing he sort of cracked the shits called his great mate Patty Welsh and announced his retirement in the golf course. Classic AB.

 

[hineyrulz]

For the love of god don't order a glass of Shiraz....

A hip flask and a 600ml bottle of coke Baz.

 

[Incorrect]

Baz makes some fair points, he was overly negative at times as a skipper probably from the early hiding he copped as a skipper. But from where we were when he took over and where he left us it was light and day. He toughened up a group core of world class cricketers under his watch and for that we should be all grateful. But it is ironic it took for him to retire for us to finally topple the windies and become number 1. Simpsons role shouldn't be understated as well.

Baz makes some fair points, he was overly negative at times as a skipper probably from the early hiding he copped as a skipper. But from where we were when he took over and where he left us it was light and day. He toughened up a group core of world class cricketers under his watch and for that we should be all grateful. But it is ironic it took for him to retire for us to finally topple the windies and become number 1. Simpsons role shouldn't be understated as well.

Geez, don't forget in Adelaide 92/93 we were 2 runs from sealing the series win v the Windies. Never forget where I was that day - watching with mates at indoor cricket.. The whole complex glued to the screen. Devastated when we fell 2 runs short...

 

[hineyrulz]

84/85 when Hughes stepped down and AB took over was the summer I started really following the game.... Amazing I'm still bothered with it now given how f**king shit we were that summer!!

For those who may not be old enough to remember that era, there was a genuine feeling of triumph if we were able to draw a Test, particularly v the West Indies. And I say that with no tongue in cheek. AB I'm sure was genuinely aiming to draw some tests as opposed to winning them. He had no choice really given the calibre of players around him.

Skippers like Taylor and Waugh should bow down on their knees whenever AB is in their vicinity. He changed the Aussie cricket psyche from brittle to brutal. Probably never got to enjoy the fruits of his labour... Waugh, Taylor, Ponting did though....

Mate we wer that shit back then i remember in a one day game we got 0 for 30 off 10 overs and my dad and pop were cracking the champagne.


Let alone winning a game, to be fair they were playing the Windies who would of made mince meat of 99% of teams throughout the history of the game.

 

[TheParraboy]

Stumps Day 1
Aust 5/274

Fairly even, maybe India slighty on top? They will be on top if we get bowled out well under 400 tomorrow

 

[undertaker]

He’s awfully nice these days. Probably does regret or questions things he did. But don’t we all?

Completely different era.

AB's captaincy was a continuation of the "Macho Man" image and persona that started during World Series Cricket in the late '70s, the "play hard, drink hard" generation. Antics such as Merv Hughes' sledging was phased out towards the end of his career and would never be tolerated in today's game.

Also, AB retired at a time just before national contracts and third-party sponsorships substantially increased towards the end of Mark Taylor's captaincy. Until then, nearly all players at state level had jobs outside of cricket.

 

[Hutty1986]

Decent recovery from these 2, but yet another 'what might have been' day (and that's being very generous). Smiffy should be furious at himself, and Labs too. If these 2 can survive the first hour tomorrow morning, hopefully we're a chance of 400

 

[hineyrulz]

Geez, don't forget in Adelaide 92/93 we were 2 runs from sealing the series win v the Windies. Never forget where I was that day - watching with mates at indoor cricket.. The whole complex glued to the screen. Devastated when we fell 2 runs short...

That was the most devo'd i'd ever been watching sport, until the great Paul Carige decided to make me forget all about Sadelaide.

 

[Bazal]

Good stand to end the day. Would have liked to have Marnus there still, but it was a good day's cricket really.

Criticise Paine all you like but the number of times he's got a gritty 30 or 40 plus after another top order failure since his return is admirable. Hopefully both these two can go on to big scores tomorrow.

 

[hineyrulz]

Completely different era.

AB's captaincy was a continuation of the "Macho Man" image and persona that started during World Series Cricket in the late '70s. Antics such as Merv Hughes' sledging would never be tolerated in today's game.

Also, AB retired at a time just before national contracts substantially increased towards the end of Mark Taylor's captaincy. Nearly all players at state level had jobs outside of cricket.

When AB started as skipper he was the only player earning a living playing the game, and when he retired they were all on the road to the gravy train. He missed the boat and never made the money others did but he never seems to be jealous no matter how much an absolute plank like Matty Wade is earning poldding it up.

 

[Incorrect]

Baz is 100% in regards to the aggressiveness.
He’d been a decent bloke before 89 Ashes and it’s on record from Gower and Poms that he’d changed...grumpy, abrasive, unfriendly etc.

Fair enough too... Think he had genuinely had enough of being a whipping boy by then in the Test arena. And they say, if you keep doing the same thing over and over and expect a different result, you're insane. He changed his own and his teams tack and the rest is history.

 

[undertaker]

Geez, don't forget in Adelaide 92/93 we were 2 runs from sealing the series win v the Windies. Never forget where I was that day - watching with mates at indoor cricket.. The whole complex glued to the screen. Devastated when we fell 2 runs short...

That test still remains the narrowest winning margin in test match history (based on runs).

Came oh so close to breaking the Windies dominance in that Adelaide test. Had to wait another 2 years to finally break the drought in the Caribbean.

Headingley 2019 would've also been a one run victory had Nathan Lyon took the run-out, or got Ben Stokes' LBW out next ball.

 

[hineyrulz]

Stumps Day 1
Aust 5/274

Fairly even, maybe India slighty on top? They will be on top if we get bowled out well under 400 tomorrow

This looks like a day 2 day 3 deck already, 350 will be a very score on this deck. Lyon should finally do something on this deck.

 

[hineyrulz]

Good old Gary Lyon does have a mong looking head.

 

[Bazal]

This looks like a day 2 day 3 deck already, 350 will be a very score on this deck. Lyon should finally do something on this deck.

Was interesting to hear Marnus say there were already a few cracks opening up...Not typical for the Gabba, maybe playing later in the year will give us a really different pitch?

I agree 350 will be a very good score. Anything above that will be awesome

 

[hineyrulz]

Was interesting to hear Marnus say there were already a few cracks opening up...Not typical for the Gabba, maybe playing later in the year will give us a really different pitch?

I agree 350 will be a very good score. Anything above that will be awesome

Normally they play early Nov and the pitch is always fresh, most decks after christmas are belters. But it looks very dry for a day 1 deck with cracks and barely a green tinge. It's perfectly made for your best mate Da GOAT!!!

 

[undertaker]

Good old Gary Lyon does have a mong looking head.