Australian cricket legend Adam Gilchrist has weighed in on the greatest all-rounder debate, challenging Ricky Ponting’s assertion that Jacques Kallis is the best cricketer of all time. While Ponting recently hailed Kallis for his staggering numbers with both bat and ball, Gilchrist believes statistics alone don’t define greatness and instead placed the late Shane Warne at the top of cricket’s all-time elite. “I understand where Ricky is coming from—statistically, the runs, wickets, and catches—but there is more to it than just numbers,” Gilchrist said in an interview with news.com.au. “I personally think Shane Warne is the greatest to have played.”

Ponting had earlier named Kallis as the cricketing GOAT, citing his 13,289 Test runs, 45 centuries, and 292 wickets as unparalleled achievements. However, Gilchrist insisted that Warne’s impact on the game, both as a bowler and a tactician, was unmatched.

“For Warnie to achieve what he did, especially living the way he did and still managing to perform at that level, it shows he was a true champion,” Gilchrist said. “Beyond his bowling, he was also an incredible batsman. He just left way too many runs out there when he played. I don’t even think he knew his own batting talent. When it comes down to pure cricketing genius—batting, bowling, catching, and tactical brilliance—Warnie is No.1 for me.”

Gilchrist’s comments come amid Australia’s dominance in world cricket, which has led to criticism from England supporters. After Australia completed a 2-0 series win against Sri Lanka, England’s Barmy Army accused them of “stat-padding” by selecting weaker opponents to boost their records.

The Barmy Army’s post, “Keep stat-padding, Aussies,” implied that Australia was playing against a Sri Lankan side ranked below them to make their numbers look better. However, Gilchrist was quick to fire back.

“It’ll be interesting to see what excuse they come up with if Australia lifts the Champions Trophy at Lord’s in June,” he quipped. “I bet they will struggle with that one. I absolutely can’t wait for that and the rivalry of the Ashes next year.”

With Australia holding every major bilateral trophy and preparing for another World Test Championship final, Gilchrist believes the team is silencing its critics in the best way possible—by winning.

Away from the international cricketing debates, Gilchrist is also preparing to return to the field for a special charity T20 match in Lismore this weekend. The match is being held to support the region’s recovery from the devastating 2022 floods, which were among the worst natural disasters in Australia’s history.

Set to be played on Saturday, the game will feature a host of cricketing greats, including Dan Christian, Steve O’Keefe, Jason Gillespie, Michael Kasprowicz, and several WBBL and local stars.

Gilchrist, who grew up in Lismore and captained Kadina High School’s cricket team, remains a beloved figure in the region. He admitted that stepping back onto the field is always a nerve-racking experience.

“It’s always nerve-racking to get back out in the middle. Every year, it is tougher to play the game,” Gilchrist said. “You worry about your hamstring going and then facing bowlers, but it’s good fun. That’s what it’s all about—getting back out there with people you’ve traveled the world with and celebrating such a resilient community in the process.”

Former Australian batter Adam Gilchrist hailed star batter Steve Smith on completing 10,000 Test runs, calling him a “master craftsman” and expressing admiration for his journey from a leg spinner to a top-class batter. Smith made history on Wednesday, scoring his 35th Test century and also becoming only the fourth Australia batter to touch the 10,000 run mark in Tests during the first Test against Sri Lanka at Galle. Reaching the 10,000 Test run mark is a memorable chapter of Smith’s illustrious Test career, which saw him turn into an epitome of determination, grind and consistency, from the days of being rated as a successor to late leg-spinner Shane Warne.

Speaking as quoted by Fox Cricket, Gilchrist expressed wonder at this same journey and hailed the veteran for evolving his game so well.

“I think part of what is so amazing is how it started and how he got into the team at number eight or nine bowling leg spin, when we were still in the hunt for a replacement for Warnie, and (there were questions as to) where he was going to be that option? That is what I find quite stunning about his career, how it started,” Gilchrist said.

“The way he evolved his own game and worked at that, it was completely different to everyone else, and that speaks volumes.”

Gilchrist went on to hail Smith as “one of the greatest” batters for Australia.

“From a mental capacity and the psychology of his batting, I find that the most fascinating to watch. He is a master craftsman and he is one of our greatest,” he concluded.

Smith ended the first day of the Galle Test unbeaten at 104* in 188 balls, with 10 fours and a six, involved in a 195-run partnership with Usman Khawaja (147* in 210 balls, with 10 fours and a six). Earlier, Australia had opted to bat first after winning the toss. Travis Head (57 in 40 balls, with 10 fours and a six) opened the innings with Khawaja and had a 92-run opening stand. Marnus Labuschagne (20 in 50 balls, with two fours) also contributed some runs before Smith and Khawaja joined forces and took Australia to 330/2 at the end of day one.

In 115 Tests and 205 innings, Smith has scored 10,103 runs at an average of 56.44. He has scored 35 centuries and 41 fifties, with the best score of 239.

He is the fourth Australian after Ricky Ponting (13,378), Allan Border (11,174) and Steve Waugh (10,927) to reach the 10,000 run mark and overall 15th player ever.

With 35 Test centuries, Smith has overtaken the likes of Younis Khan (Pakistan), Brian Lara (West Indies), Mahela Jayawardene (Sri Lanka) and Sunil Gavaskar (India), who all have 34 Tests each.

In the ongoing ICC World Test Championship, Smith has scored 1,156 runs at an average of 38.53, with four centuries and four fifties in 34 innings. His best score is 140. He is the seventh-highest run-getter so far in the competition and Australia’s top run-getter.

Former Australian cricketer Brad Haddin lauded Indian pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah and compared his performances with legendary Aussie spinner Shane Warne’s Ashes campaign against England in 2005. Bumrah had an all-time great Border-Gavaskar Trophy campaign, taking 32 scalps in five matches, most by an Indian during an away series, at an average of 13.06 and best figures of 6/76. He took a total of three five-wicket hauls and was given the ‘Player of the Series’ award. Despite his superhuman effort and fight, India could not win the trophy.

Speaking on the Willow Talk podcast, Haddin said, “We have witnessed the greatness of Bumrah, the uniqueness of his action and how influential he was on every batter in the Australian team. It’s in the same conversation as Warney’s 2005 Ashes (40 wickets in the series despite England’s win). That is exactly what it deserves. If he’s not there, Australia would probably win 5-0.”

“By the time he finishes his career, we will be talking about him in the same breath as McGrath and Wasim Akram. He was so influential over the series. He has a unique action, skill, the way he gets the ball to move both ways. We made selection decisions to counter-act how good he was,” he added.

However, Haddin said he is not yet in conversations with greats like Glenn McGrath, Wasim Akram, Curtley Ambrose, etc.

“I would not put him on top of that league. He has got a long way to go. He has got 200 Test wickets. We hope to see him in some time. If he continues the same way he is going, his name will be in that conversation,” said the former Aussie player.

India lost the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 1-3, succumbing to a six-wicket defeat in the fifth and final Test at Sydney after setting Australia a target of 162 runs. With this loss, India is officially out of contention for the ICC World Test Championship final at Lord’s in June next year, as Australia and South Africa have sealed their places.

While the action on the field may have had its share of heated moments, Day 1 of the fourth Test between India and Australia at Melbourne saw a touching moment take place thanks to the fans. At 3:50 pm local time, fans of both Australia and India joined hands to pay tribute to legendary Australian spinner Shane Warne, who passed away in 2022. In what has been a tribute on Boxing Day Tests since 2022, fans doffed their caps and floppy hats in order to pay respect to Warne’s legacy.

The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) was packed with over 80,000 spectators in attendance on Day 1, ensuring that Warne received a huge, heartwarming tribute. A video of Warne was also played on the giant screen during the tribute, inviting loud cheers.

Watch: MCG united for floppy hats tribute to Shane Warne

“Warnieeeee, Warnieeee”

3:50PM. For the King pic.twitter.com/uVIh63uek0

— Cricket Australia (@CricketAus) December 26, 2024

Warne – the second highest-ever Test wicket-taker with 706 wickets and arguably the greatest-ever spinner – was famously known for wearing a floppy hat and doffing it at times in celebration. His celebration has now become tradition, being recreated by thousands of fans to pay tribute on Boxing Day.

The tradition is done each year at 3:50 pm, in honour of Warne’s Test cap number, 350.

Warne, who hails from a Melbourne suburb, passed away due to a heart attack on March 4, 2022.

India vs Australia, 4th Test Day 1: As it happened

Australia got off to a strong start on Day 1, roared on by teenage opener Sam Konstas‘ fiery 65-ball 60 knock. Usman Khawaja (57), Marnus Labuschagne (72) and Steven Smith (68*) all notched up half-centuries, taking Australia to 311/6 at Stumps.

India’s only relief was that they managed to stop Travis Head from heaping runs again. A beauty from Jasprit Bumrah saw Head walk back for a duck.

Despite initial struggles against Konstas – who slammed him for 14 and 18 in two overs – Bumrah came back to finish the day with three wickets.

Letters written by the late Australian cricket icon Donald Bradman have surfaced, revealing his admiration for fellow Aussie legends Shane Warne and Steve Waugh, as well as his early recognition of a young Ricky Ponting as a “future Test prospect” for the nation. According to The Age, the letters, penned during the 1980s and 1990s, were addressed to British entertainer Peter Brough, a close friend of Bradman’s.

They offer insights into Bradman’s thoughts on fame, cricket, admiration for players, and even politics. The two met through Bradman’s father, Arthur, during tours to England in the 1930s, forming a friendship that lasted until Brough’s death in 1999. Bradman passed away two years later, in 2001. The letters were later donated to the National Library of Australia (NLA) by Brough’s family.

In one letter dated July 31, 1991, Bradman expressed joy over South Africa’s reinstatement in international cricket following its apartheid ban. He wrote, “What great news that South Africa has been re-admitted to the fold. It will help restore the balance on the ICC (International Cricket Council), and in three or four years, they will probably have a fine Test team. I always found the South African cricketers charming fellows and some of them were my greatest friends.”

Widely regarded as the greatest batter in cricket history, Bradman scored 6,994 Test runs at an astounding average of 99.94, with 29 centuries and 13 fifties in 52 Tests. He was also a keen admirer of leg-spin bowling.

During a 1996 interview with Ray Martin, conducted to raise funds for the Bradman Museum in Bowral, Bradman lamented the decline of leg-spin bowling following Richie Benaud’s retirement in 1964. He attributed this to the growing emphasis on economy in the one-day international (ODI) format. “The great tragedy of modern cricket is the demise of the slow leg-spinner,” he wrote in a letter. “Primarily, it seems to be due to the one-day games in which ‘economy’ is the only thing that matters. You do not have to get the other fellow out; you only have to stop him scoring runs. Of course, young leg-spinners, when learning their trade, are always a bit expensive.”

In 1992, Shane Warne made his international debut, and by early 1993, Bradman had taken notice. In a letter dated March 15, 1993, he wrote, “But thankfully, we may at last have produced a good leg-spinner in young Warne. He’s only 23 and really spins the ball. I am impressed by his accuracy. In the Test versus New Zealand now being played, he is conceding less than two runs an over, which is tremendous. He should do well in England.”

By November 1994, Bradman had described Warne as “the best slow spinner produced by Australia excepting Bill O’Reilly.” Warne’s performance during the 1994/95 Ashes series, where he claimed 27 wickets at an average of 20.33, further validated Bradman’s assessment.

Eighteen months later, Bradman gave Warne the highest praise, writing, “Shane Warne is bowling brilliantly and causing all sorts of trouble. Excepting [Bill] O’Reilly, Warne is the best slow leg-spinner we’ve produced, better even than [Clarrie] Grimmett, and that is very high praise.”

Warne went on to fulfil Bradman’s expectations, finishing as Australia’s second-highest international wicket-taker with 1,001 scalps across formats. His 708 Test wickets remain iconic, and he was instrumental in Australia’s 1999 World Cup win, earning the ‘Player of the Match’ award in the final.

Bradman also had a sharp eye for batting talent. In 1985-86, he recognised Steve Waugh as a potential star, writing, “Young Steve Waugh gives every sign of being a class bat.” Waugh later became one of Australia’s greatest players, scoring 18,496 international runs and leading the team to World Cup victories in 1987 and 1999.

In 1995, Bradman identified a teenage Ricky Ponting as a “future Test prospect.” In a letter dated October 22, 1995, he wrote, “Young Ponting of Tasmania played a beautiful innings here yesterday and looks a Test prospect.” Ponting went on to become one of cricket’s all-time greats, leading Australia to back-to-back World Cup wins in 2003 and 2007, and scoring 27,368 international runs, the most by any Australian.

Bradman’s letters not only reveal his cricketing genius but also highlight his ability to foresee greatness in players who would go on to shape the sport.

File image of Nathan Lyon© AFP

File photo of Kuldeep Yadav© BCCI/Sportzpics

Watch | Nathan Lyon interview | On batting on one leg, ‘The Test’ and IPL 2024

Nathan Lyon hobbles and limps gingerly as he walks out to bat to a cheering audience at the Lord’s Cricket Ground.

Batting on one leg and visibly in discomfort due to a calf injury, Nathan would go on to add four off 13 excruciating balls in one of the most dramatic cricketing moments as part of the England-Australia clash for the Ashes 2023.

Nathan’s wife, Emma, did not want him to bat under such circumstances. Nor did his captain, Pat Cummins, or the team’s physio. Luckily, head coach Andrew McDonald wanted him to, and Nathan knew right away that he would find a way.

“A lot of people around the world go to work uncomfortable. I know the importance of 10 to 15 runs in an Ashes, and I wanted to contribute. When I had a calf injury, I felt like I had let down my teammates and I just wanted to make sure that I help them out by playing a role,” says Nathan, over a virtual conversation, about a vital moment that is also chronicled in the The Test Season 3, currently streaming on Prime Video.

The Australian cricket team in ‘The Test’
| Photo Credit:
Prime Video

The current season of The Testfollows the Australian men’s cricket team as they embark on a gruelling tour of England in 2023, where they faced India in the World Test Final and took on England in the Ashes. Apart from cricketing moments, The Test also gives a peek into locker-room talk and how players navigate the challenges of balancing sport at the highest level, and their family life. “There are superstars on the team, like Steve Smith and David Warner, but we’re all human, and we see that element coming out in The Test. It’s important for everyone to realise that we make mistakes but we also try our best to go out there and win some games.”

Such documentaries chronicle not just sporting moments, but also provide insights into sportspersons’ lives and how they deal with success and loss. Nathan agrees, “It’s massive, mate. I watch a lot of such stuff, like Quarterback, Full Swing and Tour de France: Unchained. My favourite is the Formula 1 documentary, Drive to Survive. There are great insights into the way individuals prepare for big moments, and that makes for some amazing viewing for fans.”

Spin is in

Growing up in Australia, known to produce fast-bowlers of pedigree such as Glenn Mcgrath, Brett Lee and Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon still wanted to get into spin, a skill that you would largely associate with the subcontinent. He idolised late Australian legendary spinner Shane Warne. “Well, my brother (Brendan Lyon) and I idolised Shane Warne. Seeing him win games for Australia was so special, and so, Brendan took up leg spin. I just wanted to be bigger and better than my brother.”

Today, Nathan, with over 500 wickets to his name, is considered Australia’s most successful offspinner and he loves it when the ball spins. “I’ve been watching the IPL a fair bit now, and if I’m being honest, I’d like to see the wickets to come back a little bit to see a fair contest between bat and ball. Spin is incredibly important in all formats of cricket. Whenever the ball spins, you get the maximum eyes on the television. When we tour India for Test cricket and the ball spins, I feel there are more people watching than anytime else. I absolutely love it when the ball spins and see some batsmen panic. Ravi Ash (Ravichandran Ashwin) has flown the flag for that one in the IPL now and hopefully, he will do a great job with that,” says Nathan, who is also keenly watching his skipper, Pat Cummins, captain Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Nathan Lyon and Pat Cummins in ‘The Test’
| Photo Credit:
Prime Video

While he is not part of the IPL, Nathan swears by the five-day Test format, something that he describes as the ‘pinnacle of cricket.’ “For me, it is a place where you cannot hide. If you cannot play the short ball, you cannot hide. You have to ensure that your skillsets are good enough to compete against the best in the world. T-20 and one-day cricket are here, and Test cricket, well, is miles above.”

The Test: Season 3 is currently streaming on Prime Video