How can you claim this is all "counterfactual"?
And then you just wildly guess that if NZ batted first, they would have been bundled out for 150! The only way that would have happened is if it were too much of a shock batting on Oz soil without any warm-up match. (There should never be no warm-up matches for Test series that count towards the WTC. If the boards won't see to that, the ICC should force it upon them.)
It also sounds like you have promoted Marnus to an "all-time great". That was very quick, for someone who was parachuted into the Ashes with a first-class average of 38 and a bit.
Aussies v. Black Caps - 3 Tests.
And just an update on NZ - in 6 goes, they made it past 200 twice. They managed combined totals of 337, 388 and 392 across both innings of each Test. In Australia's 3 first innings, they made 416, 467 and 454. In the Third Test, Australia made a total of 671 for the loss of just 12 wickets. NZ were never in the hunt.
They were slightly better in the final Test as a consequence of the forced absence of Williamson but despite the upgrade to Raval (they passed 200 for the only time in a NZ first innings in this Test - their first innings were 166, 148 and an almost competent 256), they still couldn't post a genuinely competitive total.
They were slightly better in the final Test as a consequence of the forced absence of Williamson but despite the upgrade to Raval (they passed 200 for the only time in a NZ first innings in this Test - their first innings were 166, 148 and an almost competent 256), they still couldn't post a genuinely competitive total.
cricket.com.au's best 6 deliveries of the summer:
https://www.cricket.com.au/video/best-d ... 2020-01-07
Do you agree with their choices?
Some woeful defence there. e.g. Wade was criticised for leaving the ball that bowled him without even covering the stumps.
Boult's ball was good, maybe wasted on Burns.
https://www.cricket.com.au/video/best-d ... 2020-01-07
Do you agree with their choices?
Some woeful defence there. e.g. Wade was criticised for leaving the ball that bowled him without even covering the stumps.
Boult's ball was good, maybe wasted on Burns.