5 batsmen who failed to deliver in Australia in Test cricket
Australia boasts some of the most intimidating cricket venues, including the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG)Australia, as a cricketing nation, holds as much historical significance as the game’s founders, England. Home to several legends of the game including the much-revered Sir Don Bradman, Australia has always prided itself for carrying forward the legacy for centuries. It is fair to say that from the late 90s till the 2007 World Cup, Australia enjoyed absolute monopoly, having redefined world dominance by soaring higher than all other teams and establishing their authority firmly over the sport.The Baggy Greens of the 2000s induced fear in the hearts of their competitors, especially at their own backyard. Apart from a supremely talented and successful batting order, Australia boasted of names like Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Jason Gillespie and Brett Lee – Each being a match-winner in his own right, their combined attack was almost always more than adequate to tear apart every line-up that dared to offer resistance.The grounds offered no respite to the visitors either. Granted Adelaide and Sydney have recorded the highest runs and the most number of drawn games, but they still aren’t the batsman’s paradise that they are often made out to be. The Melbourne Cricket Ground continues to maintain its tradition of Boxing Day Test while Brisbane offers a highly vociferous crowd in addition to a fast and bouncy track.The WACA, Perth however has been the most notorious with its fast pitch and an afternoon sea-breeze called the ‘Freemantle Doctor’ that blows across the ground offering bowlers a dual option of extra pace and swing.Considering the conditions, it comes as no surprise to find talented cricketers failing to deliver in the ‘Kangaroo Island’. Here we take a look at five reasonably recent and famous batsmen who fell short of cracking the nut Down Under.
#5 Herschelle Gibbs
In order to describe Herschelle Gibbs, one has to explore a number of dictionaries and even then you may not come up with the precise phrase. His heroics in the field are equally matched by his villainous acts outside, yet he remains so nonchalant that Cricinfo described him such: “Gibbs is about as close as cricket has come to producing a punk rocker, a figure who veers too close to self-destruction too often for the likes of those who prefer their cricketers unblemished by the real world.”
While it is a shame that his Test career lasted no more than 12 years, the fact that the right-hander had already played 90 matches by then is a clear testament to his regularity in the team. An overall average of 41.95 for a middle-order batsman is, by no means, indecent although only 14 centuries do spoil the numbers to some extent.
Tours to Australia never bore good tidings for the South African who struggled to settle down against the fearsome bowling. His highest of 94 on the Boxing Day Test in 2005 remains his best attempt in scoring big. A meager tally of 415 runs including only 3 fifties in the remaining 15 innings summarize his unpleasant experiences on those fiery tracks Down Under.
| Innings | Runs | Average | 100s | 50s |
| 16 | 509 | 31.81 | 0 | 4 |