First, there is Don Bradman and Bill Ponsford. Then comes Adam Voges and Shaun Marsh. Such is the list of all-time Test record partnerships for Australia after Voges and Marsh put on 449 against an insipid West Indies in Hobart. It was the highest fourth-wicket stand in Test history, and the sixth-biggest of the near 70,000 Test partnerships that have ever been compiled. By only two runs did the 451-run Bradman-Ponsford stand against England at The Oval in 1934 survive in first place among Australian partnerships.

Those are the facts, but here is the truth: it would have been criminally misleading for Voges and Marsh to have moved into top spot. In terms of size it was Australia's second-greatest partnership, in terms of quality it was not even close. That is no slight on Voges and Marsh but on the class of the bowling. In Adelaide last month their fourth-innings stand was 400 runs lighter, but arguably more meaningful as they held off the swing of Trent Boult and Doug Bracewell to set up victory.

Jerome Taylor, Kemar Roach, Jason Holder - they have all delivered at Test level before. Here they went through the motions.

In reply to CaribbeanCricket.com
Two weeks before the first test I said it was going to be three tests that would finish in 2.5 days with three inning defeats. Well at lunch windies 35/5 in second innings, still trailing by over 300 runs. I also said Bravo was the only batsman on the team and that he confirmed with 107 in the first inning.

ONE man could fight...but it takes a team to win or save matches

In reply to Narper

Only when we have 11 good players we can dream about winning. To be competitive, there needs to be atleast 5-6 good players. We do not even have 2-3 good players in the team now.

I suspect if there is going to be any crowd for the boxing day test Australia will have to do like England did last year, when they toured the west indies. Australia will have to pick 4 players from the west Indies and 7 from the B team that beat us by 10 wickets last week, for the 2nd test. That's what England had to do when they asked to play a practice game against a St. Kitts X1 and I suspect that's what the Aussies will have to do. But apart from Bravo who else can they pick?