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