Amazon "The Test" documentary

[honestbharani]

I'd hope so, because particularly from Langer it was horrendous. As I said, his name has carried him a lot further in this job than probably he's entitled to.

I am not saying it is all fake, but there is an element of the cameras impacting how much and even how they react. Some may over play, some may under play and some may just use different words etc. But it is silly to assume to people react the same way when they know there is a camera on them than when they don't. Which is why I just dont buy it as anything completely "real".

 

[honestbharani]

There's absolutely no question that the overall mental approach of the team has improved drastically compared to the Lehmann era, particularly overseas. There's far more of a willingness to submit to conditions and play slow, grinding cricket and wait for circumstances/conditions to change before going all Clarke-Lehmann "playing your natural game".

TBF, that happened even in the 2017 tour to India where it was obvious most Aussie batters were prepared to bat time as well as look like idiots getting beaten every ball coz they figured that gave them the best chance of putting runs on the board. I don't think it is reasonable to Lehmann to write off those improvements as being under Langer only.

 

[Burgey]

His Australia-religion worship and treatment of Khawaja is what is a bit sickening

Agree with the first part of this comment but not the second. The bloke did sfa home and away, and was dropped. And tbh, if Langer really had a set against him from the time he made the comments about the net sessions, he wouldn't have been picked for the WC

 

[aussie tragic]

Nah, I'll stay in the Langer is crap camp. Finch may have had a good test career at 5 if not for Langer's open or nothing policy, especially when Khawaja was available to open instead.

 

[Spark]

TBF, that happened even in the 2017 tour to India where it was obvious most Aussie batters were prepared to bat time as well as look like idiots getting beaten every ball coz they figured that gave them the best chance of putting runs on the board. I don't think it is reasonable to Lehmann to write off those improvements as being under Langer only.

Oh no I specifically didn't mention Langer for that reason. But, for each 2017 tour of India you can point to other tours where it was as bad as ever. Under Langer the trajectory in the team's approach has been clear and consistently positive (in the "intelligent" sense, not the "aggressive" sense) even if the quality hasn't been always there.

 

[honestbharani]

Oh no I specifically didn't mention Langer for that reason. But, for each 2017 tour of India you can point to other tours where it was as bad as ever. Under Langer the trajectory in the team's approach has been clear and consistently positive (in the "intelligent" sense, not the "aggressive" sense) even if the quality hasn't been always there.

Well they did not have too many tours under Lehmann post that 2017 India tour did they. All hell broke loose in their tour to RSA and I dont think they had any tough tours in between. So its quite possible the same attitude had already been adopted under Lehmann.

Agree they went a lot of tours where they did not do that under Lehmann, sure. But I am just saying maybe that change was initiated by Lehmann and would have happened even if he had continued. That is all.

 

[Line and Length]

"Agree they went a lot of tours where they did not do that under Lehmann, sure. But I am just saying maybe that change was initiated by Lehmann and would have happened even if he had continued. That is all."

And maybe not.

 

[honestbharani]

True. We don't know exactly what went on behind the scenes but the changes to that attitude did start in the Lehmann era even though it took them a lot of sucking overseas in the same era before they took that approach. Probably the fairest statement to say.

 

[Spark]

I think they really, really focussed specifically on the India tour and very deliberate tailored an entire gameplan to suit the conditions for months in advance rather than it being a general shift in overall philosophy. That may have come in time, but I don't think one tour is enough to outweigh the almost universal countervailing evidence of all the other Lehmann tours.

 

[honestbharani]

Fair enough.

 

[GotSpin]

Boof ****ed up for so many years on overseas tours. You just had to look at how our tail was batting to give you an indication

 

[Marius]

Finished watching it this week. Was ok but also really felt like a glorified marketing video for Cricket Australia at times. Liked seeing the behind the scenes stuff but they really did gloss over the ball tampering, I would have liked to have heard Warner, Bancroft, and Smith talk about that. Also thought it was a bit rich that the Aussies were so upset by English crowds booing Warner and Smith, as Aussie crowds are known for their decorum.

But I will admit to getting goosebumps towards the end when the crowds had switched from booing Smith to cheering him for that epic Ashes series he had last year.

Also, why did Graeme Hick literally not say one word in the whole documentary? Ha ha.

 

[honestbharani]

Also, why did Graeme Hick literally not say one word in the whole documentary? Ha ha.

Coz, in a M Night Shyamalan twist, we will finally discover it was Agent Hick all along, who ensured the Aussie batting plumbed the depths.

 

[Chubb]

It’s because Hick is Zimbabwean he has always disliked talking to media and particularly talking about himself.

Didn’t he give a car crash interview about Australian batting during the home Indian series?

See also: De Grandhomme, Colin; Fletcher, Duncan.

 

[Marius]

It’s because Hick is Zimbabwean he has always disliked talking to media and particularly talking about himself.

Didn’t he give a car crash interview about Australian batting during the home Indian series?

See also: De Grandhomme, Colin; Fletcher, Duncan.

Yeah, but there was never even one clip of him talking in a team meeting or anything. Just thought it was a bit strange.

But yeah, Zimbabweans (I might be generalising but particularly the white ones) seem fairly uncomfortable in front of the camera. Saffas also seem less comfortable than most other nationalities in post-match presentations etc. QDK comes to mind as a guy who is hardly going to win any awards for oratory, ha ha.

 

[Chubb]

Yeah, but there was never even one clip of him talking in a team meeting or anything. Just thought it was a bit strange.

But yeah, Zimbabweans (I might be generalising but particularly the white ones) seem fairly uncomfortable in front of the camera. Saffas also seem less comfortable than most other nationalities in post-match presentations etc. QDK comes to mind as a guy who is hardly going to win any awards for oratory, ha ha.

Thats definitely what I’ve noticed. Without wanting to generalise (and I’ve never been to Zim as much as I want to) white Zimbos seem to either be heavy drinkers who don’t stop talking or de Grandhomme, Hick, Ervine types who also drink too much!

 

[Marius]

Thats definitely what I’ve noticed. Without wanting to generalise (and I’ve never been to Zim as much as I want to) white Zimbos seem to either be heavy drinkers who don’t stop talking or de Grandhomme, Hick, Ervine types who also drink too much!

White Zimbabweans are definitely a strange bunch. I suppose I don't have much room to talk being a white South African :/

 

[mr_mister]

the one White Zimbo i've met was a pretty cool dude. basically just seemed like an aussie to me

 

[Line and Length]

Our golf club had two white Zimbabwean members and two nicer guys you couldn't hope to meet. This was in contrast to a Saffer who was arrogantly aggressive. Too small a sample to make generalisations, but an observation.

 

[Shady Slim]

Our golf club had two white Zimbabwean members and two nicer guys you couldn't hope to meet. This was in contrast to a Saffer who was arrogantly aggressive. Too small a sample to make generalisations, but an observation.

can't believe you got to golf with kevin pietersen!