Best Spinner to tour Australia in the last 80 years?

[DrWolverine]

Since 1945

 

[Johan]

Hugh Tayfield in my opinion, a spinner taking 30 wickets in Australia is insane, and he was bowling to a strong batting lineup too with Harvey going nuts.

Followed by Lance Gibbs, Derek Underwood and Anil Kumble.

 

[DrWolverine]

 

[DrWolverine]

Hugh Tayfield in my opinion, a spinner taking 30 wickets in Australia is insane, and he was bowling to a strong batting lineup too with Harvey going nuts.

I felt that way too.
Then I realised it was just one series.

 

[Johan]

I felt that way too.
Then I realised it was just one series.

Yeah it's the series where Harvey made 800+ runs, Tayfield carried South Africa to a draw.

 

[DrWolverine]

Top 3 contenders

Tayfield
1952 : 5 Tests. 30 wickets @ 28

Gibbs
1960 : 3 Tests. 19 wickets @ 20.
1968 : 5 Tests. 24 wickets @ 38.
1974 : 6 Tests. 14 wickets @ 40.

Kumble
1999 : 3 Tests. 5 wickets @ 90.
2003 : 3 Tests. 24 wickets @ 29.
2008 : 4 Tests. 20 wickets @ 34.

 

[Coronis]

Top 3 contenders

Tayfield
1952 : 5 Tests. 30 wickets @ 2

Gibbs
1960 : 3 Tests. 19 wickets @ 20.
1968 : 5 Tests. 24 wickets @ 38.
1974 : 6 Tests. 14 wickets @ 40.

Kumble
1999 : 3 Tests. 5 wickets @ 90.
2003 : 3 Tests. 24 wickets @ 29.
2008 : 4 Tests. 20 wickets @ 34.

Looks like the way to go

 

[DrWolverine]

Edited

 

[subshakerz]

Best tour by any spinner was Mushtaq Ahmed in 1995.

 

[capt_Luffy]

Hugh Tayfield in my opinion, a spinner taking 30 wickets in Australia is insane, and he was bowling to a strong batting lineup too with Harvey going nuts.

Followed by Lance Gibbs, Derek Underwood and Anil Kumble.

24 in 3 Tests>30 in 5; also on flatter tracks against better batsmen.

 

[subshakerz]

24 in 3 Tests>30 in 5; also on flatter tracks against better batsmen.

Mushtaq is 18 in 2 tests @21 against the world's best team in 95.

 

[capt_Luffy]

Mushtaq is 18 in 2 tests @21 against the world's best team in 95.

Still think Kumble played better batsmen in significantly flatter tracks and much worse support, but that's kinda reflected on their averages as well.

 

[subshakerz]

Still think Kumble played better batsmen in significantly flatter tracks and much worse support, but that's kinda reflected on their averages as well.

Australia had Taylor, Slate, Boon and the Waugh bros. And Mushtaq actually won them the game in Sydney and was more impactful.

Easily the best series by a foreign spinner.

 

[Gob]

Murali

 

[capt_Luffy]

Australia had Taylor, Slate, Boon and the Waugh bros. And Mushtaq actually won them the game in Sydney and was more impactful.

Easily the best series by a foreign spinner.

Hayden, Langer, Ponting, Steve Waugh, Gilchrist, Martin, Katich. The 95 batting was Great, but 2003 was just an upgrade overall. Also the pitches were mind bogglingly flatter.

Mushtaq winning a game if fair, but it was a dead rubber. Kumble was absolutely crucial in the Series draw.

 

[DrWolverine]

Anil Kumble’s 2003 series is the best performance by a spinner in Australia in my opinion.



To help draw an away series against the mighty Australians that had Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer, Ricky Ponting, Adam Gilchrist & Steve Waugh is a phenomenal achievement considering we did not win a single Test match there in the last 20 years.

 

[subshakerz]

Hayden, Langer, Ponting, Steve Waugh, Gilchrist, Martin, Katich. The 95 batting was Great, but 2003 was just an upgrade overall. Also the pitches were mind bogglingly flatter.

Mushtaq winning a game if fair, but it was a dead rubber. Kumble was absolutely crucial in the Series draw.

Many of Kumbles hauls were just high scoring wicket bags that didn't affect the result. Except Sydney.

I mean how many spinners have actually won a game though in Australia?

Mushtaq took two relatively cheap 9fers in consecutive tests against a no.1 team.

 

[subshakerz]

Anil Kumble’s 2003 series is the best performance by a spinner in Australia in my opinion.

View attachment 47444

To help draw an away series against the mighty Australians that had Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer, Ricky Ponting, Adam Gilchrist & Steve Waugh is a phenomenal achievement considering we did not win a single Test match there in the last 20 years.

Kumble didn't win the game in Adelaide that was Agarkar.

 

[DrWolverine]

That’s why I said he helped us draw the series

 

[subshakerz]

That’s why I said he helped us draw the series

I don't really rate those performances in the first two tests as high as the 3rd test.

Just to point out, Danesh Kaneria took a 5fer and a 7fer in Aus the next season similar to these.