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The Greatest All-Time India vs Australia Test Cricket XI - Episode 95
ABOUT THIS EPISODE
Cheese. He's settle. Welcome back to the on the board podcast. This is episode ninety five of the show. I'm Hey, hipcrocodile, and we are once again joined by Christian pilcher. How are you going on this fine twenty two of December? Good. Thank you, Mart how are you? Yeah, very good, in the Christmas mood. been out and about in the shops and stuff and I'm feeling the Christmas vibe now. Wasn't so much a few weeks ago. I was. I was ready to go and November, no, I was ready to go with me, so I ended up stalling. But finally the public has gotten in the Christmas move me. I've got my Christmas hat on, my Santa Hat. I saluted Santa at the shopping center. So I'm feeling good. And today we're actually not here to talk about NFL. There's an NFL episode will be coming out later this week, but we're here, as I'm sure you could tell by the titles, thumbnail etc. We'll be talking about the cricket as all Australians know, all Indians know and I'm sure a few other people around the world know, there's an Australian and verse India Test Series on right now. The first test was just lade and Adelaide. It was a day nighter. Did you catch much of it, mate, or didn't watch any of it? Great? Yeah, I didn't catch too much myself because was playing cricket during it and it was only like last three days or something. So yeah, I actually didn't see too much of it myself either. The bescause. Yeah, I was tracking the scores. Was Pretty, pretty crazy game. Australia ended up winning comfortably, but they did go into the second innings with like a deficit of like seventy runs. So I will fifty runs or whatever it was. So it wasn't the cleanest victory from them, but they bowled indie out for war...
...was at thirty nine, so pretty hard to thirty six. Thirty six, there you go. So pretty hard to criticize that absolute clinic from Josh has, Wooden Pack Commons and the likes. But coolie goes home now to see the birth of his first child in steps. Rahana is skipper. So it got to be interesting to see how the rest of the series goes. We might do a few predictions or whatever chat about it after we do this, but I've talked you brush for our sold two minutes here, but we are going to be picking out all time Australia versus India Eleven. So I don't know when these teams first played. was in the s or the s late s? I think India came in at in like one thousand nine hundred and twenty eight or something like that. I can't remember. Would have been around that. Yes, I that them in the West Indians, I think, came in and in similar time. Maybe the Western is just before. But the two countries with rich history in the game. Probably next to England, they're probably three of the biggest sides in terms of history. But Yeah, India, they've gone through a lot of ups and downs. Australia the same goes and it's been a great rivalry, especially over the last twenty years. So we're going to be going through the history of the series and we're going to pick out best eleven of all time. So we're going to go one through eleven. We're going to chat about each position why we selected them. There I'm sure there's going to be several different factors taken into account. It's going to be interesting to see how the side turns out, because it is, it's going to be a pretty body good side, because you've got to be a fairly good player of spin and in subcontinental positions, but then you've also got to be able to handle the Australian pictures. So I think it should be we should see two really good teams here, but I reckon you start us off, mate, your opening batsman in your Australia versus India all time exid. Just to point out before you start, this is picked off matches played between Australian indure. It's not the best team of the two countries...
...combined. Thought that to point that out. But Yeah, who've you got opening the batting mate? Joh' both mate or yeah, yeah, you me with both, and maybe you've justifications why you've got them in your side. First Up, we've gotten if he hadn't, I feel this was a pretty obvious selection upon viewing the statics. One Thousand Eight hundred eighty eight runs at a huge average of fifty nine in Tessee and India with six hundreds as well. So for me he was the clear standout as one of the openers. And next to him, this may be a bit controversial, we're actually gone with David Boone who on one two hundred runs and average seventy against India. Didn't open in all those tests, but he did for most of them and he still averaged sixty six as an opener, which was still miles higher than anybody else. So I've stuck him in there too. Oh yeah, I do. I've actually left Booney out, but I have to say I was definitely going to shout him out because he, as you mentioned, the highest average of the openers, highest average of the number threes as well. He split time across the lasions. Yeah, it's bizarre. I don't know if it like no offense, David Boom, but I don't know if India went through a bit of a week phase in the s when Booney was playing in the early s, or if you just love something about their bowling attack. But yeah, absolutely donated them. Didn't the average over seventy, as you mentioned. But I haven't picked him because he did split time between opening and number threes and when I was, you know, doing my search specifications, I think that kind of dogged him a little bit because he didn't have too much volume in either position. But definitely worthy of a shoutout and, to be fair, probably deserves selection. So yeah, Booney's good, good one. Haytos yeah, I have him in there. I was just looking through some of his specific scores and there was a series in India in two thousand and one. Obviously we were one years old, so or actually hadn't even...
...turned one. Yeah, I think you just turned one. But they had scored. He had a score of two hundred and three. Then earlier in that series that was his high score against India and then earlier in the same series he had a score of a hundred and twenty and ninety seven. So in a three match series he's absolutely dicted. And one thing I liked about hay toss although he's average is a lot high in the games played in Australia. He also averaged over fifty in India. So I was watching some videos and he had a really good sweep shot which I actually didn't really know he had in his locker and when he needed to use also pretty good at coming down the wicket with his big strides. So yeah, and then obviously in Australia we all know what he did. They're just absolutely dict him. So yeah, Hay Tos. It's got a lock. And then, as I mentioned, I haven't gone with Booney, I've gone with probably another controversial Guid just in general. But Sunny, or Gaviscar was basically the store of the top open up for India in the late s early s. In this series he scored between Australian India over a few different editions of the series. He scored over fifteen hundred runs, eight hundreds for s high score of a hundred and seventy two. The average just over a tick above fifty in both India and Australia, which was something I took into account because I, like Booney, averaged a lot in both countries as well. But for all my selections I had tried to pick people who were good in both countries because they are very different conditions. You've got really slow and that was his main criticism as a cricketer in general. He would often have strike rates in the S S and I think one of his scores he's scored like a hundred and forty or five hundred balls and like. But the game was different back then and I don't think India would that good at that time. So I think he was kind of could afford to do it because they just needed to about time to be in games. But yeah, I was watching some videos and he would batten a floppy and he was really small but he would just to fleck the...
...ball all over the field. Wasn't a big hit us. So I think he'll compliment hateoffs pretty well in my side. But yeah, I've gone with Sonny or Gaviscar probably India's well next to Tendorca, one of their best bats of all time. So Yep, I've gone him. But yeah, big shoutout for Booney and, as you obviously, you picked him obviously, so I think he was definitely worthy of a shout out. My number three I'll pick. US START US off with our number three. I've actually gone with the current player here. I was very close to picking Booney, but I went with someone I love my statistics, but I decided to go with one off based off a bit of an eyest a bit subjective to Tesh Wha. PEJARA is the man I've picked here. He's obviously still playing. He will be playing in the next test in Melbourne at number three. He's almost the new second coming of Ruh'll drive at the way. He bats very, very slow, very solid, and I can't lie he I think he's unfairly copped a lot of criticism because I don't think he actually even bats that slow. When we're talking about blocks like Gaviscar who legit just blatantly bad for the average. But yeah, I think he's just a brilliant bat. I think more people need about like him nowadays. There's so many test matches that only last three or four days and then there's people turn around bag now Pajara, and it's kind of like well, he's obviously doing what people should be doing a bit more of. I do understand it's not as exciting to view, but against Australia he's scored one one four hundred and seventy eight runs and twenty five innings, five hundreds, five s high score of over two hundred in the last ten years. He has second most runs in this test series and he's only ninety three behind Klie and he's played seven less innings than Vierat and you think with coalie out the rest of this series that he'll be catching him. You think he would make over ninety three runs in the next three tests or whatever it is. So and yeah, just a subjective point, is probably...
...the best overseas batsman I think I've seen play in Australia, the way he's adjusted to Australian conditions. It's very hard for subcontinental players and he seems to have done it with ease. COOLIE's the only person with more hundreds than him in the last ten years in Australia. So for overseas player and yet big fan of Pajara, averages high in both countries. So Yep, he's my rocket number three. WHO's your number three, may yeah, I was also very impressed with our PAJAA stats in this series, but I've gone with Ricky ponting. Yeah, and I knew you're going to go to the big fella man. It's tough not to go with him. Twenty eight is tough. Twenty five hundred runs average of fifty four, four eight centuries. Yeah, it was tough to look past him pretty much. He's one of the all time greats and till also be my skipper for this for this episode. Yeah, very fair point. He was kind of well, India's had a few good teams throughout the decades, but I'd say he was involved in the first generation of a seriously competitive Indian team. This series was really born in that. I think it was two thousand and eight, maybe two thousand and seven light not sure in the years, but the whole banana monkey gate thing. That kind of sparked the rivalry a little bit, I think, and India becoming more competitive, especially in Australia, and ponting was at the forefront of that. And yet definitely I iconic in this series absolutely dick them and yet basically dicked every country. So it's pretty hard to have in a exile like this when you're talking about Australian leaving out pontings. But Yeah, very fair choice there, mate, and one of the greatest skippers of all time. But yeah, I've Gone Pajara. Other guys I'd mentioned Laxman VBS. He's also pretty good here. I think I actually saw him score a hundred live in Sydney. I'm not a hundred percent sure in that series. I'm pretty sure that I just mentioned I went to a game and I'm pretty sure he...
...might have tigned up that game, but I'm not a hundred percent sure. I was only like six. So yeah, I've Gone Pajar. You've gone ponting. Now to the middle automate. Who Have you got batting at number four? But I think number four I've got such an tenderka three thousand, three thousand six hundred runs, average fifty five, eleven centuries. He's got by far the most volume at an average of fifty five. So you absolutely having a laugh if you're leaving him out of the team. And Yeah, I'll put him at number four, not five. Yeah, but yeah, as you mentioned, pretty similar to ponting, just has even more volume. So it's pretty hard to ignore him. Played in this series for over twenty two years, so he basically he's not the sole reason but one of the main reasons why this series has become one of the most hotly contested in international cricket. Now he was part of that superb middle order. Him driver, laxman. They Will Australia struggled, even in Australia, to get those guys out and yet absolutely killed them, probably while he scored more runs than anyone else in this series over nearly a hundred years of history. So that's pretty incredible. And yet average similar in Australian India, which is very hard to come by in modern cricket. So yeah, really hard to leave out his one number before as well. Good pick their such in tendoka number five. I've gone. I don't know if this is controversial. I think this was probably the hardest spot in the team, especially in the batting terms. I think the bowls was tough as well, but this was the tough one for me. I've gone with Clarkey, though, played in this series between two thousand and four and two thousand and fourteen. He scored over twozero runs from thirty nine innings and an average of fifty five point three seven. Very dominant and I do have to admit most his runs came in Australia, with that...
...famous summer where he which included that three hundred and twenty nine not out where you just basically couldn't get out, and it was arguably the most dominant summer any cricketer has ever had. He was just absolutely making runs for fun there. However, he did average over forty, average forty two point two six in India, which is lower than what you would want in an all time exide. But compare for me the main competitive for this spot with Steven Smith, and he averaged thirty six in India. So that's what made me pick Clarky just over Smith. But yeah, it was very tough. And also shout out to this guy called getting dupp of this one off who also I've never heard of. The bloke then he played in the S. also had great stats. But Um, yeah, who have you got? A number five? Yep, as you just mentioned, his record was very onesided in Australia. I've Gone With Steve Smith. He's averaged pretty much eighty with fourteen hundred runs and yeah, centuries. Clarke. He was. I was close to putting in Clarkey, but it was tough for me to leave Smith Out, even though I'm not a big fan of him in real life. But forty deserved to place. Yeah, I was like I had a bit of a statistical formula, going to judge average and volume, as I always do. In Smith did rank above Clark with that. But yeah, just because of the averaging, indie be realistically as only like six difference, and neither is ideal. So it will actually be interesting to see how Smith goes in their next tour of India because like, yeah, you think he's not going to finish his career with an average of thirty six in India. But you know, it's very hard placed about. But two great players of Spin also bowl a bit apart time spin, both of them. I think. Clarkey Cluke, he took like six for against India one day on Day five bold Australia victory, very famous bowling innings. I might have taken as five. I don't know. Something ridiculous though. I should remember because that's actually a pretty iconic moment in Australian cricket. Love Clark is a bowler and then yet...
...smithie came into the side as a leggy. So both offer a bit of bit of parttime relief, let's say, on the Indian decks and maybe in Australia as well. But yet two absolute superstars with the BAT. Both probably first selections, I'd say. And then I don't know how you've done it, but I've gone with my trustee structure of it. All around or at number six. I can't lie. There wasn't really any screaming off the paper, Abbey. I don't think there was too many all arounds that have dominated this series over time. But I went with Bob Simpson, played in the S and s retired and then came back in the late s bold legs bein about it all over. The order actually opened quite a bit. He was almost in consideration for my opening spot, but he also batted a little bit at five and six. So that's that's made him eligible for this spot in my opinion. He averaged over fifty with the bat against India, just under fifty in India and just over fifty in Australia, so both very, very respectable stuff. They're bowling average of under thirty with twenty three wickets and eleven matches. He didn't bowl of that much, but when we've got the Bowlers we've got to come happy to have someone who's more of a batting all around her at number six and he averaged under thirty with the ball in both countries, which was actually pretty impressive, as spinners tend to struggle in Australia. So I've gone with Bob's Simpson for a little bit of leg spin action. But realistically, if I take Prime Clarky, he could have been my bowling my fifth bowling option, but I'd wanted to go a genuine one in there. How have you gone with your selection structure made? Have you got an all around her at six, or if you pick it up and now. I have gone with an all around. I was actually I'd said I was going to put Clark at five. I was actually going to put him at six and just have involve some part timers. But I have gone with a proper all rounder, a bowling arounder. But capital Dev only average twenty six...
...with the bat in Australia, but he just had that match winning extract. Are Sort of like a bend stokes, but probably not quite as good at batting. That can you know when you matches off his own bat, and obviously it was pretty much a good enough pace bowler to make the team for that alone. So I've stuck him in there at number six. The top five is already good enough, so I don't think it really matters that he wasn't as good a batsman as like Clark and stuff. Yeah, but yeah, eighty wickets at twenty five with the nut as well. So yeah, yeah, I've actually got him in my team as a bowler. Yeah, I want here. I was going to sit on him. Yeah, I considered him at number six. I was going to pick him a number six and pick two spinners, but I thought I'd go the all rounder as a spinner, but yeah, very, very fast selection. I'll talk about him. I'll add more onto what you just mentioned and we'll talk about the bowlers. But yeah, very fair. Shout absolutely legend of the game. Weikelt keeper. Do you have a Wi ket keeper at number seven? I do. I was very surprised to see Gilli's bunning record was absolutely are rocking again. I think average twenty five or something. Yeah, it's weird, but I've actually I've gone controversial again. I've Gone With Sid. I think that's so sad Kamani with the KEP. Him and downy are genuinely known as the best two keepers in India's history, and he actually averaged thirty six with the bat against Australia, which is a lot better than his actual career average. So I've stuck in me in over Downey, which is probably controversial, but I led a bit of spice. Yeah, I'll be honest, I've actually never heard of him, but he did definitely warrant consideration. For me. A lot of the Indian keepers were quite good overall, but then if you look at the breakdown between the Ores and India, difference it's quite substantial, but I've had to ignore that here and I've actually picked ms done and he will also be my captain. He's captain the most games in the border gaviscod trophy series that so just for some context, I think they only started calling...
...at the border Gaviscat trophy in the early S, so that doesn't include every one, but in that time he had a win percentage of sixty one point five. Three is skip us. So that's why I picked him his captain. He played in this series between two thousand and seven and two thousand and fourteen. Obviously, is the keeper keep about some nine hundred ninety runs from thirty three innings, averaging just over thirty five. He has a really bad average in Australia it's like nineteen or something, but an average of fifty seven in India. silly. Also hasn't really healthy dismissal pert innings. I think he's the fifth best. Has the fifth highest dismissal putinings on average out of all the keepers who have played at least five matches. So or is pretty hard to statistically tell if someone's a good keeper, but I think that might be a decent way to tell, but yeah, keep it was a probably one of the weakest spots in the side. I have to say that wasn't really anyone who was dominant, but I guess both those players, as you mentioned, were Indian keeping greats. Tim Pain, though, if he has a good summer here, he actually could step into this spot because he has a very good batting average against India. I think it's a second highest of all the keepers. So yet we'll see. We'll see how the rest of his summer goes and if he plays India in any future series. Have you gone with two spinners here, or or just the one? Yep, so we talked about that dilemma. I've done capital Devitt six and then I've gone with two spinners. So, and I'm right, I've picked ours and Deja, who couldn't believe, is bowling average nineteen point three against Australia, fifty six wickets and a handy batsman and fielder as well. So feel he's a decent shout at number eight. I'm not. I'm not sure about having it depends where you're playing the Games, obviously, for whether you've toys. Yeah, yeah, that's all saying. It's pretty hard because, like, obviously, if you in India, you definitely need two spinners. I was going to picktued Asia, but I was worried I was slipping into a bit of...
...an England trap. We're like five to twelve. Can All button bowl a little bit. So I've kind of gone like I've stuck with just pure spinners and pure bats. And but Jadasia, he's a great utility to have. Perfect number eight. He was mice. He was my second option as a spinner. So he'll be the one getting dropped if is he abounding above the keeper or you keeping him at that? I'm keeping him a dight. Yeah, it's a very good number. Then there's aboutsman, so very, very good footie John to say, second spinner. And then, yes, I'm so I've gone with the king and it will come way. Hundred eleven wickets, average of thirty. We know he was just an absolute machine. Bold seventy five over spells just did not stop. But yeah, he's a legend of the game and he's taking the most wickets in the history of the of the boarder Gavaskar trophy. Yeah, and he actually like it. I was looking at the spinners. They all struggle in Australia todays is like the only one with a decent average, or like a really good average, but he hasn't bowled too much in Australia. So Coumbley, I think he average just under forty, maybe thirty seven or something. But yeah, just the pure volume and he's dominance in India, it was hard to not pick him. One of the goat spinners in general terms. And Yeah, you didn't turn it that much, but he was just so consistent, really smart the way you went about it, so hard not to pick him. Yeah, very once again, similar to what you said about Gilcrest, warney obviously very famously struggled against India and in India in particular. So he was left out, which is very rare. I don't know if there would be any other series in a team like this where he'd be left out. He'd pretty much destroyed every other country played, but really struggled against India. I think he was like a last out in bowling average out of the people who took more than forty wickets or something. So it's average like forty seven or something. Yeah,...
...so very interesting things you find out when you narrow it down to just their performance against one opposition. But yeah, I've got COMBLAS, my spinner. He was actually not the worst batsman. I don't know if I'll have them that eight. Yeah, I won't happen at eight because I've got capital devils, Apaceballer. So you could probably slot in a number nine. Then your quicks also, I would have had Jadaja if I was you. If I'm going to India, I'm picking Jadasia and probably just picking about tmn at six. But yeah, yeah, your days has incredible record in India. Your pace bowls. Mate, though, who are you looking at here? Yeah, so Glenmagras was obvious for me. Fifty one wickets average of eighteen. So He's gone in and I've also gone with there are a few options here. This boke only played ten games because it was in the S and s. But Ray Lim Wall Played Ten Games, took thirty six poles out of average of twenty. Had One of the best averages going around in this particular series. So I've selected g McKenzie, quite stiffer. Yeah, yeah, I've actually picked that man. You mentioned, g McKenzie, but firstly I've got capital Dev he'll be my number eight. Pretty Handy with a stick for a number eight. Yeah, just a very solid bowler, as you mentioned, similar to a stokes. The statistics don't quite do them just as so I don't think I'm obviously didn't really watch him play, but from all accounts it was really pivotal to the Indian side and the s with both bat and ball in both tests and one days he averaged twenty five point three five. Taken seventy nine wickets versus Australia. Seven five wicket halls in thirty eight innings. So he basically average one every five innings, which is pretty incredible to think, and similar average in both Australian Australia and India, which I was quite impressed with. So he's my number eight. Then I've got complay at nine and then my number ten. Don't know if he can bat but he's surely a bet about some than McGrath, Garth Mackenzie. Never heard of...
...this bloke in my life but he had very impressive stats against India. He played in the S. didn't play too much in Australia against India, but in India he took thirty four wickets at an average of nineteen point two six as an ozzy quick to take that many wickets of that average, it's pretty incredible. And played against played in three different series against this Indian team in the s. So I thought he was worth a selection and in there. As you mentioned, Glennor grasp, Stat's too hard to ignore. I think he would be in pretty much all s that Australia play against because he is an absolute consistent machine when it comes to wicket taking and keeping the school low. So yet got to have him in there at number eleven. And yet that's I don't think we've done too bad there. I think we've got two good sides. Not Too much in terms of differences, but there are a couplet s that we went one way or the other. Who who are you most surprised at with their stats against India, whether they're good or bad? Definitely David Boone. Could not believe he had average of seventy and over a thousand runs as well. So it wasn't just like a couple of good games. Yeah, that was actually pretty incredible. Yeah, I was. We talked about it a bit, but Oh yeah, I was definitely shocked by Gillian Warny, like I knew warning really as well. I knew warning didn't have great stats in India, but I wasn't expecting an average of forty seven and I wasn't expecting someone like cool Blake to shit on him statistically. So yeah, that was pretty impressive. But yeah, there's definitely a few interesting, interesting selections in them. Really. J was another one. He actually had a very good average against Australia, which shocks me because I don't think very highly of him when I think of his career. But yet definitely looking forward to the rest of the series. Is a few blokes in our team still playing and there might be a few enter the team based off the next...
...few series. But moving forward, mate, look at the boxing day test coming up. News test might not be news test with the COVID situation in Sydney. Do you have any insight? Do you reckon Australia will whitewash the series or do you think India, even without Collie, could bounce back and still a game or two? Yeah, not without coalie. I'm giving them no chance at all. Yeah, I can't lie. Every time India come out it almost seems to be the same situation. Yes, they did win the last series, I think, but that was obviously when Warner and Smith were suspended. And Yeah, I just don't think they can handle Hazel Wood and Cummins and start when he gets going, it's one of the best, if not the best, pace attack at the moment in the world. And yes, it does help with a pink ball in a day night test. But I think even on a what will probably be a flat MCG wickt I think the Indians will struggle. And I'm not sure what's happening with Shammy, but if he misses out, then all of a sudden they're bowling attackers without two of their best, with ishant Sharma not coming over. So yeah, I hate to say it, but I think it's curtains of India. They might got to draw out of one of the Games. So maybe predicted three new school line but yeah, not not looking great is it? which sucks because it was looking like being one of the best test series in a while in terms of competitiveness. But now he all lies. Already go to the ashes and it's still twelve months away. But that's kind of how Australian cricket rolls these days because it is that boring. And that'll be a whitewash as well. Yeah, standard, just come there. It'll be the exact same as this series, that they'll get billed. They'll be like, oh, this is one of the best England test teams and ages and all that stuff. And happening it every time. Yeah, every time. And they would yeah, Jimmy ands and we'll rock up day one. Bull swings? No, absolutely no swing. I just get Dick. But well, hope, maybe joffer and mark would will be going by then be bowling one hundred and...
...fifty in a might be a different story. But yeah, won't get my heart hope hopes too high. But Yeah, sorry, Indian fans out there, if you're listening, creciate you getting to this point, but I don't have of highest hopes for your side. Looking forward to Pajar and Rahana making some runs, hopefully. I like watching those two bats so and if pretty sure could get going, I think that could be very entertaining. I think he could win a few fans over, as he does like to go it two hundred strike rate. But he had a nightmare of a of a test. Yeah, man, apparently ponting just pointed out what was wrong with his technique and then like next bullie got out. Yeah, it was up with this silly yeah, he's gap between Bat pad but yeah, he's probably got to get his feet moving a little bit. But to see the catch. He dropped us all. Now I think absolute soda. Yeah, it's not looking very for him. He's probably gonna have to lift if he wants to stay in that side. But yeah, Mary Christmas, mate, three days to go to the big day. Between now and then we'll probably be recording one more potty and then before we know it will be two thousand and twenty one. But thanks, as always for joining me. A bit of a shorter one today, but wanted to jump on this test series as it is an enjoyable thing to talk about and I thought this would be a fun way to chat about the history of the Australian India test rivalry. And yet I hope you enjoyed your research, Mat and I hope you enjoy picking your side, and I'm sure we'll do more cricket episodes in the future, because we are both cricket enough, he's but yeah, marry Christmas to all listening, happy holidays and we'll see you next time.
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