***Official*** West Indies tour of Australia, Jan–Feb 2024

[Starfighter]

It's almost like "the death of test cricket" is corporate gaslighting.

It's more to do with the fact audiences have generally declined or are declining outside of England and Australia and the Indian investments in the T20 leagues are effectively turning world cricket into a feeder series for the IPL, with far more money on offer than 9/12 test nations can offer, and there's no leadership to preserve and expand the test game.

People who make tens of thousands of posts on a cricket forum aren't representative of the general population, who very much seem to prefer the cheap predictable thrill of T20s, even though I doubt most people remember anything about T20 games they watched a week ago.

 

[Skipper Pup]

Fans of every other nation coping right now because they just know Australia wont lose at home like that again. Still world champs.

Well done Windies. That was really enjoyable and the right team won.

 

[Starfighter]

i suppose the big question is what do we do at six after the marsh era? slide green to six again, and find a new four, or?

Hardie is a possibility.

 

[KungFu_Kallis]

Australia trophy celebration photo

 

[Ilovecric]

Kemar Roach was very well spoken just then.

I'm glad after many tours to get pumped, sometimes half fit, he is tasting some team and a bit of personal success too. He has put in solid bowling shifts this tour whenever I've tuned in.

Yes, he first toured and showed success against Ponting I believe, that's how long he has been toiling and doing well. The next best solid performance from WI was maybe 09 when Gayle made 166 not out.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Get an opener to open. Crazy, I know.

Wut Smith opening is the only thing that worked this innings

 

[Flem274*]

Haha the first three names absolutely do not fall under that category; those three were talent-ID'd young and had to have plenty of Test experience under their belts - like, 30-40+ Tests - until they really "came good". They learned their craft at the top level, not at FC level.

Yeah they were a reach because I wanted to use Australian examples. I still think Khawaja, Marsh and Head only sort their **** out in a strong FC scene.

Daryl Mitchell, CdG and BJ Watling are late bloomers closer to home. Heck we turned Michael Bracewell into a role that won some games..

 

[Spark]

Well then you have the luxury of playing a young specialist batter at #6 (McSweeney?). Or, if Head stops being such a helpful hack when in early strife, he can slot down a spot.

It'll be Renshaw but if McSweeney has a strong 2024 in the Shield then I'd definitely have a look at him.

I am fundamentally opposed to picking 31-32yo journeymen with mediocre Shield records off a purple patch. We tried that heaps in the 2010s and it virtually never worked.

 

[mackembhoy]

We didn’t have any openers going by that line of thinking, given the other bloke didn’t start doing it til a couple of years ago

In all jest, to carry your bat fronting up to open when he could have just stayed at 4 is mighty impressive.

To do it in the fourth innings when a guy is bowling lethally at the other end. Even more so.

Even more so when his fourth innings record is a big outlier in his career.

 

[ashley bach]

Windies were 70/1 just before Green got out.

 

[ataraxia]

It'll be Renshaw but if McSweeney has a strong 2024 in the Shield then I'd definitely have a look at him.

Yeah maybe I have a bit more faith in Marsh surviving a couple more years than the rest of you, just taking a stab in the dark as to the situation by that time

 

[Gnske]

It'll be Renshaw but if McSweeney has a strong 2024 in the Shield then I'd definitely have a look at him.

I am fundamentally opposed to picking 31-32yo journeymen with mediocre Shield records off a purple patch. We tried that heaps in the 2010s and it virtually never worked.

Big McSweeney fan, he's been the best domestic trade in the last few years that's worked out.

JFM with potential to surpass that with a few more brains

 

[Burgey]

In all jest, to carry your bat fronting up to open when he could have just stayed at 4 is mighty impressive.

To do it in the fourth innings when a guy is bowling lethally at the other end. Even more so.

Even more so when his fourth innings record is a big outlier in his career.

Yeah it will understandably get lost in the excitement what a cracking knock that was. The way he worked at staying more side on and it fell into place was impressive. To carry your bat like that is a bit ridiculous tbh. Even though he’s not peak Smith any more, he’s still head and shoulders the best player in that side against good bowling in tough conditions.

 

[Flem274*]

It's more to do with the fact audiences have generally declined or are declining outside of England and Australia and the Indian investments in the T20 leagues are effectively turning world cricket into a feeder series for the IPL, with far more money on offer than 9/12 test nations can offer, and there's no leadership to preserve and expand the test game.

People who make tens of thousands of posts on a cricket forum aren't representative of the general population, who very much seem to prefer the cheap predictable thrill of T20s, even though I doubt most people remember anything about T20 games they watched a week ago.

I'm not going to speak for other nations but test match crowds in NZ are pretty stable and full houses in the traditional grounds, as is the following. Also to be anecdotal, sports fans (as opposed to casual event goers) also recognise T20 doesn't have the depth of tests or ODIs. Sports fans who find tests a bit much prefer ODIs.

But yes I think those trying to turn world cricket into an IPL feeder series are heavily involved in the gaslighting.

 

[Shady Slim]

Big McSweeney fan, he's been the best domestic trade in the last few years that's worked out.

JFM with potential to surpass that with a few more brains

please no

 

[TheJediBrah]

It'll be Renshaw but if McSweeney has a strong 2024 in the Shield then I'd definitely have a look at him.

Matt Short is making a run even in red-ball. Only I don't see him as a particularly solid "stop a collapse" type option but more of another Head/Marsh aggressor type

 

[Spark]

Matt Short is making a run even in red-ball. Only I don't see him as a particularly solid "stop a collapse" type option but more of another Head/Marsh aggressor type

Yeah I think we have to look longer term if MMarsh doesn't work tbh.

 

[Flem274*]

It'll be Renshaw but if McSweeney has a strong 2024 in the Shield then I'd definitely have a look at him.

I am fundamentally opposed to picking 31-32yo journeymen with mediocre Shield records off a purple patch. We tried that heaps in the 2010s and it virtually never worked.

It's contextual. If selectors watch the player and see clear evidence of improvement, then to quote Steve Hansen theory on wingers "use them while they're hot."

 

[The_CricketUmpire]

Let's not forget that captain Pat Cummins decided to declare with Australia 9 down for 289, still 22 runs behind the West Indies first innings total of 311. In the end, the West Indies won by 8 runs.

 

[Spark]

It's contextual. If selectors watch the player and see clear evidence of improvement, then to quote Steve Hansen theory on wingers "use them while they're hot."

It just doesn't work for us for whatever reason. I'd even argue that it didn't work with Voges and that's the closest you can get - we didn't pick him to pile on runs against the worst WI attack ever fielded at home, we picked him to score runs in England in 2015 and he failed dismally.