hahaha, no argument from me that VVS comfortably wins this, but for b) don't hold that against Ian Bell, blame Michael Clarke and his #intent ffs.I'll go Laxman cause he was a) better and b) didn't bat us out of the 2013 Ashes with a million dabs down to third man.
I know the captaincy was stupid. Didn't make it less heartbreaking to watch.hahaha, no argument from me that VVS comfortably wins this, but for b) don't hold that against Ian Bell, blame Michael Clarke and his #intent ffs.
Yeah, but the 'if I didn't see it didn't happen' rule applies.I would've thought mohali 2010 more heartbreaking to watch for an Australian.
From an English POV what was really awful about that series was that was when Warne really took to Cook over his captaincy.......and it was brutal if you recall. And yet while that was going on there was barely a whisper about Clarke not cutting off this scoring option for Bell, who milked it for close to 600 runs for the series. It was braindead tbh.I know the captaincy was stupid. Didn't make it less heartbreaking to watch.
He's stunned, he's absolutely stunned! One of the best faces ever made on a cricket field that one.He's also the greatest ever at making the "how did that get me out" face which he'd often pull out even if he'd just missed a straight ball.
Completely agree - although being an arrogant git, I tend to see it more as vindication for arguing with other gits that thought you should drop any batsman that's having a bad run regardless of Test pedigree.My respect for batsmen like Bell from England's previous generation has gone up greatly in recent years.
The most ludicrous thing about the 2013 series was some of the commentators opining that England would win both that series and the subsequent one in Australia 5-0 after Aus horror show at Lord's. Oh, and Aus had just been trashed in India, which obviously dictates what would happen elsewhere. Botham to the fore with that particular line of thought, iirc.In terms of "fairly closely contested series that ended up with a lopsided scoreline", Ashes 2013 = India tour of England 2018.
Why does anyone listen to Botham on cricket? No-one really foresaw how good Johnson was going to be but it should have been clear it would be a tough contest.The most ludicrous thing about the 2013 series was some of the commentators opining that England would win both that series and the subsequent one in Australia 5-0 after Aus horror show at Lord's. Oh, and Aus had just been trashed in India, which obviously dictates what would happen elsewhere. Botham to the fore with that particular line of thought, iirc.