*Official* Australia tour of Sri Lanka 2022

[Nintendo]

This Test just makes Oz's Test tour of Sri Lanka in 2016 all the more amazing as one would've expected that's how those 3 Tests would've turned out, even more so. Australia were No. 1 ranked Test team, likes of Smith and Warner were closer to their peak, Starc was in career-best form, Sri Lanka had poor Test form in the leadup and - Herath apart - their side didn't seem much stronger than this one is.

And yet it was Australia's only 3 Test or more losing whitewash in recent decades (I think 1982 Pakistan tour was the previous one they had) and was a nightmare on pretty much all fronts.

Was SOK fit for that 2016 SL series? If so we definitely had a better spin bowling lineup available. Sok>>>>>> Any spinner other than lyon we have now.

 

[TheJediBrah]

This Test just makes Oz's Test tour of Sri Lanka in 2016 all the more amazing as one would've expected that's how those 3 Tests would've turned out, even more so. Australia were No. 1 ranked Test team, likes of Smith and Warner were closer to their peak, Starc was in career-best form, Sri Lanka had poor Test form in the leadup and - Herath apart - their side didn't seem much stronger than this one is.

And yet it was Australia's only 3 Test or more losing whitewash in recent decades (I think 1982 Pakistan tour was the previous one they had) and was a nightmare on pretty much all fronts.

2016 was decided by the spin bowling. Herath was elite and Aus were terrible, losing SOK really hurt and Lyon underperformed.

This last game was the opposite, Sri Lanka's spinners were poor

 

[Nintendo]

2016 was decided by the spin bowling. Herath was elite and Aus were terrible, losing SOK really hurt and Lyon underperformed.

This last game was the opposite, Sri Lanka's spinners were poor

Are you saying it was the opposite in the fact that Australia's spinner's dominated while Sri-lankas where poor, that the batsmen where the deciding factor or both?

 

[Starfighter]

I think 1982 Pakistan tour was the previous one they had

India 2013 - though not surprised you'd blanked it out of your memory.

 

[morgieb]

Was SOK fit for that 2016 SL series? If so we definitely had a better spin bowling lineup available. Sok>>>>>> Any spinner other than lyon we have now.

Played the first Test, missed the latter two through injury.

IIRC Australia were on top in the first Test before Kusal Mendis dominated. Then Australia just lost the plot.

 

[honestbharani]

And yet it was Australia's only 3 Test or more losing whitewash in recent decades

Didn't we beat your lot 4-0 in 2013?

 

[Burgey]

Seemed like a ridiculous gap between tests to me for the modern era til I remembered the first only went 2.5 days

 

[Shady Slim]

This Test just makes Oz's Test tour of Sri Lanka in 2016 all the more amazing as one would've expected that's how those 3 Tests would've turned out, even more so. Australia were No. 1 ranked Test team, likes of Smith and Warner were closer to their peak, Starc was in career-best form, Sri Lanka had poor Test form in the leadup and - Herath apart - their side didn't seem much stronger than this one is.

And yet it was Australia's only 3 Test or more losing whitewash in recent decades (I think 1982 Pakistan tour was the previous one they had) and was a nightmare on pretty much all fronts.

Edit: Forgot Oz lost 4-0 in India in 2013.

conversely, that was also the peak era of the lehmann era team mentality in how they played - warner was in great home form, smith i give you but hadn't played any serious cricket in the subcontinent in this era of steve smith, and really nor had many of them. that team was a paper tiger and really made their bones on bouncy roads, doctored to the same degree that sri lankan or english pitches get doctored too, sri lanka and then south africa exposed them for the frauds that they were imho

 

[Shady Slim]

conversely, that was also the peak era of the lehmann era team mentality in how they played - warner was in great home form, smith i give you but hadn't played any serious cricket in the subcontinent in this era of steve smith, and really nor had many of them. that team was a paper tiger and really made their bones on bouncy roads, doctored to the same degree that sri lankan or english pitches get doctored too, sri lanka and then south africa exposed them for the frauds that they were imho

in saying all this as someone who was regularly hammering the point that that oz team was a paper tiger, and as the president of the gaijin for herath society, i loved that series lol

 

[halba]

Green now the MVP long term looking. 38 bat ave and 30bowl average now which is solid. If he can get the average to 40s and the bowl average around same 30s, is world class.

 

[halba]

Carrying on is the best part about him. Cricket needs a bit more Nick Kyrgios energy

Lmao Kyrgios the wild thing.

 

[Burgey]

Green now the MVP long term looking. 38 bat ave and 30bowl average now which is solid. If he can get the average to 40s and the bowl average around same 30s, is world class.

Good signs but still very early days for him

 

[TheJediBrah]

Good signs but still very early days for him

Can only seem him getting better with the bat, he's a good chance to give up bowling at some stage though. Or drastically reduce it at least, maybe a bit like Shane Watson who wasn't fit to bowl for half the games he played.

 

[Nintendo]

Most impressive thing about green for me in the solid head he had on his shoulders. Got worked out by England at the start of the ashes so he adjusted his game and made runs. Averaged 50+ in Pak barely using the sweep, got him out more often that not, when we reached this series he's sweeping like a madman and looking comfortable as he could on a dustbowl.

 

[Spark]

So apparently the option is there to play Maxwell instead of Starc. Surely if the pitch is remotely like last week, this is clearly the way to go? You still have three frontline-quality fast bowling options after all.

 

[Nintendo]

So apparently the option is there to play Maxwell instead of Starc. Surely if the pitch is remotely like last week, this is clearly the way to go? You still have three frontline-quality fast bowling options after all.

Who's the third? Green and cummins definitely but no one else is there to bowl pace. Marnus's military med's did well in county but I doubt they will be of much worth in SL.

 

[Spark]

Who's the third? Green and cummins definitely but no one else is there to bowl pace. Marnus's military med's did well in county but I doubt they will be of much worth in SL.

...I can't count. Two frontline options, which is still enough.

 

[Gob]

Aren't you the scientist?

 

[Gob]

So apparently the option is there to play Maxwell instead of Starc. Surely if the pitch is remotely like last week, this is clearly the way to go? You still have three frontline-quality fast bowling options after all.

And a very long batting lineup

 

[Gob]

Is this the same pitch?