What year was the modern Australian Test team's peak?

[LongHopCassidy]

A bit curious about this. Their dominance was shown by marquee victories every couple years or so. Most interesting would be what people thought the team was at its peak performance, considering it was impossible to compare separate-but-similar teams on a mostly identical win record.

The only real variables seem to be the third seamer (Lee, Kasper, Bichel, Funky, Clark) and the no. 6 batsman (Martyn, Katich, Clarke, Lehmann, Love, Hussey, Symonds) with the occasional Magilla thrown in.

 

[Red]

Whenever this team played together....

Langer
Hayden
Ponting
M.Waugh
S.Waugh
Martyn
Gilchrist
Warne
Lee
Gillespie
McGrath

More than happy with Kaspa over Lee. I assume they took the field at some point

 

[Red]

Greatest team apart from Bradman's invincibles to ever take the field imo

 

[Top_Cat]

Pretty sure it was this game. Absolutely fustigated a Saffer team which didn't deserve to be fustigated.

1st Test: South Africa v Australia at Johannesburg, Feb 22-24, 2002 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo

 

[Red]

Gawd, McGrath was amazing.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Pretty sure it was this game. Absolutely fustigated a Saffer team which didn't deserve to be fustigated.

1st Test: South Africa v Australia at Johannesburg, Feb 22-24, 2002 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo

Definitely this.

Gawd, McGrath was amazing.

Nah, he just cleaned up the tail. That was Gilchrist's match through and through

 

[Red]

Nah, he just cleaned up the rail. That was Gilchrist's match through and through

Meant overall. He was unreal. "Cleaning up the tail" is a vital part of winning tests btw. And getting Kallis is generally a big wicket.

They would've still won by an inning and 100 runs without Gilly's contribution (technically).

 

[OverratedSanity]

Meant overall. He was unreal. "Cleaning up the tail" is a vital part of winning tests btw. And getting Kallis is generally a big wicket.

They would've still won by an inning and 100 runs without Gilly's contribution (technically).

Could just as easily say McGrath only took that 5 fer when SA were already 500 behind in their second innings.

I kid, though... that match just typified the greatness of that team. Great start from the openers and even though SA got back into the game, they still had Gilchrist to deal with. When he walked in, Australia were 293-5. Good position, but hardly dominant. The number of times he turned a good position into an utterly unbeatable one and demoralised the opposition was amazing.

 

[Garson007]

Pretty sure it was this game. Absolutely fustigated a Saffer team which didn't deserve to be fustigated.

1st Test: South Africa v Australia at Johannesburg, Feb 22-24, 2002 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo

Bleached from memory so well I don't even remember.

 

[benchmark00]

That was the match where Gilchrist hit a sign to win a car or something wasn't it? Or at least he almost did. Something like that.

 

[Riggins]

My memory says the sign was sponsored by a gold company and he got a dickload of gold if he hit it. Went straight over the top out of the ground.

 

[OverratedSanity]

That was the match where Gilchrist hit a sign to win a car or something wasn't it? Or at least he almost did. Something like that.

Would've got a couple of grand if he had. Missed it by a couple of feet. Hit it too well

 

[Riggins]

"The rockbottom for the helpless South African bowlers comes when he decides to go for an advertising hoarding offering a bar of gold, worth 1.3 million rand, for a direct hit. The billboard is 30 feet in the air, and well behind the deep mid-wicket boundary. But Gilchrist aims to hit Neil McKenzie goldwards, jumping up and down as the ball makes it way towards the hoarding. He misses by a couple of feet, but enough damage has been done by then as that shot takes him to 175."

 

[Jono]

Can't be 2004/05 because Ponting didn't play the first 3 tests I guess.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

That was the match where Gilchrist hit a sign to win a car or something wasn't it? Or at least he almost did. Something like that.

Was actually the fastest ever (balls faced) double ton, but record only lasted a few weeks before Nathan Astle's 222. Crazy as it is Sehwag has since scored THREE 200s that were faster than Gilly's effort

I know it was the start of the era as No 1 - but still reckon this deserves a nomination:

4th and final test to beat Windies after getting thrashed in the previous test:

4th Test: West Indies v Australia at Kingston, Apr 29-May 3, 1995 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo

(perhaps the Waugh's finest moment?) - the technique, courage and patience to overcome Curtley Ambrose - something else

 

[Spikey]

Can't be 2004/05 because Ponting didn't play the first 3 tests I guess.

sure it can

 

[GIMH]

Would have to be 2005. Pushed England all the way until the final day of the series. If that's not greatness then I don't know what is