The Top Order Cricket Podcast

In this episode of the show, we preview the Border-Gavaskar Test series between Australia and India, which starts on 22 November in Perth and has huge implications for the World Test Championship ladder.

We discuss the venues, the build up, the key matchups and give our series predictions as we bounce around a huge number of topics and questions facing both sides. Will Jasprit Bumrah dominate the Australian top order? Can Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma find form again against Captain Cummins and his high-class bowling attack? What about Ashwin v Lyon? And who will win the series? Redemption for India after the disappointments against New Zealand? Or will Australia put one foot into the World Test Championship final?

We'll be back again next week with a full preview of the Black Caps v England series, followed closely by a review of the first Australia v India Test from Optus Stadium. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website.

You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world.

And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at [email protected].

Thanks for listening.

0:00 Intro

2:00 Venues and pitches - are Australia's pitches becoming more bowler friendly?

13:30 The battle of the seam attacks - who will lineup alongside Bumrah for India?

23:45 Batting questions for India - Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the spotlight

34:55 Australia's lineup largely settled, but are they in form?

47:40 Australia's bowling questions

51:55 Series predictions

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In this episode of the show, we discuss the upcoming retirement of Tim Southee from the Test arena, plus quickly whip around some of the white-ball series going on around the world and the off-field challenges threatening to disrupt the ICC Champions Trophy in February 2025.

We start with Tim Southee's announcement and a potential fairytale finish in the World Test Championship final, before touching on the Black Caps' squad to face England, which looks likely to feature a Test debut for at least one of Nathan Smith or Jacob Duffy.

Then we move to Sri Lanka, Australia, the West Indies and South Africa to talk about Haris Rauf's speed, Adam Zampa's hair, Jacob Bethell's potential and India's T20 dominance in 2024, before examining the unfortunate off-field situation developing in the lead-up to the ICC Champions Trophy.

We'll be back in your feed soon with a separate episode on the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Test series, then again next week with a full preview of the Black Caps v England series, followed closely by a review of the Aus v India Test in Perth. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website.

You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world.

And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at [email protected].

Thanks for listening.

0:00 Intro

2:00 Tim Southee announces his intentions to retire from Test cricket

14:25 Black Caps name Test squad for England series

16:50 White-ball round up - NZ v Sri Lanka

18:55 Australia v Pakistan

21:30 England v West Indies

24:00 India v South Africa

25:35 Champions Trophy concerns

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In this episode of the show, we reflect on the Black Caps' 3-0 series win against India, which left interesting questions for both sides as they head into their next fixtures. We also discuss potential World Test Championship final scenarios and the flurry of white-ball series from around the world.

The Black Caps made it a clean sweep against India with a 25-run victory at Wankhede Stadium, to cap off a remarkable month for New Zealand cricket. Ajaz Patel was crowned player of the match and Will Young the player of the series, but those performances might still not be enough to get them into the starting XI for the home summer. We talk through the spin bowlers on show, heap praise on Daryl Mitchell's fighting effort with bat in hand and raise questions that now face this Indian side:

We also discuss whether the ICC need to consider moving to four-day Tests, then take a quick look at the white-ball series featuring NZ, Sri Lanka, England, West Indies, Australia and Pakistan - so many that we ran out of time to cover the 47 other series that are currently under way.

We'll be back again next week with a full preview of the 2024 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, with the Black Caps v England preview not far behind that. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website.

You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world.

And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at [email protected].

Thanks for listening.

0:00 Intro

1:50 Black Caps win again at the Wankhede

7:05 Ajaz Patel & Glenn Phillips edge out Jadeja, Ashwin and Sundar

18:05 A word on Matt Henry

21:50 Daryl Mitchell and Will Young stood up with the bat

27:25 Questions for India - key players under the microscope

28:25 Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli

32:00 Have things changed under Gambhir?

38:15 Can Ashwin bounce back in Australia?

42:25 Four-day tests?

48:55 England v West Indies

52:55 NZ v Sri Lanka - all eyes on Mitch Hay and Zak Foulkes

56:40 Aus v Pakistan & Nathan McSweeney set to be Australia's new Test opener

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In this episode of the show, we celebrate another incredible week for the Black Caps, which culminated in a series win in India for the Black Caps for the very first time. We also look back at Pakistan's turnaround against England as they spun their way to another victory in the third Test of that series.

The Black Caps' win in Pune capped off a remarkable sequence - a first Test victory in India for 36 years, then another one a week later. We discuss whether this series win is the Black Caps' finest achievement, try to break down how they came to beat the best team in the world in their home patch and heap praise on Mitchell Santner, Tom Latham, Yashasvi Jaiswal - plus much more.

We then turn our attention to Pakistan, where the home side's spinners once again tangled the English batters in knots to win the third and deciding Test. There's praise for Nauman Ali and Sajid Khan, a little Jamie Smith and Saud Shakeel, big fans and questions about whether it's time for England to consider a new approach.

We'll be back again next week with more news and reviews from around the world. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website.

You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world.

And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at [email protected].

Thanks for listening.

0:00 Intro

1:05 NZ beat India again - Greatest moment in Black Caps' history?

6:30 How did NZ find the formula to beat India at home?

8:00 NZ's batting tempo, tactics and Tom Latham's performance

16:45 Mitchell Santner - the unlikely hero

22:15 How concerning should this result be for India?

25:25 Virat Kohli's scary stats

29:55 Washington Sundar takes 12 wickets

32:45 World Test Championship Final implications

34:50 Rohit Sharma's captaincy decisions

38:15 Pakistan v England - Have Pakistan found a formula for home success?

45:15 Do England need to tweak their Bazball style?

57:55 Saud Shakeel and Pakistan's batting

1:00:00 Border-Gavaskar Trophy selection questions

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In this episode of the show, we celebrate an incredible week for New Zealand Cricket that culminated in a Test win in India for the Black Caps for the first time in 36 years and a T20 World Cup for the White Ferns within 12 hours of each other. We also look back at Pakistan's bold decisions against England and how they paid off to set up a mouth-watering decider in the third Test of that series.

After opening with our thoughts, feelings and emotions as New Zealand fans, we start by discussing a White Ferns World Cup win that seemed almost unthinkable when the tournament began. It was a true team performance from New Zealand, and we highlight the key role players who played a huge part along the way, as well as focusing our attention on Amelia Kerr's remarkable few weeks.

We then turn our attention to the Black Caps, who made history of their own this week by beating India in the first Test of the series - something they hadn't done for 36 years. There's plenty of praise for the bowlers - who skittled India for 46 in the first innings - the 'Rachin Ravindra is amazing' segment that has become a regular occurrence on the show over the past 12 months, as well as conversations about the toss and team selection. We also look at India's fightback, Sarfaraz's big hundred and what that means for the side going forward, Rohit Sharma's captaincy and much more as we break down this rollercoaster of a Test match.

To round out the show, we review Pakistan's turnaround in the second Test against England, which saw a host of changes that made the selection panel look like geniuses when Kamran Ghulam, Sajid Khan and Nauman Ali starred as the team surged to victory.

We'll be back again next week with more news and reviews from around the world. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website.

You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world.

And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at [email protected].

Thanks for listening.

0:00 Intro

3:45 The White Ferns win the T20 World Cup!

9:10 Amelia Kerr - player of the tournament

11:55 South Africa runners-up again

13:35 Australia's campaign - was it a disappointment?

17:35 Black Caps beat India - 36 years in the waiting for NZ

19:35 Was it a terrible decision from India to bat first?

22:35 Team selection - New Zealand's decision to pick three seamers paid off

27:15 Will Young and Devon Conway

31:40 Rachin Ravindra

35:00 Is Tom Blundell on the hot seat?

38:10 Tim Southee and Matt Henry

40:00 India's fightback

41:40 Rohit Sharma's captaincy - did he make a few mistakes?

45:15 Bowling rotations during Ravindra/Southee partnership

48:25 India's second innings batting - Kohli and Rohit

49:40 Rishabh Pant and Sarfaraz Khan

55:10 Have NZ's expectations risen after this win?

59:15 Pakistan v England - bold selections pay off for Pakistan

1:05:20 Is spin Bazball's kryptonite?

1:11:10 Sajid Khan and Nauman Ali combined for all 20 English wickets

1:13:10 Pakistan's batters

1:15:00 Who has the edge for the third Test?

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In this episode of the show, we move to a new studio but it’s still cricket on the agenda as we look back at the week that was. England broke plenty of records on a Multan road, Kane Williamson looks set to miss at least the first Test against India, the White Ferns breathed life into their T20 World Cup chances and Team India’s depth was on show again against Bangladesh.

We start by discussing England's remarkable win against Pakistan, in a game which looked headed for a dull draw on a very flat pitch until first a Joe Root and Harry Brook partnership then a flurry of Pakistan wickets late on Day 4 swung the Test England's way. We talk about whether the match was enjoyable as a cricket fan, marvel at Joe Root's brilliance and wonder how both sides will back up after so spending so long in the field.

We then turn our attention to India, where the Black Caps are about to embark on a three-Test tour as heavy underdogs, without Kane Williamson – at least for the first match. How should the NZ batters attempt to combat this formidable Indian bowling attack? Will Matt Henry replace Tim Southee? And can the Kiwis put up a fight or will India win the series with ease?

In some positive New Zealand news, the White Ferns put together an almost complete performance to beat India in their opening game of the T20 World Cup, giving them a great opportunity to advance through to the semi finals. But then Australia came along and burst the bubble of joy, looking every bit the champions in wait as they skittled NZ for 88. We talk about the controversy involving Amelia Kerr, and praise Rosemary Mair for her strong performances so far.

To round out the show, we discuss the batting firepower of India's next generation T20 side as they lead Bangladesh 2-0, and Baldy opens the black book again with a Sheffield Shield update.

We'll be back again next week with more news and reviews from around the world. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website.

You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world.

And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at [email protected].

Thanks for listening.

0:00 Intro

2:45 England v Pakistan - A record-breaking win for England, but was it fun to watch?

12:50 Joe Root becomes England's all-time leading Test runscorer

20:00 Will Joe Root pass Sachin Tendulkar's record?

21:45 Harry Brook's performance and Ollie Pope the opener

26:55 How will these two sides manage the short turnaround before the second Test?

31:05 Shan Masood's response to pressure

33:00 Black Caps head to India without Kane Williamson - can they avoid a 3-0 sweep?

35:10 How should NZ's batters approach this formidable Indian bowling lineup?

41:35 Changes to the bowling for New Zealand?

45:50 India likely to have a similar looking side to the Bangladesh series

49:10 T20 World Cup - White Ferns beat India, but Australia marches on

55:45 India v Bangladesh T20s - India's next generation have serious batting firepower

59:00 Sheffield Shield news and outro

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In this episode of the Top Order Podcast, we discuss another busy week of cricket from all around the world - from Sri Lanka's dominant win against the Black Caps in Galle, which led Tim Southee to step down from the captaincy, to India's whirlwind victory against Bangladesh in Kanpur. We also quickly look ahead to England's Test tour of Pakistan and the Women's ICC T20 World Cup in the UAE.

We start in a sombre mood, with the woes of the Black Caps front of mind after a crushing loss against Sri Lanka. We talk about the self-inflicted nature of the performance, whether New Zealand are actually equipped to win a series like this one, what's next for this Test side following Tim Southee stepping aside as captain and whether more changes should be made in the very near future. There's also praise for Kamindu Mendis and Nishan Peiris, and Sri Lanka in general as they keep their World Test Championship Final dreams alive.

Conversation then moves to Kanpur, where it looked like the weather would have the final say - until Rohit Sharma two-stepped down the wicket and launched the ball over long on. We discuss India's positive approach to the game, Jasprit Bumrah's offspin, high-level catching, Ravindra Jadeja joining the elite 300/3000 club and debate whether this Test is an advertisement for making four-day Tests the norm.

We finish the show by looking ahead to England's visit to Pakistan - do they have the bowling attack to take 20 wickets? And will Pakistan ever get it together off the field? - as well as a quick preview of the women's T20 World Cup, which will see Australia go in as favourites yet again, but Baldy assures us is shaping up to be one of the most closely contested tournaments in recent memory..

We'll be back again next week with more news and reviews from around the world. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website.

You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world.

And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at [email protected].

Thanks for listening.

0:00 Intro

0:50 SL v NZ: the Black Caps collapse in Galle

8:45 - Did NZ actually have the tools to win in Sri Lanka?

13:25 - Tim Southee steps down as NZ Test captain: is it time for even more change?

23:55 - Kamindu Mendis and NZ's toss training

27:05 - India v Bangladesh: India's whirlwind win

31:35 - Should we move to four-day Tests?

34:50 - Jasprit Bumrah is a cheat code

38:55 - India brilliant in the field & Ravindra Jadeja joins 300/3000 club

42:20 - England v Pakistan: Why can't Pakistan sort out the off-field dramas?

45:15 - Expectations for England: will their bowling attack stack up?

54:25 - Women's T20 World Cup: can anyone stop this amazing Australian side?

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In this episode of the show, the Top Order are together again to discuss a busy week of cricket from all around the world - from Sri Lanka's win against the Black Caps in Galle to India's dominant performance against Bangladesh in Chennai, before a whirlwind around the grounds to drop in on series involving England, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Afghanistan.

We start by analysing the closely fought Test in Galle, which saw Prabath Jayasuriya and Ramesh Mendis bowl Sri Lanka to victory despite an impressive 92 from Rachin Ravindra. Was this a missed opportunity for the Black Caps? Did they pick the right XI? How high is the ceiling for Will O'Rourke? And how worried should we be about Devon Conway?

Conversation then moves to Chennai, where the Tigers started with a hiss and a roar before Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja turned the match in India's favour. We talk about these two great allrounders, before discussing Rishabh Pant's return to Test cricket, the seam attacks for both sides and Team India's dominance at home.

We finish the show by whizzing around some of the other series going on around the world - we saw big hundreds from Travis Head and Rahmanullah Gurbaz, while the White Ferns continue to struggle with the bat in the lead up to the T20 World Cup.

We'll be back again next week with more news and reviews from around the world. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website.

You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world.

And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at [email protected].

Thanks for listening.

0:00 Intro

0:55 SL v NZ - A missed opportunity for the Black Caps?

10:30 - Will O'Rourke

14:00 - NZ's team selection and Ajaz Patel's performance

23:50 - Rachin Ravindra

29:35 - Devon Conway worry levels

32:18 - India v Bangladesh - Are R Ashwin and Ravi Jadeja underrated?

41:50 - India's balanced bowling attack

43:10 - Is Rishabh Pant better than Adam Gilchrist?

46:15 - Is this India side historically one of the greats?

50:40 - England v Australia white-ball series

56:20 - Afghanistan's series win against South Africa

57:55 - White Ferns struggles with the bat continue as the T20 World Cup approaches

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In this episode of the show, we discuss the abandoned Test in Greater Noida between Afghanistan and New Zealand, Sri Lanka’s win against England, India’s squad to face Bangladesh and a the England v Australia bilateral T20 series.

We start the show with a rant about the shambles that saw no play between the Black Caps and Afghanistan, but instead featured cutting up of the outfield, household fans and quite a bit of rain. Could this have been avoided? Or do we chalk it up to unseasonable weather and move on with our lives?

It’s then time to heap praise on Sri Lanka for their comfortable victory in the third Test against England – a result that looked unlikely after a light-affected Day 1. Pathum Nissanka and Kamindu Mendis shone with the bat, as well as Lahiru Kumara and Vishwa Fernando, in a win that keeps their World Test Championship dreams alive. For England, we ponder whether this was just a bad few days at the office or something more concerning. We discuss Harry Brook, a relatively inexperienced seam attack and whether Dan Lawrence will ever play for England again.

To round out the show, we look at India’s squad for their upcoming Test series against Bangladesh, as well as a few over-reactions after Game 1 of the England v Australia T20 series (which Liam Livingstone must have heard before Game 2!).

We'll be back again next week with more news and reviews from around the world. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website.

You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world.

And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at [email protected].

Thanks for listening.

0:00 Intro

1:05 The shambles in Noida - should we have seen some cricket between Afghanistan & the Black Caps?

9:00 Sri Lanka beat England - did England get complacent?

14:15 Did Sri Lanka find an effective counter to Bazball?

18:35 Sri Lanka outbowled England

23:10 Shoaib Bashir chat

26:40 Will Dan Lawrence play Test cricket again?

29:35 Pathum Nissanka and Kamindu Mendis were excellent

31:50 England v Australia first T20 - Jake Fraser-McGurk and Liam Livingstone in the spotlight

44:10 India v Bangladesh - Can in-form Bangladesh give India's balanced squad a run for their money?

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In this episode of the show, Baldy, Binksy, Raj and Stu are back in the same room again after a short break to discuss the cricketing week (or couple of weeks) that was, with a focus on England v Sri Lanka and the upcoming six away tests for the Black Caps.

Recorded after Day 1 of the third Test between England and Sri Lanka, we begin with a conversation about bad light, prompted by the lack of play on that first day. Baldy looks to the Olympics for a solution, whereas Binksy suggests interchangeable balls - but how much of an issue is this, really?

We then move to the on-field action, where Kamindu Mendis has been Sri Lanka's shining light in the series so far, Joe Root has strengthened his case as England's greatest batter of all time, Brendon McCullum has extended his coaching contract and picked up the white-ball squad as well, and Gus Atkinson added a century to his already impressive home summer.

To round out the show, we look ahead to two months of the Black Caps playing Test cricket, first against Afghanistan, followed by Sri Lanka and then India. We talk about lineups, the threat of Afghanistan, spin-bowling, Glenn Phillips and two new names to the central contract list, with Nathan Smith and Josh Clarkson added this week. There's also a quick mention about Australia's new white-ball era sans David Warner, and Bangladesh's historic Test series victory in Pakistan.

We'll be back again next week to wrap up England v Sri Lanka and New Zealand v Afghanistan. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website.

You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world.

And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at [email protected].

Thanks for listening.

0:00 Intro

2:25 Is bad light a huge issue for Test cricket?

12:25 Kamindu Mendis Sri Lanka's shining light

17:20 Is Joe Root England's GOAT?

25:40 Brendon McCullum to coach England in red- and white-ball cricket

35:00 A great summer for Gus Atkinson

40:00 Black Caps begin a subcontinent tour - what will final XI look like?

54:15 Australia v Scotland and Bangladesh v Pakistan

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