Check out the Racing And Sports Preview for the Test this summer with a few betting ideas at the end.

AUSTRALIA v WEST INDIES

1st Test

17 – 21 January 2024 @ Adelaide Oval

When you go down rabbit holes on YouTube, occasionally you stumble across highlights of cricket in the 1980s and the aura of the West Indies is seen in all its glory.

You had the swagger of Viv depositing balls into grandstands, Cuthbert Gordon Greenidge playing sumptuous hip clips and Richie Richardson taking bouncers off his nose for six without the merest sign of a helmet.

There was also Michael Holding sauntering off the sightscreen without raising a sweat, Joel Garner uprooting stumps and Colin Croft having interesting relationships with umpires.

Sadly that is all no longer the case. 30 years of wilderness has followed 20 years of dominance. There simply are no members of West Indian teams (post Brian Lara) left in the game to inspire his people and those of us watching.

Everyone knows or has views on why that is the case. Having a grandfather-like, honourable and highly respected person in Clive Lloyd in charge was a huge benefit.

But for whatever the facts are, it has been a long time now since they were deposed atop the cricketing tree and the landscape has significantly changed underneath them.

The explosion of short form cricket around the world caused a schism but the smaller infrastructured nations couldn't keep up and so the Windies have been swept away.

It is time for the ICC to step in (assuming the ICC care about them enough). All those multi zillion dollar returns from major ICC tournaments like the recent World Cup should see most of the proceeds channelled into the smaller jurisdictions. It will be interesting to see what the presence of the US hosting in the next World Cup will do.

Australia, England and obviously the licence to print money India are fully sustainable. It's the others that require significant backing. It will take time and can the West Indies survive until that would kick in?

Will this current Test Team have enough oomph to at least try to be competitive or at least relevant? Sadly, more to point, how many actually care?

Remember this very side in Australia just last December and at this very ground. The results and margins were vast. The final XI will likely barely resemble that which faced the hosts. And yet much of the cricketing world will have Care Factor Zero.

Perhaps a less important but bigger talking point will be how the Australian side will develop post the David Warner era. 112 Tests on and 13 years gone (with the odd pause for thought-provoking circumstances), what will be the longer term planning.

We've heard all manner of theories. Would we go for the tried and somewhat tested of Renshaw, Bancroft or Harris? Could a technically sound but still to be rounded Cam Green be thrown the Shane Watson lifeline? Or would one of the all-time greats have one last stimulation in his career as Steve Smith goes in first?

Well in the end the selectors went for the latter option and it could be a fascinating result. It certainly hasn't been met with complete acclamation amongst the former and current fraternity though.

But besides providing Cameron Green with the ability to bat with some patience and consistency in the middle order rather than often with the latter order, it conjures many theories.

Cricket is a team game filled with individual statistics. One that almost justifies plonking SPD Smith at the top of the order is his record when he comes in very early in an innings, as it often reaps strong rewards. The new ball won't faze him.

He can construct an innings rather than having to 'boss the game' from Number 4. The irony is he began as a Number 8 and in Test 106 he's an opener. Quite a remarkable transformation.

On the bowling front, surely it is time to also begin some form of transition. Come the Indian series next year and the Ashes thereafter, we need to start seeing if there is good depth and future stars. It isn't always the case and should not be assumed.

Can Lance Morris bowl quick at this level or a Lawrence Neil-Smith who is like a raw Glenn McGrath clone?

Can Nathan McSweeney, Teague Wyllie, Aaron Hardie or eventually a Sam Konstas sweep through with weight of runs to displace the upper order?

Hard decisions need to be made. That last side to beat Pakistan was one of the oldest Australian elevens on Test record. The selectors role is to think of the now and also think of the future.

Whoever is in the side, they are being paired with clearly one of the greats in Pat Cummins and his level of excellence over such a length of tenure is what highlights his distinction.

That near six year gap post his superb 7 wicket, match winning 13* debut at Johannesburg deprived him, but also us, of seeing him longer. But in the end will that elongate his career?

That ability to not just bowl wicket taking deliveries but contribute greatly to the mounting pressure lifts him into the pantheon. His average, strike rate and economy rate are amongst the genuine greats.

While someone is performing to that level, that is the exact time to inject new blood. Have them learn from the best. It was what occurred in the 1990s as Border's team evolved into Taylor's, into Waugh's, into Ponting's.

The current lot are not facing an eighth of what Clive Lloyd or Viv Richards used to bring out. There are some nice players like captain Kraigg Brathwaite with Tagenarine Chanderpaul with the bat and the experience of Kemar Roach and Alzarri Joseph with the ball.

But while they did get some decent centre wicket practice in the tour match, once again surely these teams need more than that to prepare to play in Australia.

Given all that has happened, you can bet Steve Smith will be totally focused on a big one. His Adelaide record isn't overly flash (averaging 10 runs less per innings) but recall many of them have come in day/night tests and this year it is not one.

Concentrate more on what he's done to the Windies. In 7 tests he has 3x100s and 2x50s, averaging 150. If he gets through the opening 30 minutes - look out. He will be attacking Warner-style.

Then again it would have been good to see how he'd have played in his absolute prime against those great attacks of 40 years ago. His manipulation of the field would have been such a battle with Ambrose, Marshall, Roberts and Garner banging them in with regularity.

We don't think SPD will have to be staying up at night worrying too much about the chin music that his countrymen used to have nightmares about. Do check out those YouTube viewings though. How batsman made runs is anyone's guess!!