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Yes fantastic win. That being said, the jaded fan in me thinks this is just yet another in a long line of false dawns. I remember the win at Headingley with Shai Hope making twin hundreds...he and the team didnt make the leap. Still, I'll take a win, especially in Australia every time. A few other thoughts:
I know he's older and has had quite a few injuries over the years, but it was shocking just how far Roach's pace has fallen off. Maybe I'm getting old, but it felt like just the other day when he was regularly topping 150 kph. Now he's almost at spinner pace at the low 120s. I dont know if the Windies is strong enough to carry a gentle medium pacer. Maybe time for him to retire.
Alzarri Joseph I thought bowled well without reward in this series, but he's been given a long run and honestly at this point of his career, I think he is what he is; an average to slightly below average fast bowler with a bowling average in the mid 30s. Just not good enough.
The spinner was trash. Let's be honest. Not good enough regardless of how many back flips he can do. Greaves is too slow at test level, probably better suited for one day/t20.
Both openers were disappointing this series. I know the Aussie pace attack is tough, but they both had been fairly good the last time they toured Australia, but made very little in the way of meaningful contributions this time around. Probably the biggest let down for the team. That being said, they are both the best the team has so have to continue with them.
On the aussie side:
We'd heard for years about how great the Sheffield Shield game is, yet the lack of suitable openers means that Khawaja and Smith are now the openers. Pretty damning if you ask me. Smith had a wonderful innings in the last test, but I think he's going to struggle opening in say England. And they are doing all of this to accommodate Green at number 4.
Speaking of Green, have to be honest, I dont get the hype about him. He's best suited as a second change bowler, and batting 6/7. In other words, a bits and pieces player which you already have in Mitchell Marsh. He's just not a genuine all rounder in the way that say Ben Stokes is. Maybe he's a slow developer but I dont think the team can carry him and Marsh as they basically do the same thing.
I just hope it re-invents test cricket in the west indies, I was a child of the 80-90's when of course they were by far the best team on the Planet, I got drunk for the first time as a 15 year old, watching the Inidies kill us while on the hill at the GABBA
The Gabba itself however is pretty much the biggest fortress in Australian Cricket, its very rare for any visiting team win.
Outside of the Ashes and India, there seems to be little interest in test Cricket at the moment in Australia, and any resurgence in the west Indies team will be great for the game, so i am 100% behind them.
I just hope it re-invents test cricket in the west indies, I was a child of the 80-90's when of course they were by far the best team on the Planet, I got drunk for the first time as a 15 year old, watching the Inidies kill us while on the hill at the GABBA
The Gabba itself however is pretty much the biggest fortress in Australian Cricket, its very rare for any visiting team win.
Outside of the Ashes and India, there seems to be little interest in test Cricket at the moment in Australia, and any resurgence in the west Indies team will be great for the game, so i am 100% behind them.
Agreed. Watching cricket in the 90s, I didnt realize how good we all had it. I lived in the South Pacific (PNG) so we got all the Australian matches. You had a still good to great West Indies, a tough battler in South Africa, dangerous Pakistan with the two Ws, and of course jolly old England. Very few teams came to Australia as just complete pushovers, heck I remember a young Sri Lankan team came in the mid 90s. They lost 3-0 but fought in every game.
Fast forward to today, I live in the States now so dont watch much outside of Youtube. It's shocking to see no one show up at all for the Windies games in Brisbane. Depressing to see that its just the "big 3". Test cricket is just not sustainable with only 3 countries.
Yet what can be done? The only way to rejuvenate the West Indies, South Africa, etc would be to pay their test players $2 million a year. In other words, pay enough that the players dont feel the temptation to go the IPL route. Of course, that's impossible as their cricket boards can't afford it.
Speaking of T20, Already I've seen a report that Shamar Joseph has been offered a T20 job with the PSL, and that his phone is "ringing off the hook" with other offers. He has declared that he will always be available to play test cricket for the W.I., let's see how long he sticks by those words when the IPL comes calling with a $3 million dollar offer that he would need 10 plus years to make if he played test cricket. Sadly, he would be stupid to not take the IPL offer. Coming from the poverty he does, that is life changing money and your health isnt guaranteed in sports.
So I say enjoy it while it lasts. I suspect this time next year he will be having all types of injuries that coincide with tests, but then miraculously heal up in time for the latest hit and giggle. A heavily utilized tactic by many in the game today unfortunately.
The US venues will be Central Broward Park in Lauderhill, Florida, Grand Prairie Stadium, Grand Prairie, Texas and Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in East Meadow, New York.
Although I can't see that many Americans being actually aware of the event.
I dunno, attendance at the inaugural MLC season was a lot higher than I expected it would be. Unfortunately all the big matches are gonna be in the islands. Whenever a big dog like India is scheduled to play in the US, it's so they can crush some peon team like... well, the US.
I just hope it re-invents test cricket in the west indies, I was a child of the 80-90's when of course they were by far the best team on the Planet, I got drunk for the first time as a 15 year old, watching the Inidies kill us while on the hill at the GABBA
The Gabba itself however is pretty much the biggest fortress in Australian Cricket, its very rare for any visiting team win.
Outside of the Ashes and India, there seems to be little interest in test Cricket at the moment in Australia, and any resurgence in the west Indies team will be great for the game, so i am 100% behind them.
Well it doesn't help that the standard of Test cricket is probably the worst its ever been.
Despite all those big sweet spots on cricket bats in this era, and despite all the luxurious accommodation, and all the sophisticated training methods.... and despite there being no Curtly Ambrose, Wasim Akram, Glenn McGrath, Muttiah Muralitharan or Shane Warne, batsman rarely score double-hundreds.
There should be a bunch of players averaging 60 or 70 in this era, but there isn't.
And Brian Lara's 400 not out, will probably never be broken.
Well it doesn't help that the standard of Test cricket is probably the worst its ever been.
Despite all those big sweet spots on cricket bats in this era, and despite all the luxurious accommodation, and all the sophisticated training methods.... and despite there being no Curtly Ambrose, Wasim Akram, Glenn McGrath, Muttiah Muralitharan or Shane Warne, batsman rarely score double-hundreds.
There should be a bunch of players averaging 60 or 70 in this era, but there isn't.
And Brian Lara's 400 not out, will probably never be broken.
Yeah, it's painful for me to admit this as an old fuddy duddy who adores test cricket and has zero interest in T20, but it's pretty much curtains for test cricket. I wont be surprised if it's chopped away to irrelevance, maybe they have it once every two years (basically the Ashes and India). Everyone else will be T20 only.
The skillset needed to thrive in T20 (6 hitting, minimal footwork for batsmen, bowling wide yorkers for bowlers) are just completely opposite to test cricket needs. I can't even be mad at the players for prioritizing T20. Who in their right mind would turn down potentially millions of dollars to get peanuts playing tests??? Especially for those from the poorer parts of the world. It's a no brainer. So yeah, I'm glad Im old enough to have watched a lot of great tests over the years so those memories will have to suffice.
The USA/Canada match looks to be decently attended. Granted, the crowd is about 97% Desi (as are about 97% of the players for that matter), but you gotta start somewhere.
Well that was a hell of a chase to open up the tournament.
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