Among its many other qualities, the Almanac is known for its capacity to find quirky, potentially significant but possibly totally unfounded historical linkages. The date 17th October provides one of these.
Australia played its first ever Test match against Pakistan in Karachi between 11-17 October 1956. It was a one-off affair as the Australians returned from the 1956 Ashes series in England.
Played on a matting pitch, it was a low scoring affair in conditions most unfamiliar to the Aussies who never really came to terms with the pitch or the bowling of the Pakistan wizards Fazal Mahmoud and Khan Mohammad. You can find a link to the scoreboard HERE.
You could say that the Australians found the conditions and the opposition bowling torturous!
Little wonder, then, that October 17 was also the date in 1483 when Tomás de Torquemada was appointed Grand Inquisitor to the Spanish Inquisition by Pope Sixtus IV.
Draw your own conclusions –
or not!
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Obtuse!
It was on this day, in 1968, that Tommie Smith and John Carlos were stripped of their gold and bronze medals respectively following their “black power” salutes at the Mexico City Olympics.
The excellent performances of Usman Khawaja and Matthew Kuhnemann in the 1st Test against Sri Lanka in Galle, got me thinking about an Australian team of Test players who performed the best in Tests in the subcontinent.
Here is the Best Australian Test Players for the Sub Continent:
Usman Khawaja (2 Test centuries in Pakistan and 1 Test century in Sri Lanka)
Bob Simpson (2 Test centuries in Pakistan at an average of 134)
Neil Harvey (3 Test centuries in India)
Steve Smith (3 Test centuries in India, 3 Test centuries in Sri Lanka and 1 Test century in Pakistan)
Michael Clarke (3 Test centuries in India)
Allan Border (3 Test centuries in Pakistan, 2 Test centuries in India)
Adam Gilchrist (w) (2 Test centuries in India)
Richie Benaud (c) (52 Test wickets in India)
Shane Warne (48 Test wickets in Sri Lanka, 34 Test wickets in India and 18 Test wickets in Pakistan)
Nathan Lyon (56 Test wickets in India, 42 Test wickets in Sri Lanka and 12 Test wickets in Pakistan)
Glenn McGrath (33 Test wickets in India and 19 Test wickets in Pakistan)
12th man: Matthew Hayden (2 Test centuries in India at an average of 51)
Concussion sub: Norm O’Neill (2 Test centuries in India)
This team will play a pretend exhibition match against the best composite Test team of players from India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka that performed the best in Test matches in the subcontinent.
The match will be played in Karachi, Pakistan.
Entertainment will be provided by the National Anthems of Australia, Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka.
The Commentators will be Harsha Bhogle and Tim Lane.
Let’s hope for a good game of cricket in sub continent conditions.
Yes, Matthew Kuhnemann certainly delivered in Galle. I was unconvinced re his selection for this series but he’s proven me wrong.
We have a hometown specialist in Scott Boland, sub continent specialist in Matthew Kuhnemann; now can we find a specialist for English tours? Terry Alderman certainly was, though that’s last century. Steve Smith has scored 7 test centuries in England, so he’s happy playing in those conditions. Anyone else come to mind readily?
Glen!
Here is the Best Australian Test Payers for Playing Test Cricket in England:
Mark Taylor (5 Test centuries in England, 7 Test fifties in England, average 52.80)
Bill Ponsford (3 Test centuries in England, 3 Test fifties in England p, average 62.40)
Don Bradman (c) (11 Test centuries in England, 3 Test fifties in England, average 102.84)
Steve Smith (8 Test centuries in England, 9 Test fifties in England, average 55)
Steve Waugh (7 Test centuries in England, 4 Test fifties in England, average 74.22)
Allan Border (5 Test centuries in England, 12 Test fifties in England, average 65.06)
Adam Gilchrist (wk) (1 Test century in England, 2 Test fifties in England, average 40.07)
Shane Warne (129 Test wickets in England, average 21.94)
Dennis Lillee (96 Test wickets in England, average 20.56)
Glenn McGrath (87 Test wickets in England, average 19.34)
Terry Alderman (83 Test wickets in England, average 19.33)
12th man: David Boon (3 Test centuries in England, 5 fifties, average 48.73)
Concussion sub: Michael Clarke (3 Test centuries in England, 6 fifties, average 39.86)
Justin Langer (2 Test centuries in England, 2 Test fifties in England, average 55.11) will be the coach of the Australian Test team.
This team will play a match an exhibition match against the best English Test players for Playing Test Cricket in England.
The match will be played at Lords.
Entertainment will be provided by The Beatles and the Bee Gees.
Transport will be provided by British Airways.
The lunch time meal will include a choice of English breakfast, Yorkshire pudding, fish and chips and meat pies.
Let’s hope for a good game of cricket that will be even more entertaining than Bazball!
I forgot to mention that the television commentators for this pretend exhibition match between England v Australia Test match will be Isa Guha, Alison Mitchell and Tim Lane.
The radio commentators will be a combination of Alan McGillivray, John Arlott, Christopher Martin-Jenkins, Henry Blofeld and Jonathan Agnew.