Like Aislabie, I've had interest in doing a long-term, history revising Cricket Captain series.
Unlike him, I was more fortunate to be born in Australia, a land where cricket success (except in India) is fairly regular, and where I don't have to undo the work of a bunch of selectors on industrial-grade drugs.
That does mean I have to be a bit more creative to find an appropriate starting point for the series. Luckily, World Series Cricket delivered. I'll be taking over after the infamous 5-1 Ashes loss in 1978 (the heaviest loss in Australian cricket history to date) and attempting to not take ten years to do anything else notable.
History
1978-79 (no medal awarded due to starting after the main series of this summer): in : Series tied 1-1
Career Statistics
Same disclaimer as England In The 90s - anyone who played from 1978 in this universe or IRL (other than those who played IRL but never here) is included
in , 1978-79
Tests: 10 March 1979 (MCG), 24 March 1979 (WACA), 7 April (Adelaide - added due to India series)
Squad: Graham Yallop Allan Border Rick Darling Andrew Hilditch Kim Hughes Jeff Moss Peter Toohey
Phil Carlson John Inverarity Trevor Laughlin Dav Whatmore
Kevin Wright
Wayne Clark Geoff Dymock Rodney Hogg Alan Hurst
Jim Higgs Peter Sleep
For the series against Pakistan, WSC players are still ineligible. This gives an opportunity to a brigade of guys - both guys who are trying to save their Test career like Rick Darling, and players who've dominated the Shield and deserve a callup, like Jeff Moss and Peter Sleep. Also, a few allrounders are playing for likely squad spots in future tours.
10 March 1979 vs - First Test
Melbourne Cricket Ground
Australia Rick Darling Andrew Hilditch Graeme Yallop Allan Border Kim Hughes Jeff Moss Kevin Wright Geoff Dymock Rodney Hogg Alan Hurst Jim Higgs
Pakistan Majid Khan Mohsin Khan Zaheer Abbas Javed Miandad Asif Iqbal Mushtaq Mohammad Imran Khan Sarfraz Nawaz Wasim Bari Sikander Bakht
Australia's first XI under new management has a lot of guys fighting for backup spots once the World Series cricketers return - only three (Border, Hughes, Hogg) are guaranteed a key role, although Moss, Darling and Hilditch are fighting for an open spot. Batsman Jeff Moss receives baggy green 303; can he deliver something special and play more than just one Test? The long tail was the weakness though. As for Pakistan - same XI as the first Test in real life bc why not?
Graham Yallop, under pressure with bat and captaincy, won the toss and batted. Andrew Hilditch was out cheaply edging off Imran, but from there, Darling and Yallop stabilised things. Both reached 50 even if Darling looked sketchy at times, and added 125 until Darling ran at Raja and missed, furthering his Kamikaze reputation and being out for 60. Border joined Yallop, and the pair continued through to stumps, Border playing positively and Yallop reaching his ton. Border quickly brought up 50 the next morning, but was pinned LBW by Mushtaq three balls later. Kim Hughes struggled, but nearly survived a whole session before flicking Imran to Mushtaq at mid wicket. Moss took 25 balls to get off the mark, but then advanced quickly to 34 before being bowled with the third new ball by Imran.Yallop was trapped in front by Sarfraz just shy of his double ton three overs later and a collapse looked imminent, until Kevin Wright and Geoff Dymock added 65 for the seventh wicket. The tail found limited reward after Wright's dismissal though and Australia were finally all out just after lunch on Day 3 for 486. Imran had five wickets, but had also bowled for 52 overs.
Majid was bowled by Alan Hurst with the 11th ball of the innings in an absolutely perfect start. Hogg was loose, but Hurst, Geoff Dymock and Jim Higgs caused pain for Mohsin and Zaheer. However, Hurst was less effective after tea, and the Pakistani pair added 100 before Mohsin sliced Higgs to Moss at cover. Miandad looked good but was removed by the leggie for 29, and Asif also got a start before being bowled by Border in the last over before the new ball. Zaheer brought up his hundred shortly before the fall of Asif, then was pinned LBW with the new ball - but Dymock had overstepped. Dymock righted his mistake a couple overs later though, Abbas chipping one to square leg to end a great 133. Rodney Hogg quickly removed Raja, then Higgs trapped Mushtaq, leaving Pakistan in potential danger of following on. Imran and Sarfraz kept that from happening, then Wasim and Sikandar stuck around long enough to get Imran to 76 before he was the tenth man out, bowled by the excellent Dymock.
It was already Day 5 by this point, so Australia had to motor on if they had any chance. Darling went over the top and, after edging one just wide of slip off Imran, placed it worse. Hilditch and Yallop attacked until Hilditch holed out off Mushtaq, then Border and Yallop turned it up even more. Yallop was dismissed by the first ball after tea (the Aussies having continued especially because he was on 98), and after Hughes and Border swung at the last five balls of it, the declaration came.
Rodney Hogg removed Mohsin for a duck, probably meaning in his mind that the game was right there for the taking. He also removed Abbas cheaply, but Majid and Miandad stuck around long enough to ensure Australia didn't have a chance - Majid, while he was bowled late by Dymock, even hit a quick 50. While he missed a 200+100 by eight total runs, Yallop saved himself from being discarded and was awarded Man of the Match.
Something I'm shamelessly borrowing is the Bradman Medal. You may know it as the Barrington Medal for Aislabie's England save; it works the same way here. This will usually be here; unfortunately for Graham Yallop, because this series is after a non-save series in the same summer, I won't be awarding one for it.
Australia Rick Darling Andrew Hilditch Graeme Yallop Allan Border Kim Hughes Jeff Moss Kevin Wright Geoff Dymock Rodney Hogg Alan Hurst Jim Higgs
Pakistan Majid Khan Mudassar Nazar Zaheer Abbas Javed Miandad Asif Iqbal Mushtaq Mohammad Wasim Raja Imran Khan Sarfraz Nawaz Wasim Bari Sikander Bakht
After their brilliant showing with the bat, Australia are confident - indeed, the only change I made to the team sheet is to indicate Jeff Moss isn't debuting anymore. Pakistan make one change, one they made IRL - Mudassar in for Mohsin.
Yallop, still potentially not leading the next series, lost the toss to Mushtaq and Australia had to bowl first. The Pakistani openers added 55 before Majid was trapped by a Dymock inswinger. Zaheer attacked from #3, but got too aggressive to Border, slicing him to Higgs at long on. Miandad struggled to 24 before popping out to short leg, then Higgs got a second wicket as Asif edged to slip. On the stroke of tea, Higgs got a third and a huge wicket in the context of the game - Mushtaq slicing the ball back to him. Dymock got rid of Wasim Raja after tea with the second consecutive caught and bowled, then one ball later, Hurst removed Nazar LBW for a great 91. He didn't really get the help he needed though, but the tail added almost 100 more between Imran, Sarfraz and Bari. 288 didn't seem adequate though.
Rick Darling was almost run out as per his wont, then added 42 for the opening wicket with Hilditch before the latter was LBW by Mushtaq. Darling edged Khan (I) to Khan (M) for 21, but Border and Yallop stabilised the innings. Yallop made his third straight fifty but then sliced a drive to Sarfraz at mid on. Border soldiered on with Kim Hughes but then nicked one off Imran for 92. Hughes now took the opportunity, surviving a drop off Raja on 65 but then being bowled for 76. His dismissal saw a collapse of 6/42, including 4/9. A few lusty blows from Alan Hurst got Australia to 379, a 91-run lead.
Rodney Hogg had one over to bowl in Day 3 and he made full use of it, removing Majid with his first ball. Wright spilled Mudassar, who would have been his second catch of the innings, at the start of Day 4. Mudassar and Zaheer added 87 before the latter edged Hurst to slip, then Miandad and Mudassar took off. They added 167 before Miandad nicked Hogg to slip, then the next over, Hurst bowled Nazar for 144. Iqbal was dismissed with three balls left before the second new ball, which caused some wickets to fall. Dymock bowled Mushtaq, Hogg pinned Raja in front, then Sarfraz flicked Hogg to short fine leg. Alan Hurst cleaned up the tail on the fifth morning, leaving Australia 250 to win.
Hilditch and Darling showed controlled aggression in adding 81 before the former missed one from Mushtaq and was LBW. Rick Darling became the third Aussie to be out in the 90s this series, after being LBW to Imran, but he'd put Australia well onto the victory path. Until the middle order almost blew it - Yallop, Border, Hughes and Wright all fell in the last 10 runs of the chase. Alan Hurst was given Man Of The Match.
Australia Rick Darling Andrew Hilditch Graeme Yallop Allan Border Kim Hughes Jeff Moss Kevin Wright Peter Sleep Geoff Dymock Rodney Hogg Alan Hurst
Pakistan Majid Khan Mudassar Nazar Zaheer Abbas Javed Miandad Asif Iqbal Haroon Rasheed Mushtaq Mohammad Imran Khan Sarfraz Nawaz Wasim Bari Abdul Qadir
Australia make one change, with the struggling spinner Higgs dropped for Peter Sleep on debut. As for Pakistan, they get rid of the useless Bakht and struggling Raja for Haroon Rasheed and Abdul Qadir (who should have started from the beginning of the tour tbh).
Yallop lost another toss and Australia bowled first again. Neither opening bowler got the breakthrough, but Dymock did immediately, getting Majid LBW. Hogg got Zaheer shortly before lunch, which led to another Miandad/Mudassar domination partnership. 118 was added before Border ruined a Richie Benaud wet dream by bowling Mudassar for 115 with the score on 2/222. Hogg immediately removed Iqbal, then on the other side of tea, Hurst got Miandad LBW for 85. The big Victorian also got Rasheed caught behind for 7, then Peter Sleep got Mushtaq for his first Test wicket. Sleep also got Imran for 39, then Sarfraz exploded - as Australia attacked, he hit a brilliant counter-attacking ton off 90 balls. Australia's failure to clean up the tail cost them over 200 runs.
Australia lost two wickets early - both Darling and the vital Yallop nicked to slip. Hilditch and Border got themselves in, but just as Hilditch did, he nicked one to slip. Hughes got a duck, leaving Australia in a hole at 4/54. Allan Border and Jeff Moss then added 181, in a critical stand for Australia's hopes given rain was predicted on Day 5. Moss eventually got caught at short leg off Imran when one reared up at him for 65. Border got Australia past the follow-on mark and immediately nicked one off Mushtaq; his 162, though, was thoroughly invaluable and announced himself as a star. Thanks to Geoff Dymock being dropped at slip, the tail hung around for long enough that Kevin Wright got his second Test fifty, which he turned into a high score of 64. Even with Abdul Qadir available, Mushtaq took four wickets.
Pakistan's openers survived the 12 overs before stumps on Day 3, but they shouldn't have survived the first over of Day 4 - the catch offered by Mudassar to slip was spilled. Hurst got quick revenge though, unlike in the WACA - four overs later, he nicked him off to the keeper. Hogg also got Miandad the same way in his next over, and Hurst finished an ironman spell by also getting Zaheer and pinning Rasheed LBW in consecutive balls. Mushtaq departed for a consecutive golden duck by, as so many others did, edging to slip - this time off Dymock - leaving Pakistan 6/97. Imran and Asif got some cheap runs off Peter Sleep, but the former was then dismissed LBW by Dymock. The Queenslander did the same to Nawaz, while after a slight wag from Wasim Bari, he drove Sleep to cover. Hurst almost picked up his hattrick - Asif flashed at the hat-trick ball but missed - then Sleep got a simple caught-and-bowled chance from Asif to end the innings with Australia needing 319.
Both an opener and Yallop should have been out early. Hilditch was, edging to Bari off Imran, while Sarfraz then dropped the captain in his follow-through. Khan retailated by getting Darling LBW just before tea. Yallop and Border stabilised, but the latter was strangled down the leg side by Mushtaq, and Kim Hughes completed his pair with an 11-ball clanger. Just as Border and Moss looked good to get Australia through with no further loss, the former slipped while playing a forward defense, and was stumped. Mushtaq also removed Kevin Wright with the final ball of play on Day 4.
Australia were now praying for rain on Day 5... and they got some. 53 minutes were missed in the opening session, but Moss missed the fifth ball of the day and was bowled by Mushtaq. Sleep and Dymock finally showed fight. They survived 20 overs together until Dymock nicked two in a row off Imran - Bari could only hold onto the second. Hurst and Hogg survived 22 and 5 balls respectively, but couldn't cope with the spin of Mushtaq, and despite a brave knock from Sleep, Australia couldn't survive to tea - which it turned out was all that would have been required.
As they did IRL, Australia draw this series 1-1. Yallop and Border starred, but the rest of the team is clearly waiting for the World Series guys to return.
in , 1979
Tests: 19 September (Chennai), 2 October (Bengaluru), 13 October (Delhi), 26 October (Kolkata), 3 November (Mumbai)
Squad: Graham Yallop Allan Border Andrew Hilditch Kim Hughes Jeff Moss Peter Toohey Graeme Wood
Phil Carlson John Inverarity Peter Sleep Dav Whatmore Bruce Yardley
Kevin Wright
Wayne Clark Geoff Dymock Rodney Hogg Alan Hurst
Jim Higgs
The big news for Australia was that opening batsman Rick Darling had been discarded in favour of Graeme Wood. Selectors stated that while the door wasn't closed on future contributions from Darling, his form had made the decision necessary. The other change was one seen from a mile away - the spin of Bruce Yardley returned to the squad for a similar pace equivalent in Trevor Laughlin.
19 September 1979 vs - First Test
MA Chidambaram Stadium
Australia Graeme Wood Andrew Hilditch Graeme Yallop Allan Border Kim Hughes Jeff Moss Kevin Wright Peter Sleep Rodney Hogg Alan Hurst Jim Higgs
India Sunil Gavaskar Chetan Chauhan Gundappa Viswanath Dilip Vengsarkar Yashpal Sharma Yajurvindra Singh Kapil Dev Syed Kirmani Karsan Ghavri S Venkataraghavan Dilip Doshi
There's just two changes to the Australia team from the last Pakistan game - Wood replaces Darling at the top as expected, while Higgs comes in for Geoff Dymock in a condition-forced move. But every player in this side bar for Yallop and Border is playing for his career. India obviously go with the same lineup as the real first match.
Yallop won an important toss and batted. Wood and Hilditch rewarded their captain with a great start; although the latter edged Dev to second slip, the Indian had overstepped, and that was punished as the openers added 117, the first century opening stand of the entire save. Wood was assured and got to 89 before a full bunger from Dev was steered directly to second slip. That was no issue, as Border and Yallop added 120 before AB took on Ghavri and found mid on. Hughes failed, but Yallop then brought up a quality ton. Moss was also out cheaply, LBW Doshi for six, but Kevin Wright then added a very useful 80 with Yallop, including Kirmani spilling a simple chance to remove Yallop off Ghavri for 136. Instead, he got to his second 150 in four games, but Ghavri got revenge, getting him LBW two balls after. The tail added a few more to get the total to a competitive 431.
Chetan Chauhan attacked early but tamely edged to slip in the seventh over off Hurst. Gavaskar and Viswanath got in the next morning, dominating all four main bowlers - but golden arm Border got rid of Gavaskar just before lunch for 53. Vengsarkar got a start but then fended Higgs to short leg, and Yashpal failed. Singh looked all at sea, but survived multiple near misses, while Viswanath blazed his way to 85 - then edged Yardley onto his pad and up to short leg on the stroke of tea. The first ball after it, Yajurvindra ran himself out, but Dev and Kirmani got the Indians past the follow on target. Yardley then removed Dev and Ghavri LBW and Venkat caught behind within three overs. Doshi, caught at slip, completed the five-wicket haul (Australia's first since the Ashes in any cricket) and gave Australia a lead of 143.
On Day 4, Wood was off to a flier while Hilditch struggled before nicking Ghavri to slip. Wood and Yallop stabilised for a session before Venkataraghavan trapped Wood LBW one short of a second 50. Border foolishly ran himself out, and Yallop holed out to Dev at backward square leg for 61. The next four batsmen were out cheaply on day 5 searching for quick runs, and after Hurst and Hogg added a few, Australia set India 354 in two and three quarter sessions to win.
Rodney Hogg had his tail up to try and win the game, and sent a thunderbolt straight through Gavaskar in the second over. Chauhan and Viswanath saw off the quicks, then hit 30 off three overs of spin - until Yardley got Chauhan to nick one from the fourth. Roo then also dismissed Viswanath LBW just after lunch, while golden arm Border saw Vengsarkar glove to leg slip and trapped Yajurvindra LBW in the same over. When Dev was dismissed for a golden duck, edging Yardley to slip, India had lost four for one and seemingly ruined their chances. Sharma and Kirmani gritted out a 60-run stand to try and save the game, but Higgs induced an edge from the keeper fifteen minutes before tea. But it wasn't going to be that easy. Sharma was entrenched. Ghavri faced 28 balls, then was caught in close. Venkat survived 39 before edging Yardley, giving the comeback spinner his 10th wicket of the game. And Doshi got stuck in too. The new ball was taken with four overs to go. The first over was a maiden, as the dangerous Hogg bowled at Sharma. At the other end, Doshi blocked out an over of Hurst. Sharma still couldn't be moved, which meant one final over for the win.
1. A wild bouncer that was lucky not to be a wide (although maybe the wide would have benefited the Aussies?). Easily navigated by Doshi.
2. Also just outside the headline. Doshi ducks out of the way. Not how to win it
3. Fourth stump line, Doshi plays all around it but it's just wide enough to miss
4. A little wider, but similarly poorly played.
5. Inswinging yorker... A HUGE SHOUT! Is it swinging down... UMPIRE SAYS NO! DOSHI IS FINALLY OUT AND OFF THE SECOND LAST BALL OF THE GAME, AUSTRALIA WIN IT!
1. Graham Yallop 5 (+5)
2. Bruce Yardley 3 (+3)
3. Graeme Wood 2 (+2)
4. Allan Border 1 (+1)
2 October 1979 vs - Second Test
M Chinnaswamy Stadium
Australia Graeme Wood Andrew Hilditch Graeme Yallop Allan Border Kim Hughes Jeff Moss Kevin Wright Peter Sleep Rodney Hogg Alan Hurst Jim Higgs
India Sunil Gavaskar Chetan Chauhan Gundappa Viswanath Dilip Vengsarkar Yashpal Sharma Yajurvindra Singh Kapil Dev Syed Kirmani Karsan Ghavri S Venkataraghavan Dilip Doshi
Both teams went into the second Test of the series unchanged, although there was said to be a few insecure spots in both sides. In Australia, both Hughes and Higgs could find their way out again with bad performances.
Yallop once again won the toss and batted. Graeme Wood lasted until the 20th ball of the game, when he edged Dev through to the keeper. Yallop and Hilditch then added 90 before Ghavri broke through, getting Hilditch LBW with one that straightened up. Border contributed a quick 46 but was similarly trapped by Doshi, while a desperate Hughes then almost ran out his captain to get off the mark. But Yallop went on to notch up - yep - another century, while Hughes survived the day and ended up out thirty minutes into Day 2 for 39. Maybe his career hung in the balance of the second innings... Doshi then removed Yallop for 130, leaving Australia in a slight bit of bother. Moss failed, but the tail stood up, allowing Kevin Wright to biff his way to 49. Australia thusly ended up with a competitive total of 350.
India started brilliantly, as Gavaskar and Chauhan put on 122 in under 30 overs to start the innings. Higgs eventually got the breakthrough - a flighted-up wrong-un was missed by Gavaskar, trapping him LBW - and when Hogg, reintroduced to the attack to target new man Viswanath, ended up bowling Chauhan instead, Australia were right back into it. But Viswanath and Dilip Vengsarkar saw out the day, and looked set to strike on Day 3. Instead, Higgs struck, bowling Viswanath off the third ball of the day. Hurst got Sharma just as he was getting set, but Yajurvindra was more resolute, and a partnership was built. Eventually, the youngster in just his sixth Test was caught at leg slip off Higgs for 76, but with only half the side out, India already led at this point. Dev hit his first ball for six and his second straight to the keeper, and Allan Border, bowling solely to rest the quicks before tea, trapped Vengsarkar LBW for a lovely 134. Higgs and Hogg cleaned up the tail, but Kirmani added 55 with them to take the score to 458 and the lead to 108.
Graeme Wood suffered a blow to the hand off Ghavri early and was unable to return. Australia didn't lose anyone else in the run to stumps, but 20 minutes into Day 4, Yallop departed, LBW Doshi for 21. Hilditch was out one run later, Border followed shortly for 2, and suddenly Australia were looking at a innings loss. Hughes and Moss avoided that, but Hughes might not have saved himself when he was out for 31 just after gaining the lead. Ghavri bowled Moss around his legs for 34, and the tail collapsed, setting India 61 to win.
That was obviously chased easily by India, but the quicks did at least show their mettle - Hogg fired out Chauhan and Viswanath in a fiery spell and Hurst got one to bounce high and caught a return leading edge from Gavaskar. That left Australia with some big selection questions - especially around the batting. One change in that regard was already certain; Wood was ruled out of the series with a broken index finger. Rick Darling rejoined the squad, although it seemed more likely that Dav Whatmore would debut or Graham Yallop would move up.
1. Graham Yallop 8 (+3)
2. Bruce Yardley 3
3. Graeme Wood 2
3. Rodney Hogg 2 (+2)
4. Allan Border 1
4. Jim Higgs 1 (+1)
13 October 1979 vs - Third Test
Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium
Australia Dav Whatmore Andrew Hilditch Graeme Yallop Allan Border Kim Hughes Peter Toohey Kevin Wright Bruce Yardley Geoff Dymock Alan Hurst Jim Higgs
India Sunil Gavaskar Chetan Chauhan Gundappa Viswanath Dilip Vengsarkar Yashpal Sharma Yajurvindra Singh Kapil Dev Syed Kirmani Karsan Ghavri S Venkataraghavan Dilip Doshi
India remain unchanged, but Australia changed a lot of their team. Graeme Wood came out enforcedly, with Dav Whatmore receiving his baggy green in replacement. Geoff Dymock is in for the wild Rodney Hogg, while Peter Toohey does return - but for Jeff Moss, who had unusually low stamina came down with Delhi Belly just before the game.
Australia lost the toss and, on a pitch likely to favour ball over bat throughout, were forced to bat last. India's openers responded by putting on 100 in an even 50/50 split before, with an over to go until lunch, Gavaskar nicked Higgs to the keeper. Viswanath survived an hour without ever really getting set, and Vengsarkar similarly lasted 34 balls without really doing anything before Dymock had him LBW. The big breakthrough came though for Hurst, who yorked Chauhan for 81. Yashpal Sharma looked good, but a sharp catch by Border at silly point dealt with him and gave Higgs a second wicket. He should have had 3 but Yajurvindra was dropped at short leg. Dev hit a quickfire 44 but was bowled by Dymock with the second new ball, but Kirmani stuck around with Yajurvindra, and added 49 of his own. Higgs wiped up the tail and Whatmore finished the innings with his first Test wicket, but India had fought back to 381.
Whatmore was out cheaply in the first innings, edging Ghavri behind for seven. Hilditch started promisingly, but just before his 50, Doshi knocked him over LBW. Border and Yallop got settled, and then another stupid dismissal occurred - Border ran himself out for 26. Yallop nicked off two overs into Day 3, Peter Toohey failed, and Hughes, after taking us past the follow-on number, launched himself at a topspinner and was roundly beaten. The tail did at least wag slightly, so Australia crawled to 250, 131 behind.
A positive start was necessary for the Aussies, and while Hurst got Chauhan early, the next pair settled in. Yardley eventually bowled Gavaskar, but when he did, he immediately removed Vengsarkar caught at leg slip. The hat-trick ball was fended off, and normal service was resumed as Yashpal supported the rampaging Viswanath. Eventually, Viswanath nicked to Whatmore at slip, giving Higgs the big wicket for 131. Yardley got Sharma in the same fashion the next ball, and suddenly the Aussies had a slight chance. Dev failed, giving Yardley his fourth wicket, and then Yajurvindra gave him his fifth. Ghavri gave the tail a bit of a wag, but Hurst finished it off with two consecutive wickets.
Whatmore failed again. What was worse was that Yallop nicked to slip for one, leaving the Aussies 2/31 chasing 464. Border and Hilditch survived a session but then Border was bowled by Doshi. The rest of the day was negotiated, leaving seven wickets to survive one day. Four overs in, that was four, as Hilditch's 155 ball slog was over. Toohey failed, and Wright survived for an hour but then departed with lunch in sight. Hughes and Dymock set to work after lunch, and actually did a sterling job. They survived 90 min (helped by Hughes being dropped twice), but the dismissal of Dymock with 30 minutes until tea seemed to be a death-knell. Venkat got Hurst just before tea, and try as Kim Hughes might (and he has surely saved his Test career with this 53*), Jim Higgs wasn't surviving a session.
1. Graham Yallop 8
2. Bruce Yardley 6 (+3)
3. Graeme Wood 2
3. Rodney Hogg 2
3. Alan Hurst 2 (+2)
4. Allan Border 1
4. Jim Higgs 1
4. Kim Hughes 1 (+1)
Australia Dav Whatmore Andrew Hilditch Graeme Yallop Allan Border Kim Hughes Peter Toohey Kevin Wright Peter Sleep Bruce Yardley Geoff Dymock Alan Hurst
India Sunil Gavaskar Chetan Chauhan Gundappa Viswanath Dilip Vengsarkar Yashpal Sharma Yajurvindra Singh Syed Kirmani Kapil Dev Karsan Ghavri S Venkataraghavan Dilip Doshi
Australia made one change; despite a six wicket haul last game, the loose and expensive Jim Higgs comes out for Peter Sleep. This is major for Sleep, as with Ray Bright, Kerry O'Keefe and Ashley Mallett available for selection after this series, he has to seize the opportunity. India are unchanged, but promote the on-fire Kirmani over Kapil Dev in the batting order.
Yallop won the toss, and for the fourth time of four this series, the winning captain batted first. Whatmore failed, and Hilditch thrashed around for 70 balls before being bowled by Doshi. Border also made a duck, leaving Australia 3/56 at lunch. Yallop played a lovely knock of 61, but departed halfway through the afternoon session to a very good return catch from Dev. Hughes departed in similar fashion, and of the six remaining Australians, only the undefeated Sleep passed 10. 158 was thoroughly inadequate and suggested reinforcement from the WSC players was needed soon.
India passed 158 with all ten wickets in hand. Chetan Chauhan departed immediately after, edging Dymock to slip, and the Queenslander also bowled Viswanath in his next over. Hurst burst one through Vengsarkar with ten overs until the new ball, but by that time, Sunny Gavaskar was already well into three figures. But no more wickets fell on Day 2. Gavaskar, however, fell 15 short of a double ton on Day 2, albeit having made 27 more than the entirety of the Australian team. Yajurvindra had a nice attacking cameo that ended when he got a leading edge off Hurst, and Kirmani should have immediately followed, but Whatmore spilled the catch in the slips. Yashpal eventually edged Wright behind for a brilliant 138, and Yardley, after 35 poor overs, had two in three balls when Kapil padded up to one. India declared at lunch.
Whatmore almost edged one for a pair, but ended up making an enterprising 35 before Doshi bowled him. Critically, Doshi also sent back Yallop in the same over; one reared up off a crack and took the edge on the way to Yajurvindra at slip. From there, it looked like an innings+100 run loss was imminent, but in fact, the next wicket only fell after Australia were under 100 in arrears, as Border and Hilditch put together a great partnership. Hilditch ended up making 109, a critical innings for his Test future, and despite first almost being burned by Kim Hughes and then going to lunch on 99, Border made his ton too. Hughes survived 78 balls before being bowled by Doshi (the third victim of that exact dismissal this innings), and Peter Toohey made a quickfire 25 that gave Australia the lead before being bowled too - although this time by Kapil Dev. Border became Doshi's fifth wicket after tea, although only after a brilliant and career-high 151. Wright and Sleep got the lead to 80 before the latter was bowled by Ghavri (the sixth Aussie to be bowled of seven wickets). A few lusty blows from the tail had the lead at exactly 100 when Kevin Wright was bowled off the first delivery of Day 5.
Australia gave it all to win, setting some very aggressive fields. Dymock got rid of Gavaskar in the final over of his spell, although India were 40% at their target by then. Sleep got Viswanath for cheap, edging to slip, but Chauhan and Vengsarkar got the job done from there.
1. Graham Yallop 8
2. Bruce Yardley 6
3. Allan Border 4 (+3)
4. Alan Hurst 3 (+1)
5. Graeme Wood 2
5. Rodney Hogg 2
5. Andrew Hilditch 2 (+2)
6. Jim Higgs 1
6. Kim Hughes 1
Shite, I deleted the review by accident... Here's a summary.
3 November 1979 vs - Fifth Test
Wankhede Stadium
Australia John Inverarity Andrew Hilditch Graeme Yallop Allan Border Kim Hughes Phil Carlson Kevin Wright Peter Sleep Bruce Yardley Wayne Clark Alan Hurst
With the series lost, Australia looked to evaluate Clark, Carlson and Inverarity, none of whom had played yet for Australia since I took over. Toohey, Whatmore and Dymock found their way out of the side. India, meanwhile, swapped unpronounceable spinners, with Chandrasekhar taking over for Venkataraghavan.
Hilditch failed unfortunately (a blinding catch at gully did him in), and Yallop also didn't succeed. Border teamed well with Inverarity and Hughes, but both of them got out immediately after breaks (lunch and tea respectively) and Carlson failed. Border by then had his ton, though, and he got plenty of help from the tail as Wright, Sleep and Clark all faced 50+ balls. That meant, despite a all-LBW five for for Chandrasekhar, Border finished up on 173, easily his best innings in his fledgling career, and Australia had 324 entirely because of him.
India's reply was a story of two innings; Gavaskar played well with a mostly unstable top order (of the other five main batsmen, only Viswanath passed 13) to score 135, and then Kirmani teamed with Dev and Ghavri to score a quickfire 91 of his own. Both were picked off by the surprisingly effective Carlson, but as a result of their efforts, India lead by 56 at the halfway point in the game.
This is where I lost my progress, so it gets more detailed from here
Hilditch struggled through 65 balls before being caught at leg slip, and Yallop was out for one to finish a tough two-Test finish to the series for him. Inverarity and Border restored parity and got Australia through to stumps, but 40 minutes into Day 4, Border was given a bad LBW decision - a full ball that might have pitched outside leg stump was judged out. Inverarity fell just short of a 50 that he richly deserved. Carlson and Hughes played decently together, but Carlson was bowled just after lunch for 34. Hughes then was dropped at slip, but Wright at the other end was dismissed for a golden duck, then Hughes was out LBW for 38. Yardley was out cheaply, and the tail caved in on itself. Australia had just 108 to play with in the fourth innings.
Just as they had done in Kolkata, Australia attacked in vain hope. But unlike there, Hurst and Clark were wayward, and even when Carlson came on and immediately created a chance, it was spilled by Wright, likely playing his last Test. India reached their target with little issue, with Chauhan hitting 87 off 73.
1. Graham Yallop 8
3. Allan Border 7 (+3)
3. Bruce Yardley 6
4. Alan Hurst 3
5. Graeme Wood 2
5. Rodney Hogg 2
5. Andrew Hilditch 2
5. Phil Carlson 2 (+2)
6. Jim Higgs 1
6. Kim Hughes 1
6. John Inverarity 1 (+1)
Despite a strong end to the series for Allan Border, and a weak one for Graham Yallop, he did enough early to secure the first Bradman Medal!
in , 1979-80
Tests: 1 Dec 1979 (Gabba), 14 Dec 1979 (WACA), 29 Dec 1979 (MCG)
Greg Chappell Allan Border Ian Chappell David Hookes Rick McCosker Jeff Moss Graeme Wood Graham Yallop
Rod Marsh
Phil Carlson Bruce Yardley
Geoff Dymock Rodney Hogg Alan Hurst Dennis Lillee Len Pascoe Jeff Thomson
Ashley Mallett
For reasons I cannot understand, Australia played two series intermittently in 1979-80, varying between England and WI for each match. I can't sim that on Cricket Captain, so we're going to just play WI first, then England.
The squad is remarkably different. Only nine of the 18 players from India survive, and of those, only Yallop and Border are likely to start. The omission of Yardley is probable given Ashley Mallett has had an incredible Shield season since returning, while with a stacked pace lineup and Geoff Lawson and Max Walker still at home, Hogg is lucky to survive. Higgs, Hughes, Hilditch, Sleep, Wright and Dymock are among other priorly important players dropped, although all bar the awful Sleep have chances to return. Also omitted from this series are IRL selections Peter Toohey, Bruce Laird and Julien Wiener, as well as prolific domestics John Scholes and Trevor Chappell.
WI squad: F Bacchus, C Croft, J Garner, L Gomes, G Greenidge, D Haynes, V Holder, M Holding, A Kallicharran, C King, C Lloyd, M Marshall, D Murray, D Parry, T Payne, V Richards, A Roberts, L Rowe
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