shankycricket wrote: By the way, Kohli averages 45 in tests, not 50+.
As I said, "Since the initial few matches he struggled in". I believe since his first test hundred in Australia he averages about 49 or 50.
Fair enough then. I thought you were just singling out Smith.
No. I added the fact that England's win in South Africa felt less meaningful that previously because it was against such a poor South Africa side. I dont limit this to Australia but they are clearly the biggest example. I dont think people like Khawaja have got that much better, I just think the opposition has got much worse.
Pitches in Australia have been getting a lot worse since England last won an Ashes there. 2012 was the noticeable start, Ponting was utterly finished and had gone two years without a hundred, then on those rubbish pitches against a pretty poor attack he plundered 134, 221*, 62, 61 and 60* in six innings. Noticeably he then instantly declined and was taken apart in South Africa and against a poor West Indies side after.
Clarke was probably the biggest example. His last five home series registered averages of 67.5, 40.3, 79,144 and 125.5 ..... away from home 16.5, 39.5, 14, 55, 47.... his highest average was 2013 in England where his tour was dominated by that one innings in Manchester where he scored over 200 runs with one out. At Lords, Durham, The Oval and Trent Bridge he was very poor.
In fact, it seemed in 2013 that England were going to get some ultra beast turn up, yet it was confusing in that series how this man had been bettering Bradman the previous winter, yet he looked so technically poor. And this wasnt really on pitches that showed great movement either, Clarke looked like a player who didnt have that great technique. He was bounced out a lot and couldnt cope, I think Swann gave him a real hard time too.
For me its examples of how easy some recent Australia summers have been for home batsman. Clarke looked unstoppable on those flat decks in 2012, but on normal pitches he looked terrible.
Take a good but not great batsman against an average test attack circa 2016 on a dead-flat pitch.... you get Bradman scores. Put them on a normal pitch that isnt a pancake, and they fall apart.