The Best Australian Test XI of the Last Thirty Years

With a new decade beginning and already a tonne of uncertainty, how does a Test XI look with players from the last thirty years?

If I had to select the five greatest test players I’ve seen during my lifetime — and in no particular order — they would be Shane Warne, Ricky Ponting, Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara and Glenn McGrath. A team consisting of those five players would be nigh unstoppable. Last week, or maybe a century ago, I started thinking about who I would select in my lifetime Australian test team. The players that I’ve seen over the past thirty years. It’s an exercise that doesn’t require over-complication or contrarian for contrarian sake. A hallmark of the dominance of the test team for the majority of the 90’s and 00’s was the stability of the team.

The parameters are simple. I went in with the hypothetical situation that this is a team built to compete against the lifetime XI’s of every other test playing nation over the last thirty years. This is not simply a group of individuals thrown into a locker room, this is a team built on chemistry, understanding and familiarity. Additionally, players need to have an identifiable period of sustained peak production, not just sporadic form, over an extended period of time— with some flexibility with the period allowed. Sorry Adam Voges.

Matthew Hayden

Peak Stats: 2001–2006, 76 Matches, 137 Innings, 12 not outs, 7155 runs, 57.24 average, 26 centuries, 25 fifties

Sure, there might be a smidgen of contention by overlooking David Warner, but as explosive and prolific Warner has been he’s not even close to Hayden, who could dominate the middle by his stance alone. It took Hayden a few years to solidify his place in the side, a product of poor timing, selector bias and patchy form in the mid 90’s but he changed all that on the 2001 India tour. Hayden plundered 540 runs on turning, arid wickets. He never looked back. His six year peak statistics are practically unheard of for an opener.

There’s the 02/03 Ashes where on day one of the first test at the ‘Gabba he smacked an unbeaten 193, effectively nullifying any chance England had to gain a foothold in the series. His career is peppered with such powerful and eviscerating performances. He was polished, brutal and yet possessed an intelligence and nuance that regularly kept him on the front foot. A few batsmen these days stand a foot outside their crease that seems foolhardy, but when Hayden began to do it no one was laughing. Having him just that little bit closer made it even more frightening to face him.

Justin Langer

Peak stats: 2000–2005, 67 matches, 118 innings, 8 not outs, 5524 runs, 50.21 average, 17 centuries, 20 fifties

Hayden would credit a lot of his success to his opening partner, Justin Langer, my selection to open the batting with Hayden. These two formed a bond at the top that went beyond batting. It was a true friendship. One that provided the foundation for so much of the test teams dominance. Langer was no slouch either. He was forged in the fires of the early 90’s series against the West Indies and their towering pace attacks, becoming Australia’s preferred batsmen at first drop at the turn of the century before replacing Michael Slater at the top of the order with Hayden during the 2001 Ashes tour. Langer’s six year peak is more of a raised plateau as he had strong years on either side of it.

Hayden and Langer are second only to the legendary West Indian opening pair of Greenidge and Haynes in runs scored for an opening partnership, averaging over fifty. The chemistry between the two was innate, one knowing when the other was getting going or struggling, more often than not grabbing early momentum in a contest. Langer could pile on the runs — hitting 3 double centuries and three scores over 150. I loved his compact and punchy technique, purpose built for the rigours of the long form format and a uniquely fluid counterpoint to Hayden

Ricky Ponting (Vice Captain)

Peak stats: 2001–2006, 63 matches, 109 innings, 19 not outs, 6538 runs, 71.06 average, 25 centuries, 22 fifties

In lieu of words I present to you a supercut of Ponting’s pull shots.

If words are needed then hold on tight. Arguably our second greatest batsmen behind Bradman (though the fellow coming in next might have a thing or two to say about that when his career is over) and one of the most influential players of the last seventy years. Only Sachin Tendulkar has made more runs in test cricket than Ponting. Let that settle in. He’s scored more centuries (41) than any Australian, more double centuries than any Australian (6) other than Bradman. Most hundreds by an Australian in a calendar year (7) and scored more than 1500 runs in a calendar year twice. No one has managed to do that more than once. Oh and his 156 against England at Old Trafford in 2005 may be the greatest innings by an Australian this century.

Ponting coming in at three was one of those traditions that made the summer what it was, it felt like all was right in the world seeing him bound out to the middle at the fall of the first wicket. While the last few years of his career were but a dim light of what came before, Ponting’s peak was all but unparalleled. I’d go so far to say it might be the best peak production since World War II. Just take a look at that six year run at the top of this. I knew he was putting up mind boggling numbers but that is just absurd. That’s like the Everest of peaks. Zooming out to add up to the 2009/2010 summer and the numbers continue to impress. 97 tests, 9098 runs at an average of 60.65. Whichever way you look at it, Ponting’s body of work is rarefied air and anyone who wants to get cute about it is simply looking for trouble.

Steve Smith

Peak stats: 2014-present, 57 matches, 100 innings, 13 not outs, 6257 runs, 71.91 average, 24 centuries, 24 fifties

Oh Smudge, who would have thought back in 2010 that you would blossom into a batter that can and has single handedly won test series for Australia. I wrote about Smith’s brilliance in last year’s Ashes, the way he feasts on runs, the inhuman patience contrasting with his unorthodox style. A player like him simply shouldn’t succeed but he does. At a minimum of 30 innings, his average is better than anyone else in history other than Bradman, and what’s more astounding is that ever since he broke through with his maiden test century in 2013 he’s maintained this level of production.

In the era of the media-proclaimed ‘Fab Four’ consisting of Virat Kohli, Kane Williamson, and (kind of) Joe Root, Smith towers above them. An effervescent, perpetual motion mechanism designed to score as many runs as possible. A far cry from the hype surrounding the pudgy figured young ‘un who was lauded as the next Shane Warne. I admit to being absolutely abhorred by him in his early years — never doing much with the ball or the bat. Yet another failed attempt of Australia’s search for an allrounder. Out of the debacle of the 2013 Ashes tour was the shining light of Smith’s developing performance. He had arrived, and he has remained our premier batsman ever since.

Steve Waugh (Captain)

Peak stats: 1993–1998, 64 matches, 104 innings, 23 not outs, 4943 runs, 61.02 average, 14 centuries, 26 fifties

For anyone who has a bad memory or was too young to remember how good Steve Waugh was, go back find some highlights of the double century he made against the West Indies in 1995 that became the flashpoint for over a decade of Australian dominance, or his two centuries in the Old Trafford test of the 1997 Ashes that secured the series. Or his 150 at The Oval in 2001 while batting with basically half a hamstring. Or plundering England for the entire 1989 Ashes series. He didn’t just happen to stumble into making over 10,000 runs for Australia. Something only he, Ponting and Allan Border have managed to do for Australia. His six year peak in the mid 90’s were against some terrifying attacks from Pakistan, South Africa and the aforementioned West Indies. Tack on the last six years of his career to that peak and he averaged 56.88 over 122 matches, tallying 8761 runs. An absolute bastion of consistency.

So much of Australia’s play and mentality these last couple of decades were exemplified and refined by Waugh. Sure, he didn’t have a raft of shots at his disposal, but he didn’t need to. The man was built to never give his wicket away. He never looked satisfied. He never wilted. He performed best when conditions were more akin to a war instead of a game of cricket. He stared down Curtly Ambrose for Christ’s sake. There’s a reason he was called The Iceman. I can easily imagine him in some alternate timeline as a four star general commanding troops in a massive ground battle. It’s how he approached the game and treated his captaincy, he had a glare that would give Clint Eastwood pause and kept in line the massive talents that populated his teams during the 90’s and early 2000’s. That’s why he is my pick as captain for this side and my number five batsman.

Michael Hussey

Peak stats: 2005–2011, 67 matches, 117 innings, 12 not outs, 5285 runs, 50.33 average, 15 centuries, 27 fifties

The number six spot was more difficult to lock than I had anticipated once I dug into the numbers. Players like Mark Waugh, Michael Clarke, Simon Katich and Damien Martyn all had solid resumes. In the end I went with Hussey. He fits better into the side at six, comfortable with building on the middle order’s work or working with the tail to extend an innings -and he often found himself in that situation as the total dominance of the team began to wane. His acumen and feel for the ebbs and flow of a game is uncanny, developed over the years toiling away at the first class level.

When he finally got the opportunity to become a regular he didn’t miss. He may have had better innings but there’s nothing more indelible than Hussey scoring the winning runs in Adelaide during the 06/07 Ashes. A consummate professional that understands the game inside and out. We all know that episode of The Simpsons with the MLB ringers Mr Burns acquires for his Nuclear Plant softball team, right? And all but one of the ringers has an unfortunate accident that stops them from playing? Hussey would be that one guy. He’s our Darryl Strawberry, he’d find a way to get to the game.

Adam Gilchrist

Peak stats: 1999–2005, 68 matches, 97 innings, 17 not outs, 4452 runs, 55.65 average, 15 centuries, 20 fifties

There was before Adam Gilchrist and there was after Adam Gilchrist. Much like Shane Warne, Viv Richards, Don Bradman or Gary Sobers, the arrival of Gilchrist initiated a permanent seismic shift in the game that had never come before and would influence the game from then on. There were wicket keepers who were more than average with the bat but Gilchrist shattered all kinds of expectations we had for what a keeper could or should do in the seven spot. An electric combination of power, speed, footwork and vision was unheard of. To watch Gilchrist take flight was akin to watching a Panzer tanker crossed with the agility and speed of a gazelle — it just didn’t make sense, but it was astounding to witness. The destruction he would cause on a regular basis just boggles the mind. I will never forget his 56 ball century against England in Perth in 2006. He was an irresistible force, that the Poms had no answer for. Boundaries rained down upon the WACA like a WWII air raid.

It’s the rapid, ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ nature of his run making that stands out, wrestling away any momentum the opposition may have garnered by grabbing a wicket to bring him in. And my god the sound the ball made when it connected with his bat was some of the sweetest, apocalyptic sounds I’ve heard. To back it up with high quality keeping and vice captaincy throughout his career laid the platform for the keeper/batsman to be a game changer when coming into bat. It was fresh, exciting and downright terrifying if you were the opposition. He holds the 4th highest strike rate (81.95) and the second highest amount of sixes (100) in test cricket. He changed the way the game was played. There’s really no other option than Gilchrist at seven.

Shane Warne

Peak stats: 1993–1999, 63 matches, 117 innings, 303 wickets, 24.30 average, 2.31 economy rate

Do I even need to explain this? The man was built for the dramatic theatre of test cricket. He left millions in thrall; ruined batsmen’s careers; was never short of a scandal; bowled Richie Richardson with to announce his greatness in 1992; turned Mike Gatting into a noun; kept Australia’s hopes alive in the 2005 Ashes; tore down England constantly — particular the 94/95 summer; instigated Australia’s miraculous win in the 2006 Adelaide test; crafted the flipper as a WMD; somehow never figured it out in India; took the most ever wickets in a calendar year (96) and scripted the best farewell in test cricket — bowling Andrew Strauss on Boxing Day for his 700th wicket. It was a magical, thrilling rocket ride. His durability, competitive fire and willingness to adapt and evolve his game crafted a spinner that was constantly unplayable and required an inhuman level of concentration to simply survive.

He is arguably the greatest bowler in history. The one you would bet your life on to get a wicket. Every time he had the ball in his hand — with that familiar lazy throw of the ball at the top of his mark, the tongue out, the eyes penetrating the pitch; with one of the most imitated ambling ‘run-ups’ in the history of the sport — you felt like something was going to happen. And it often did. To watch Warne during a spell was to be entranced by a rare magic. We hung on every ball, every shout and staggered appeal, the buzzing fielders around the batsmen, the chatter, the anticipation in the air. You could feel it through the screen. In tandem with Glenn McGrath they became the destroyer of worlds. Twin pillars that tore through batting line ups for a decade, a symphony of destruction that brought so much success to the Australian side.

Mitchell Johnson

Peak stats: 2010–2015, 43 matches, 82 innings, 175 wickets, 28.68 average, 3.43 economy rate, 50.0 strike rate

Johnson had the strange sensibility of being the most devastating bowler in test cricket for two years, and then being completely lost at sea for the next one. Then he’d start the cycle over. Wash. Rinse. Repeat. It’s a mild shock to realise he’s taken the third most wickets by an Australian paceman behind McGrath and Dennis Lillee. In the moment, his career seemed to always have a question mark hanging over it. Coming on the heels of McGrath and Warne can do that. He was only around for 8 years at the test level but he did some damage.

Selecting the extra two bowlers to support Warne and McGrath was surprisingly difficult. I went with Johnson to come on first change for a number of reasons. Being a left armer helps, providing variety from one end. Not having him as the spearhead would lessen the pressure he’d be under. Something he always seemed to contend with throughout his career. But when he was on, he was on. Ask anyone who witnessed his demolition of England in the summer of 2014. Statistically he was slightly ahead of Brett Lee in wickets taken, average, economy and strike rate, with three ten wicket hauls to zero. He could also provide slightly better support with the bat than Lee could. Thing is though that they could be interchangeable. Much of the ferocity of Johnson is influenced by Lee — who exploded onto the test stage hurling missiles against a tormented Indian batting line up. The fear of Lee’s pace provided ample opportunity for the rest of the attack to feast. I wouldn’t begrudge anyone to include Lee in the side — if I did this experiment ten times, the two of them probably split it — but for this lineup, I’m going with Johnson.

Jason Gillespie

Peak years: 1999–2004: 52 matches, 101 innings, 201 wickets, 25.62 average, 2.74 economy rate, 56.0 strike rate

This one comes down in large part to chemistry. And one of the all time great mullets. While there may have been more dominant bowlers in the last thirty years to lace up for Australia, I’ve selected Jason Gillespie as the ideal opening partner for McGrath. Not that his career is anything to sniff at. He had pace and guile, one of the most underrated intelligent bowlers in the game. He could bowl in pretty much any conditions, particularly in India where he grabbed 33 wickets over 7 matches at an average of 21.72. That counts for a lot. I remember the 2001 series where even McGrath seemed at a loss but Cement just kept finding ways to get the Indian batsmen out.

His peak at the turn of the century shows how good he was as Mcgrath’s sidekick. Able to strike when required, or to hold down an end and let McGrath and Warne weave their magic. He provides flexibility and variety. Where McGrath uses the barest of movements off the seam or pitch, Gillespie was the opposite. The ball always seemed to do too much — swinging wildly, careening off the wicket. He was so unplayable because the batsmen never had a chance to really find a rhythm. It may have been frustrating as a captain at times but the sheer amount of work Gillespie could extract from the conditions underlines how dangerous he was.

Glenn McGrath

Peak years: 1996–2002, 73 matches, 142 innings, 351 wickets, 20.19 average, 2.45 economy rate

I was recently reminded of one of the many great things about Glenn McGrath. For much of his career his pace plateaued around late 120’s to early 130’s km/h. And he was unplayable. Hitting the same spot over and over again, with his efficient, high action. It belied the relatively soft pace, creating deliveries that continued to pressure the batsmen. He’s like Andy Dufresne, hitting the one spot in the wall hundreds and thousands of times. I remember one graphic came up during a broadcast showing the grouping of deliveries over the course of a couple of overs on Hawk Eye. They had all landed in the same spot. No wonder they called him The Metronome.

His 563 wickets is over 200 more than the next best Australian paceman, one Dennis Lillee. His average is staggering, especially considering how long he played for — 21.64. Good for the fifteenth lowest in the post-war era. He was as close to bowling perfection as one could imagine. It never felt out of control when he had the ball in his hands. His 8/38 against England at Lords in 1997 was a thing of beauty and the way he tore into Pakistan, taking 8/24 in Perth in 2004 was pure class. Boy, his hatrick against the West Indies in 2000, including getting Brian Lara to grab his 300th scalp was something I’ll never forget. No one was as consistent in line and length then McGrath, and what made him so dangerous — one of the many reasons — was how he was able to enact slight variations on pace, length, line, delivery type that was almost unreadable to the naked eye but was more than enough to dismiss a batsman. The control he had to be so precise is phenomenal and unmatched.