First Test Australia v India - December 17-21 2020, Adelaide Oval

[Twodogs]

Re: First Test Australia v India - December 17-21 2020, Adelaide Oval

How blessed were we to have the likes of Gilly, Warne, McGrath and co all in the same side. Man, took it for granted at the time.

Taylor (close to the best slips fielder and captain I've seen), the Waugh twins, Ponting, Gillespie and even players like McGill. Unbelievable team.

[Twodogs]

Re: First Test Australia v India - December 17-21 2020, Adelaide Oval

As someone who is frequently guilty at it, potting someone’s wicket keeping is kind of an “I am very smart” criticism.

At any rate, Gilchrist’s stumpings in ODIs off of Glenn McGrath and flawless keeping to Warne throughout several subcontinent tours should’ve made it clear enough he was a talented gloveman.

I did a lot of wicketkeeping and having dropped the number of catches I did nobody understands better than I do how a fielding team can drop it's collective head when the 'keeper drops a catch or doesn't glove the ball properly when a batsman s halfway down the pitch.

And practicing wicketkeeping is hard. Nets aren't set up to accommodate keepers and a batsman. It's almost impossible to replicate match conditions when it comes to practicing keeping. You either do it without a batsman so the bowler may as yell out what type of ball he is going to bowl or you do it on the grass next to the nets with a batsman who's only got half his mind on the job.

[Twodogs]

Re: First Test Australia v India - December 17-21 2020, Adelaide Oval

Great stat. Amazing that right up to this test I was still seeing people calling for him to be dropped.

Updated list of the best batting averages for Australian wicket-keepers who have played 20+ Test innings:
Adam Gilchrist - 47.6
TIM PAINE - 33.4
Brad Haddin - 33.0
Wayne Phillips - 29.1
Matthew Wade - 28.6
Ian Healy - 27.4
Rod Marsh 26.5

I just read "Golden Boy" Kim Hughes's biography and it compares Rod Marsh's batting average over the first half of his career to the second half. The second half is underwhelming to say the least.

[Twodogs]

Re: First Test Australia v India - December 17-21 2020, Adelaide Oval

I was a doubter of his selection but he has performed so well as a captain and his batting has been OK.
I really like hearing him talk, he's a tough character

Am I right in thinking that Paine had retired from test cricket until he got tapped on the shoulder as a stand in captain after the ball tampering in South Africa? It's been a fair effort since then.

[Bornadog]

Re: First Test Australia v India - December 17-21 2020, Adelaide Oval

Am I right in thinking that Paine had retired from test cricket until he got tapped on the shoulder as a stand in captain after the ball tampering in South Africa? It's been a fair effort since then.

From 2011-2017, he lost two full seasons to injury and also couldn't make the national team.

[hujsh]

Re: First Test Australia v India - December 17-21 2020, Adelaide Oval

When he first came into the team fans used to downplay just how good a keeper Gilchrist was. They didn't stop to think that he had to keep to Warne at his absolute peak and while it was expected that the batsmen were human and couldn't possibly pick every Warne delivery, Gilchrist didn't have that luxury. I still think that Gilchrist is one of the top 3 cricketers I've seen play.

Nobody else took games away from the opposition with 30-45 minutes of batting the way he could. He'd bat for 3/4s of an hour and all of a sudden the other mob couldn't win.

Much like we compare Keepers to Gilchrist now he was following in the shadow of Healy. Tough act to follow for different reasons

[GVGjr]

Re: First Test Australia v India - December 17-21 2020, Adelaide Oval

Am I right in thinking that Paine had retired from test cricket until he got tapped on the shoulder as a stand in captain after the ball tampering in South Africa? It's been a fair effort since then.

I don't think so but you might be right.

[Axe Man]

Re: First Test Australia v India - December 17-21 2020, Adelaide Oval

Am I right in thinking that Paine had retired from test cricket until he got tapped on the shoulder as a stand in captain after the ball tampering in South Africa? It's been a fair effort since then.

No. Paine was considering retiring from cricket and taking up a job with Kookaburra but was recalled to the test team to replace Wade for the 2017-18 home ashes series. This was just before the South African tour and sandpaper gate.

[Twodogs]

Re: First Test Australia v India - December 17-21 2020, Adelaide Oval

No. Paine was considering retiring from cricket and taking up a job with Kookaburra but was recalled to the test team to replace Wade for the 2017-18 home ashes series. This was just before the South African tour and sandpaper gate.

Cheers Axey.

[Axe Man]

Re: First Test Australia v India - December 17-21 2020, Adelaide Oval

I had to google who you were talking about. That's pretty funny.

It's a good story and why he was nicknamed Churchy by his teammates from then on.

[jeemak]

Re: First Test Australia v India - December 17-21 2020, Adelaide Oval

I think it's important to note the only folks who get good at cricket in the first place are those who are prepared to put the time into it (or more importantly have parents willing to let their kids put the time into it) over weekends where everyone else, largely more talented than they, are doing other things.

Tim Paine was a freak for his state, in all seriousness. He's done exceptionally well to be a really strong keeper and a decent bat at international level, and while he's not the only captain who could have steered the ship in a better direction these past couple of years he's actually the guy who's done it, and he deserves kudos for that.

[Twodogs]

Re: First Test Australia v India - December 17-21 2020, Adelaide Oval

I think it's important to note the only folks who get good at cricket in the first place are those who are prepared to put the time into it (or more importantly have parents willing to let their kids put the time into it) over weekends where everyone else, largely more talented than they, are doing other things.

Tim Payne was a freak for his state, in all seriousness. He's done exceptionally well to be a really strong keeper and a decent bat at international level, and while he's not the only captain who could have steered the ship in a better direction these past couple of years he's actually the guy who's done it, and he deserves kudos for that.

I had a brick wall, a concrete floor a cricket bat and a golf ball in my backyard set up and I'd obsessively practice for hours at a time. Mum and dad had visitors once and the previous time they'd visited I'd spent the whole time in the yard hitting the ball. After an hour or two the second visit mum said that the wife had given her a worried look and said "your son. He's, ummm, all there isn't he?"

[jeemak]

Re: First Test Australia v India - December 17-21 2020, Adelaide Oval

I had a brick wall, a concrete floor a cricket bat and a golf ball in my backyard set up and I'd obsessively practice for hours at a time. Mum and dad had visitors once and the previous time they'd visited I'd spent the whole time in the yard hitting the ball. After an hour or two the second visit mum said that the wife had given her a worried look and said "your son. He's, ummm, all there isn't he?"

None of that means you were any good.

[Twodogs]

Re: First Test Australia v India - December 17-21 2020, Adelaide Oval

None of that means you were any good.

Granted.