Injured /unavailable players who could have changed series

[Thala_0710]

Must have been mentioned so far, but McGrath 05 is the most obvious one here.

 

[Coronis]

Anderson is never a good bowler against Australia at all

ftfy

 

[Molehill]

Anderson is never a good bowler against Australia at home.

I was only really referring to the Edgbaston Test. If he'd remained fit, England would've won that simply by him taking workload off the other seamers and nipping in with the odd wicket.....and that turns 2-2 into 3-1.

 

[Johan]

If Bradman was good for the Hutton 364 test, we might've gotten an all timer

 

[Starfighter]

I'm assuming pre injury Bishop. Pre injury Bishop was even better than Ambrose.

Aside from the dubiousness of the second statement, that's a bowler that could not exist in 1995.

 

[the big bambino]

I'm assuming Bishop was fully fit and bowling as he was pre first back injury. Dont know if you're old enough to know but pre and post injury Bishop are two different beasts altogether.

You're very kind. I'm old enough to remember John Snow - who remains the bowler I feared most except for Ambrose. I saw Bish over 10 tests but Ambrose remains for me the best bowler I've seen. On reflection equal with McGrath.

 

[Sliferxxxx]

Aside from the dubiousness of the second statement, that's a bowler that could not exist in 1995.

There's nothing dubious about it, pre injury Bishop was better than Ambrose at the time. And I mean pre first injury, because Bishop broke down more than once.

 

[shortpitched713]

Yeah. Genuine contenders for 2011 WC too.

Imagine it was Asif opening the bowling against Sehwag instead of Gul who got blitzed and lost us that game.

Why not both together?

Asif/Gul imo had every capability of being one of the elite fast bowling partnerships. As it was, post Asif exile, too much burden was placed on Gul and he was prone to breakdown and not much of a factor outside of white ball cricket.

There's a reason Gul is in my avatar. He had immense potential, but he was a bowler who needed to be managed much better, and was never going to be Hadleeesque in terms of workload while being successful. Asif/Gul was supposed to be that magical partnership (along with Kaneria/Yasir Shah for more than adequate leg spin). As it was the players with greatest potential rarely played together to synergies as an attack. Asif was key not just because of how good he was but also because his style could go well with the other weapons, kind of like the glue of an aggressive, match winning attack.

 

[govinda indian fan]

Mcgarth missing edgbaston test
Sachin and laxman missing 2001 sl series
Hazelwood missing last two bgt tests(boland bowled way better then haze)
Akhtar missing 07 wc

 

[Sliferxxxx]

You're very kind. I'm old enough to remember John Snow - who remains the bowler I feared most except for Ambrose. I saw Bish over 10 tests but Ambrose remains for me the best bowler I've seen. On reflection equal with McGrath.

. Some on here consider that pov sacrilege (i dont). I personally think a coat of varnish separates them with McGrath being slightly better. But good to see some on here recognized Ambrose's greatness.

 

[Thala_0710]

A fully fit Sachin in 04/05 vs Aus might have prevented the series loss.

 

[Starfighter]

There's nothing dubious about it, pre injury Bishop was better than Ambrose at the time. And I mean pre first injury, because Bishop broke down more than once.

It's dubious because it's your opinion. Ambrose was averaging better at the time. But regardless you couldn't have had that Bishop in 1995 because he broke down due to his action, which is fundamental. If you change his action so he doesn't get injured, you'd have a different bowler and no guarantee he'd be as good.

 

[Sliferxxxx]

It's dubious because it's your opinion. Ambrose was averaging better at the time. But regardless you couldn't have had that Bishop in 1995 because he broke down due to his action, which is fundamental. If you change his action so he doesn't get injured, you'd have a different bowler and no. guarantee he'd be as good.

I'm assuming he's uninjured, with the same effectiveness/action pre injury. Not doing this merry go round with you. Anyway, assuming he's fully fit and available we don't lose at home in '95. '97 in Australia we'd have needed both him and Ambrose throughout the series. My opinion. Yours may differ and that's okay.

 

[Ali TT]

2019 is an interesting one, I think England were hurt more by losing Anderson. I think they'd have won the First Test without his injury. And if Smith hadn't got injured (and to be honest, I think you can attribute some of this to the brilliance of Archer in that moment), then Marnus wouldn't have played.

It wouldn't have changed the result, but I suspect England would've avoided defeat in Adelaide in 2006 if Vaughan was fit.

How about this what if...

What if Flintoff remained injured for the 06/07 Ashes? Strauss presumably stays as captain and England presumably still lose heavily, but maybe not 0-5.

Does Strauss become captain again under Flower in 2009 after the KP Moores fallout? What would that mean for the successful era they led?

 

[Coronis]

WG Grace, 1877 vs Australia

 

[debraj72]

Zaheer Khan in 2011 eng vs ind test series
Viv and marshall in 1988 pak series 1st test(I am not sure about this one,i think they made themselves unavailable after the odi series)
Alan davidson also missed a test in 1960/61 wi series,and I think he was still the mvp of that series

 

[Coronis]

WG Grace, 1877 vs Australia

Just to add to this..

Grace in the preceeding county season to the inaugural test match.

26 matches 46 innings 2622 @ 62.42 7 tons 10 fifties
26 matches 130 @ 18.90 12 5’fers 2 10’fers
26 matches 46 catches

But then we wouldn’t have the two famous 45 run win matches.

 

[The Sean]

Just to add to this..

Grace in the preceeding county season to the inaugural test match.

26 matches 46 innings 2622 @ 62.42 7 tons 10 fifties
26 matches 130 @ 18.90 12 5’fers 2 10’fers
26 matches 46 catches

But then we wouldn’t have the two famous 45 run win matches.

So he looked in great form at home then ducked out of a tricky tour where he might have been tested outside his comfort zone?

Poor. The veritable Greg Chappell of his day.

 

[vidiq]

Mcgarth missing edgbaston test
Sachin and laxman missing 2001 sl series
Hazelwood missing last two bgt tests(boland bowled way better then haze)
Akhtar missing 07 wc

I think Hazlewood would also have performed similarly if not better because 2024 Hazlewood was in his prime form.
In 2024 Hazlewood averaged only 13 with the bolw and In the 2nd innings of Perth when pitch becomes a highway he bolwers with less than 2 economy when jaiswal was smoking Starc and Cummins.

 

[subshakerz]

I suspect @Sliferxxxx might be banking on Bishop being better without his injuries.

Problem is Bishop's bowling action was fundamentally flawed (as are his ideas about bowling actions). He'd need to have been a different bowler.

Plus there was nothing injury-wise compelling him to bowl too short at Adelaide.

It's silly to complain about injuries when he was clearly a different bowler post 95.