Twist in the Tail

In any other team in any other era, Gordon Greenidge would have been the top dog.  He just had the (mis) fortune to play in the same team with a certain Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards.Starting off facing Lillee and Thommo, Greenidge finished on the cusp of 40 against a new generation of champion Aussie quicks.  After a long hiatus, the Twist is back to celebrate an iconic late career innings from this most destructive batsman, a true fan favourite.   For us three 40+ yos a reminder that there is often life left in the old dog.This week's scorecard:4th Test, Bridgetown, Apr 20 - 24 1991, Australia tour of West IndiesAnd some video highlights:Gordon Greenidge 226 versus Australia

In our special final episode for 2020, we bring back our favourite guest, Gaj, to discuss the best cricketers from this year's episodes. We pick a Heroes and Villains XI from all the cricketers we have discussed in 2020. It has been a tumultuous year with many twists and turns. Through it all we have had a lot of fun and interesting discussions, perhaps none more than this one. What do you think of our selections ?Heroes XI:Sunil GavaskarRichie RichardsonViv RichardsDean JonesDwayne BravoBrendon McCullumKapil DevDougie MarillierMerv HughesIshant SharmaCurtley Ambrose Jonty Rhodes (12th man) Umpire: Dickie BirdManager: Asha BhosleVillains XI: Jack Hobbs Virat Kohli Ricky Ponting Steve Waugh Javed Miandad Mike Gatting Andy Flintoff Ian Botham Richard Hadlee Brett Lee Rodney Hogg Eknath Solkar (12th man) Umpire: Shakoor Rana Manager: Monica LewinskyNo matches this week, But here is a link to confirm that Javed Miandad is related to Dawood Ibrahim by marriage

Shourov brings in a game from the 2006 Champions Trophy with standout performances from a number of the greats of Windies and Aussie cricket - and a rare game that had a successful musician and recording artist on each team! It's a great excuse to do something a little unconventional and intersect our love of cricket with our love of music. The boys spend an enlightening session reviewing the most memorable cricketer-musicians in history, including some (uneven) performances from Brett Lee, Dwayne Bravo, Virat Kohli and more - before launching into a reminiscence of the songs that have formed a soundtrack to our own lives. Everything from Dire Straits to Bengali folk music to Tupac Shakur to Asha Bhosle has inspired us ... what are the songs that have formed the soundtrack to your cricketing life? Brett Lee feat. Asha Bhosle - You're the One for MeCurtly Ambrose and Richie Richardson on stageSix and Out - Can't Bowl, Can't ThrowDwayne Bravo - Beenie Man and BravoVirat Kohli's ad for pimple creamToday's game - Australia vs West Indies, October 18th 2006, ICC Champions Trophy

March 6, 1971. A revered day for Indian cricket fans. The debut of Sunil Manohar Gavaskar. A West Indian team in transition still has a star studded batting line-up and a usual bowling attack. In opposition the fabled Indian spin trio, a colourful cast of journeymen and two young batting stars on the rise. A lot to like about this game, but Abhik has brought it in honour of one special man. Eknath "Ekky" Solkar - enigmatic allrounder, unusual sledger, fast mover on the dance floor and perhaps the greatest short leg fielder ever. A carnival atmosphere, a famous victory and an unusual record leads to stories of special skills elsewhere in life.Today's game:2nd Test, Port of Spain, Mar 6-10 1971, India tour of West Indies

Zimbabwe vs india at Faridabad in 2002 - a nondescript ODI that was the scene of something extraordinary - one of the cricket world's first scoop shots! Douglas Marillier came in at number ten and blew away the Indian bowlers with an inventive, astonishing innings, at the same time confounding them by playing a shot they had never seen before. Our special guest Arnav Datta takes us through this game and how it changed his views on cricket to see someone who did something truly different. We segue into an entertaining discussion about Arnav's own career as a Kuwaiti cricketer on the international stage, before exchanging notes on how we have "played the scoop" (metaphorically, at least) in our own lives. Today's game - Zimbabwe vs India, Faridabad, March 7, 2002... and Arnav's cricinfo page

Finally a game with no Australian or Indian connection. Or is there ? This game features Sir Ian Botham and Sir Richard Hadlee, two players we loved to hate, and Dickie Bird, an umpire we loved to love. Why do we hate some players and teams more than others. Not just a phenomenon unique to sport, do our enemies define us more than our friends ? And do we need the other side to define our own existence ?Today's game: 4th Test, Nottingham, Aug 25-29 1983, New Zealand tour of EnglandAnd a picture of the three protagonists

Abhik brings another game that is obscure to many but well known in the right circles. Perhaps the greatest Ranji trophy final of them all. In May 1991, A star studded Bombay team looking to continue their dominance of Indian domestic cricket. Standing in their way, Kapil Dev and an upstart Haryana team looking for their first bit of silverware. After a back and forth battle over 5 days, it comes down to one final last wicket partnership, as the two old stalwarts, Dilip Vengsarkar and Kapil Dev, team-mates and protagonists over a generation, face off in the final stretch. But why did this game mean so much to these storied cricketers, who had already achieved so much in their lives ? We discuss tradition, culture and passing the torch between generations in the context of perhaps the last time when domestic first class cricket really meant something. Today's Game: Ranji Trophy Final, Bombay vs Haryana, Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, May 3-7 1991And the story from Cricket Country

January 1984, at the height of the apartheid regime, a team of West Indian cricketers is in the middle of a "rebel" tour of South Africa. Fringe players unable to break into one of the strongest test teams of all time take the opportunity to play international cricket and earn a tidy sum of money. They play good cricket, break down barriers and receive almost universal adulation wherever they go.However, when they return home, all hell breaks lose. They are banned for life, ostracised by society and many end up destitute. But was what they did so bad ? And why was the reaction to this tour so much more visceral than those faced by English and Australian sides of the same era. A serious discussion with a surprising denouement, this episode has resonance with a number of modern thematics on race relations, cancel culture and political polarisation.Today's game:3rd 'Test' (D/N), Johannesburg, Jan 13-17 1984, West Indies XI tour of South AfricaThe article:https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/21298477/the-unforgivenThe book:https://www.amazon.com.au/Unforgiven-Ashley-Gray/dp/1785315323

**BONUS episode with Special Guest**Everyone loves a list, and most of all our special guest Gajanan Skandakumar ('Gaj'). Not only a handy left-handed batsman, Gaj is also a student of the game, and today he brings in his special "Impressionist" list of his most memorable cricket players (one from each Test-playing nation). From the expected candidates such the great Viv to more obscure choices such as Kris Srikkanth, there is plenty of passion and argument in this episode - everything from cricket to political wrangling over the monarchy to a comparison to Monica Lewinsky. Many of these players aren't necessarily the best on paper - which leads us into a more philosophical discussion on the value of data itself. Do we rely too much on data to make decisions, and have we forgotten that there is more to life than what can be captured in the numbers? Join us in our special bonus length episode - and send us your own impressions via social media!

Perth 2008 - after the bitter acrimony of the "Monkey-gate" affair, two fired up teams face off on a unusually placid WACA track. Australia brings one of the fastest bowling attacks ever assembled, but a lanky young fast bowler from Delhi turns heads by shaking up the legendary Ricky Ponting.Shourov brings a classic game full of surprises, including a characteristically execrable spell from Shaun Tait and an uncharacteristic brain-fade from Rahul Dravid. But Ishant Sharma vs Ponting is the real game within a game, leading to tales of other young firebrands from our lives.Today's game: 3rd Test, India tour of Australia at Perth, Jan 16-19 2008

Before Kohli and Tendulkar, there was one man who single-handedly carried India's hopes with the bat. In this week's family special, Abhik's brother Shomik comes on to discuss an uncharacteristically swashbuckling innings from the one and only Sunil Gavaskar against the mighty Windies of the eighties.The discussion soon turns to the blind hero worship that characterises Indian cricket. But are all of our heroes worthy of our adulation and what happens when our heroes don't live up to our expectations ?

The year 1984 was a tough one by the high standards of the Australian cricket team. As well as a string of losses home and away against the West Indies, they lost their captain and were on the verge of losing their dignity, and perhaps hope for the future. Enter a fiery red-headed fast bowler from Ipswich.But was Craig McDermott really the messiah or a very naughty boy ? As Brian is overwhelmed with gushing admiration and Abhik manages to offend everyone from Sri Lankan cricket fans to Rodney Hogg, Shourov keeps some sense in the discussion by asking whether waiting for a saviour really is that good for either party involved.

This week the boys are joined by Australian podcast royalty. Andrew (Menners) Menczel from the Cricket Unfiltered Podcast reminisces about a formative time of his life, as he travelled around England following the Australian team during the 1999 Cricket World Cup.After a patchy start, Steve Waugh's team had to win every game to lift the Cup. After a come from behind victory against South Africa in the Super Sixes, the same two teams met for this iconic game in the Semi-final. Both sides struggled to take their opportunities in this game, leading to lots of reminisces about missed opportunities in our life. From failed business ventures to bitcoin and hash cookies in Amsterdam, the discussion ranges widely before landing back home in cricket.

In this episode, Shourov brings another famous game and an iconic image. Edgbaston, August 2005 - England haven't won the Ashes for 16 years and are one Test down once again. Glenn McGrath misses with a freak injury. Ricky Ponting wins the toss and puts England in. A five day rollercoaster ensues, as an outgunned England team, led by the shrewd Michael Vaughan and inspired by Freddie Flintoff's heroics, takes it up to the Aussies.The Aussie tail take it to the wire on the final day, but fall at the final hurdle. In a famous image of sportsmanship, Flintoff consoles a devastated Brett Lee. The boys discuss the game, the photograph, examples of grace in victory and defeat, the best way to deal with disappointment and, perhaps most memorably, Brian's infallible ability to forget Australian defeats.Today's game - England vs Australia, Birmingham, August 4-7 2005

This week the boys look back an another time when cricket was interrupted by pandemic. Almost exactly a century ago, a group of English cricketers toured Australia. Amongst them were legendary players like Jack Hobbs and others who had been through the trauma of the World War. Though the cricket was one-sided, the games brought the joys of Test cricket back into the lives of a weary public. There is a special moment that we can look forward to soon when a batsman will again lift an enormous six into a stand packed with spectators. A moment of triumph over adversity. We've been through this before (and much worse), but we'll came back and keep on playing. Today's game - England vs Australia, January 14-21st, 1921

This week we are joined by New Zealand cricketer Bradley Scott who brings in a game from his own career, the NZ domestic cricket final between Auckland and Otago in 2008. Brad leads us through the game, reminisces on his time playing with legends such as Brendan McCullum and Daniel Vettori and gives the boys an inside perspective on the players and teams, life after cricket and how data and technology is changing the game. The victory in the final was sweet for Otago after a long premiership drought. We discuss other times in our lives when we have to wait years or even decades for success - whether in our careers, as sport fans or our personal lives. Brad reminds us that sticking at it eventually pays off - even the longest wait is worth it in the end! Today's game - State Shield Final, Auckland vs Otago, March 2nd 2008

Abhik brings in what seems to be an obscure game between India and Australia during the famous "Monkeygate" series of 2008. There was plenty of drama both on and off the field, with racially charged sledging, batsmen being hit and seesawing results between these two iconic teams. The boys agree that cricket in the 2000s was losing its mojo, but Abhik recounts his joy at encountering Rohit Sharma for the first time in this game and how it rekindled his love for the game. Whether it's sport, music or any other passion in life, it's always possible to light the flame - and sometimes it is the next generation that inspires us. We sign off this week with this hopeful message, that love lost can always be found again!Today's game - Australia vs India, Feb 10th, 2008 at the MCG

Brian brings in a game from 1990 between Australia and Pakistan that featured a famous and very funny sledging exchange between the great Javed Miandad and one of the most entertaining Australian bowlers, the great Merv Hughes. The game was a draw but cricket and the art of sledging was the winner. The boys discuss the merits of the 1980s mullet hairstyle before diving into a more philosophical discussion about the ethics of retribution and 'poetic justice'. Sometimes abuse on the cricket field (and life) crosses the line - do two wrongs ever make a right? Perhaps we should all learn from Big Merv and keep our sense of humour intact.This week's game - Pakistan vs Australia, January 19th-23rd, 1990

Abhik brings in an infamous game from 1987 - at the end of a frustrating tour, a seemingly innocuous incident leads to an unseemly escalation between player and umpire. Mike Gatting vs Shakoor Rana - it made for an iconic photograph but who was in the right? And should you still respect the law if the law is an ass? We cover defamation law, ancient Babylonian ethics and the meta-question of "who umpires the umpires" before recounting some personal episodes of poor officiating, including unconventional childhood bowling actions and an umpire who mistook off stump for leg.Today's game - England vs Pakistan, Faisalabad, Dec 7-12 1987

A classic nostalgia episode for Aussie cricket fans as our special guest Chris Fluke brings in an iconic Boxing Day Test Match between Australia and New Zealand. We reminisce about the heroics and standout performances from both sides and review some surprising statistics before Chris recaps the debut of local boy Tony Dodemaide and asks us an interesting question - Do you remember your first time watching cricket? Childhood memories segue into discussions about other firsts in our life and the value of experiencing the new. Todays' game - Australia vs New Zealand, December 26-30th, 1987

It's holiday time and the cricket season is in full swing. We recap memorable moments in the first year of the podcast, remember our special guests and send out a big thank you to you, our listeners, for joining us in our first year. A happy and healthy Xmas to all and we hope you get to enjoy a lot of wonderful cricket. See you in 2020 for our second season of Twist In The Tail!

Our special guest Ben Mercuri brings in a one-sided but memorable game with contrasting debuts - Ricky Ponting and Stuart Law. Sri Lanka suffered a big loss, despite bowling Murali into the ground and having an opener called Mahanama. Ponting went on to a famous career whilst Law never played a Test match again, although he had an amazing first-class record. Surely he was hard done by? Law had some bitter years but eventually came to terms with his fate. The boys ponder the role of timing and luck and the Sliding Doors in the lottery that we call life. Today's game - Australia vs Sri Lanka, December 8th-11th, 1995

The 2007 ODI World Cup was marred by controversies, poor planning and the mysterious death of Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer. Shourov remembers travelling around the Caribbean, partying with the locals and the excitement of seeing Brian Lara bat. But the game was played in a soulless new stadium built by the Chinese which was miles from town, instead of the historic old stadium, and had small crowds as a result. There are many times in cricket and life when change is imposed from the top for all the wrong reasons. When is it justified to trash tradition? The boys discuss eleven day Test matches, The Hundred, geopolitics and our obsession with the new. Today's game - Australia vs West Indies, 27-28th March 2007, Antigua

Abhik picks another obscure game but this time with a notable feature, the highest ever tenth wicket partnership in ODIs, led by the Trinidadian Ravi Rampaul. This leads to a series of segues about camping, dodgy flights on Caribbean Airlines, The Art of War and genetics, before reviewing some memorable rearguard performances from our own cricketing lives. All of which just goes to show that people perform extraordinary feats when they have nothing left to lose. Today's game - West Indies vs India, December 2nd, 2011, Vishakapatnam

Shourov takes us back to a Test match between Australia and India in 1992, a game he had to follow via the radio from a flat in Kolkata. Australia had just gone through a moment of political drama, a precocious kid called Tendulkar hit a century, and another kid with a blonde mop made his debut as a leg spinner - the great Shane Warne (though he was outbowled in this match by India's debutant Subroto Banerjee, who never played a Test again). Despite his poor figures, there was something about Warne that marked him out. The boys muse over the indefinable "je ne sais quoi" that makes for a memorable first impression.Today's game - Australia vs India, January 2-6, 1992, Sydney

This week we discuss a moment in cricketing history larger than the game itself - the infamous underarm ball bowled by Trevor Chappell at the behest of his brother and team captain Greg Chappell. Australia won the game - but at what cost? And what were they thinking? Our podcasters explore the ethics of winning in cricket and in other arenas. Is an attitude of "whatever it takes" ever justified? As always, the conversation takes a twist into religion, history and even a story about eating your own dog (?!).Today's game - Australia vs NZ, February 1st 1981

On November 25th 2014, Australian cricketer Phil Hughes was hit in the head by a short ball in a Sheffield Shield game, rushed to hospital and died. This week we review the tragic event and how it made us feel and reflect on our own time on the field. Cricket requires rare physical courage - in no other sport is a ball aimed at the head a legal part of the game. But are there higher forms of courage than the physical? Is courage the absence of fear or the overcoming of fear? As always the boys explore some of the deeper questions and finish up on a philosophical note.Today's game - South Australia vs NSW, November 25th, 2014

This episode harks back to the first Indian Tour of Australia in 1948. The legendary Vijay Hazare scores twin centuries against Bradman's invincibles at Adelaide. The boys discuss an unusual record from the Don, a surprising relationship between Hazare and an Aussie great and the link between self-discipline and success. Do we prefer the stoic work ethic of a Steve Waugh or the free and easy swinging style of Richie Richardson? With segues into history, childhood memories and the sex life of Mahatma Gandhi, this is perhaps the most obscure and eclectic show yet. Today's game - India vs Australia, January 23rd-28th, 1948

A special episode in memory of our dear friend Vamsi Krishna Budige - a gentleman, connector, entrepreneur and a great lover of cricket as a player, sponsor and especially as an Indian fan - and as an original founder of the now-famous Swami Army. The boys remember the iconic Melbourne Test match of 2003 and weight the memories of half a lifetime spent in love of our great game. After all the good times we remember Vamsi as a man who brought people together. No wonder, then, that he was a fan of cricket, which like no other sport creates bridges between people and cultures. Vamsi is back in the pavilion, but we know that someday we'll see him again when the match is over.Today's game - Australia vs India, December 26th-30th, 2003

Australia and Sri Lanka followed up a fiery Aussie summer with a classic clash in the final of the 1996 World Cup at Lahore, Pakistan. After umpiring controversies and boycotts, the bad blood between the teams gave the game a particular tension. The siege mentality of the Sri Lankan team worked in their favour as they pulled off a spectacular victory against Taylor's Australians (a spectactor experience scarred only by Tony Greig's slightly sexual commentary). A victory for the underdog, but do all underdogs deserve our support? Shourov leads a discussion into the morality and psychology of going for the little guy. Today's game - World Cup Final, Lahore, March 17th 1996

Shourov is replaced by Brian's mate Dean, and the boys recall a famous Test match with a memorable finish. After making more than 500 in the first innings, the English were laid low in the last innings by an astonishing performance from the great Shane Warne. More than the pitch or the conditions, it was Warne's energy and passion for cricket that singlehandedly turned the game, and it leads into a discussion about how love in all its forms can conquer against the odds. Today's game - Australia vs England, December 1-6, 2006

Bangalore, New Years Eve 1983. A star-studded West Indian team is playing a benefit game against an Indian XI for perhaps the least known Indian Test captain. In the audience is a wide-eyed ten-year-old enjoying the best winter of his life. Abhik reminisces about an unusual pitch invasion, Shourov finds a connection to Orwell's 1984 and the boys fondly look back on those things that you just don't get to do anymore.Today's game - West Indies vs India, December 31st 1983

Shourov brings in another famous game that left its mark - one of the biggest comebacks ever in sport - but admits to being a demoralized Indian cricket fan who had given up on his team. The boys admire the faith of the diehard fans like the Barmy Army who keep turning up even when their team is being thrashed. Does a focus on results cause us to miss the joys of the experience? We finish up by recapping some legendary comebacks closer to home in our own lives and discuss the magic power of never giving up. Today's game - Australia vs India, Mar 11-15, 2001

Abhik picks another obscure game featuring an elegant entertainer. It is the early nineties and Australia were settling in for a long period of dominance against an English outfit fraught with internecine warfare and studded with colourful characters - smooth Gower, funny Tufnell, grouchy Gooch and his favourite larrikin Wayne Larkins. We reminisce about other odd couples in our own lives and what it is that makes opposites attract. Today's game - England vs Australia, Dec 26-30 1990

Alan Border and Dean Jones put on one of the most dazzling displays of One Day International batting in January 1985 when they took on Sri Lanka and scored a double-century partnership. Abhik, Shourov and Brian reminisce about the game and an extraordinary ending that left Deano high and dry on 99 not out. They go on to make (slightly) unkind comments about past cricketers and find a strange analogy between cricket and human reproduction, before turning their razor sharp minds to speculation about why some countries are so damn good at sport.Today's game - Australia vs Sri Lanka, January 28th, 1985

Shourov brings an iconic game to this week's podcast - England vs Pakistan in the 1992 World Cup Final. Brian remembers uncharacteristically skipping school to see the game and Abhik dissects that famous spell from Wasim Akram. The victory was Imran Khan's finest hour, at least until he became Prime Minister of Pakistan. The boys go on to speculate about other cricketers who might have become politicians and finish with a deeper discussion about peaking late in life.Today's game - Pakistan vs England. March 25th 1992And on special request from Abhik - Like a Tiger :)

In 1983 Australia toured Sri Lanka for a single Test and David Hookes scored his one and only Test century. This was a man who loved cricket and the Australian cricketing public loved him, but why did he never really make the step up to Test cricket? We talk about highlights from David's career before his untimely death in 2004 - and ponder the intangible quality that marks those who perform at the top level.Today's game - Australia vs Sri Lanka, April 22nd-26th, 1983

Abhik reminisces about the time that Abdul Qadir took 72 wickets in Melbourne district cricket and Brian tells us about his magazine posters. Shourov remembers the heartbreak of not getting Shastri's autograph and the unconventional stroke-making of Krishnamachari Srikkanth. In a world of centralised control, automation and homogenisation, are the days of the iconoclast over?Today's game - Australia vs India, Melbourne, 3rd March 1985

Abhik talks about a domestic one-day game from the late eighties that led to a life-long obsession and an unhealthy and unfashionable persistence with the popped collar look. Brian recommends we read Robin Hobbs, and Shourov muses on the nature of obsession and the Aussie habit of making "role models" of our sportspeople.Today's game - Queensland vs NSW, February 21st, 1988