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In this episode of the show, there's plenty of ground to cover as the cricket calendar continues apace. We recap India's big win against England in the third Test and look back at the Black Caps' first-ever series win against South Africa - with one eye on the upcoming Tests against Australia. There were many impressive performances during the third Test between India and England: Yashasvi Jaiswal's second double-century in as many Tests (including a record-equaling 12 sixes!)Hundreds to Rohit Sharma and Ben DuckettA hundred AND a 5-wicket haul for Ravindra JadejaEntertaining debuts from Sarfaraz Khan and Dhruv Jurel Which all led to a big win for India as they defeated England by a record margin. We discuss the key moments and the aftermath and reaction to Bazball's biggest defeat, as well as potential changes for the 4th Test, which will see Jasprit Bumrah left on the sidelines. In the second half of the show, we return to New Zealand to look back at a historic Test series for the Black Caps, which saw them win the Tangiwai Shield and secure a series win against South Africa for the first time in their 92 years of trying. There was a record-breaking debut for Will O'Rourke, Kane Williamson gave us another demonstration of his greatness, while Dane Piedt and David Bedingham combined to make it a much tougher assignment than many people predicted. To round out the show, we touch briefly on a last-ball thriller in Wellington, which saw Tim David steal the show, as well as an Annabel Sutherland masterclass against South Africa. We'll be back again next week with more news and views, but 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 a recent conversation with Mike Hesson, plus chats with former World Cup stars 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 thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 0:48 India v England 3rd Test review 1:31 Yashasvi Jaiswal breaks records on his way to another double century 5:55 The topsy turvy nature of the game 8:07 Does Joe Root need to dial back the gears? 11:55 Was the backlash to Bazball justified after this heavy defeat? 16:00 England's batting collapses - can Jonny Bairstow return to form? 18:00 Ben Duckett's highlight-filled hundred 21:35 Sarfaraz Khan's impressive debut 26:45 Should substitutes be allowed during a Test? 29:22 4th Test Preview: Will the pitch spin big from ball one? 30:40 Any changes to the two...

In this episode of the show, Baldy, Stu and Binksy discuss the recent Test matches between India and England, and New Zealand against South Africa. India levelled the series, and the pitches so far have made for two excellent Tests - but why are England proving such a tough opponent for the home side and their star-studded spinners? There's plenty of chat about England's approach, the young spin trio of Rehan Ahmed, Tom Hartley and Shoaib Bashir, Yashasvi Jaiswal's double hundred, Shubman Gill performing under pressure, Ben Foakes' wicket-keeping and of course the brilliance of Jasprit Bumrah. As we move to New Zealand shores, there's praise for the likes of Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson and Mitchell Santner, but is there anything to be learned from a series against a clearly under-strength South African side? And should the points even count towards the World Test Championship? We also gaze ahead to the next Tests in both series, with Daryl Mitchell looking at an extended absence for the Black Caps, plus Mohammed Siraj, KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja likely to return for India. We'll be back again next week with more news and views, but 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 a recent conversation with Mike Hesson, plus chats with former World Cup stars 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 thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening.

In this episode of the show, Binksy and Baldy look back at 2 epic test matches. Starting at The Gabba we discuss Shamar Joseph’s heroics in an historic win for the West Indies, which brought both Baldy and Brian Lara to tears but for different reasons. We then crossover to Hyderabad to review an amazing 1st test between India and England, which saw England’s debut spinner Tom Hartley go from zero to hero with his 1st ball disappearing for 6 off the bat of Yashasvi Jaiswal but his final ball winning the game and seeing him finish with figures of 7-62. We also discuss selection permutations for the 2nd Test. Who will replace KL Rahul and Ravi Jadeja and will England hand a debut to Shoaib Bashir to replace the injured Jack Leach? Will we also see a return for Jimmy Anderson and when will Virat Kohli be back? Finally, in true Top Order Podcast fashion, we make our predictions for the 2nd Test, which will be out of date at the hint of a tweaked hamstring. We'll be back again next week with more news and views, but until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels  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 a recent conversation with Mike Hesson, plus chats with former World Cup stars 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 thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for watching 0:00 Intro 5:14 How big is the hole that David Warner leaves? 10:30 Introducing Shamar Joseph 17:07 Are Aussie carrying Cam Green? 21:00 India V England 24:00 Were Abu Dhabi preparations vindicated? 29:25 Should India have batted England out of the game in 1st Innings? 30:52 Tom, Jack, Joe and Rehan, England's spin quartet 39:20 India changes for 2nd test? 43:40 England changes for 2nd test?

In this episode of the show, Stu and Baldy journey from Hyderabad to Adelaide and East London before we return to Aotearoa New Zealand while we review the week that was and look ahead to a full schedule of Test cricket just around the corner. We start the show with the recent news from the India v England series, which has seen the withdrawal of both Virat Kohli and Harry Brook from at least the first two Tests, and the visa concerns for Shoaib Bashir, which may well have cost him a Test debut. We also discuss reports suggesting England might line up at Hyderabad with Mark Wood as the only seamer in the side. It's off to Australia after that, to discuss the home side's victory in the first Test against the West Indies. We saw runs for Travis Head, wickets for Josh Hazlewood and a comprehensive win for Australia, but it was a West Indian debutant, Shamar Joseph, who earned at least some of the limelight after his performance in Adelaide. There's also a nod to Jake Fraser-McGurk's selection for the upcoming ODIs, plus praise for Josh Brown and his exploits for the Brisbane Heat in the BBL. After a quick detour to South Africa to talk about Matt Rowe, Mankads and the under-19 World Cup, we return to New Zealand to talk through selection options for the Black Caps as they prepare for the Proteas' Test tour. How much does South Africa's squad diminish the interest levels? Who should keep wicket for New Zealand if Tom Blundell isn't fit for the first Test? Should the Black Caps also give opportunities to fringe players? Is Devon Conway human after all? And is this a big series for Neil Wagner? We'll be back again next week with more news and views, including recaps of the India v England and Australia v West Indies Tests, but 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 a recent conversation with Mike Hesson, plus chats with former World Cup stars Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Finn Allen, Sophie Devine and Rachin Ravindra, 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 thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening.

In this episode of the show, Binksy, Stu and Baldy look ahead to the five-test series between India and England, which starts on 25 Jan and takes us right through to March. We open the show by discussing how much has changed since the previous series between these two sides in India in 2021, when a struggling England side won the first Test convincingly, before the hosts bounced back in a big way to secure the Anthony de Mello Trophy. We analyse the squads and the biggest selection questions - Bairstow or Foakes? Bharat or KL Rahul? - plus outline the key battles that could determine the series. Can Joe Root improve his already impressive numbers in India? Will Axar Patel destroy England once again? How will Rohit Sharma react to Bazball? [Note: This was recorded before the news broke that Harry Brook and Virat Kohli would miss at least part of the series for personal reasons] Finally, in true Top Order Podcast fashion, we make our predictions for the series result and individual performances. We'll be back again next week with more news and views, but 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 a recent conversation with Mike Hesson, plus chats with former World Cup stars 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 thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening.

In this episode, Baldy, Binksy and Stu look back at the week that was, including the T20 action between the Black Caps and Pakistan, and India v Afghanistan. They also share their thoughts on Day 1 of the Australia v West Indies Test match, which saw the first glimpse of Steve Smith as an opener. After three games of the T20 series between New Zealand and Pakistan, the Black Caps have already secured the silverware, thanks in large part to consecutive displays of batting carnage from Finn Allen. We discuss the enormous sixes, his game-changing potential and whether this run of consistent performances can be the start of a breakthrough year. We also chat about New Zealand's fast bowling stocks, after impressive performances from Adam Milne and Ben Sears alongside Tim Southee, plus the injury to Kane Williamson and the criticism directed towards Babar Azam despite three consecutive 50s. To round out this short episode, Stu admits his Shivam Dube error, Baldy gets angry about Australia despite a dominant first day against the West Indies and we get our first look as Steve Smith the opener. We'll be back again in a few days with an extended preview of the India v England Test series, but 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 a recent conversation with Mike Hesson, plus chats with former World Cup stars 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 thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening.

In this episode of the show, Baldy, Binksy and Stu look back at the Australia v Pakistan Test series, as well as the Black Caps white ball squad to face Pakistan with one eye on the T20 World Cup later in the year. David Warner's long farewell to Test cricket came to a conclusion with at least some parts of the fairytale playing out as scripted at the SCG, but what now? Baldy's fired up about the decision to move Steve Smith to the top of the order and the omission of Cameron Bancroft, but aren't we headed for another Test series sweep as the West Indies begin their Australian tour? There's praise for Aamer Jamal, Shan Masood and the Australian pace trio of Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc, plus we try to unpack why the Aussies are so dominant on home soil. As we return to New Zealand, we discuss the Black Caps' T20 squad to face Pakistan, which has a much more experienced look to it than the recent series against Bangladesh. Will that lead to more convincing performances on the field? And what questions are still to be answered in the coming months as Gary Stead and the selectors look ahead to the T20 World Cup in June? There's mentions for Super Smash standouts like Nathan Smith and Tim Robinson, discussion about where Finn Allen and Rachin Ravindra currently fit in the Black Caps' T20 plans, plus Binksy's food and beverage recommendations for Eden Park. We'll be back again next week with more news and views, as well as a preview of the England v India Test series, but 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 a recent conversation with Mike Hesson, plus chats with the likes of Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Andre Adams, 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 thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening.

In this episode of the show, Baldy and Stu get together for an unscheduled review of the South Africa v India Test series, which featured five days of fascinating cricket despite the short finishes and the 1-1 scoreline. Ball dominated bat throughout the two Tests, and pitches have stolen the limelight after the series ended with India winning the shortest Test of all time, but we also saw hundreds from Dean Elgar, Aiden Markram and KL Rahul, seam bowling at its very best from the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Kagiso Rabada, brilliant crowds, impressive debuts from Nandre Burger and David Bedingham, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in challenging conditions, 55 all out, and 6 wickets for the loss of 0 runs, followed by a piece of commentary from Ravi Shastri that will live long in the memory. We do eventually discuss the pitches and why they proved so difficult, particularly the surface at Newlands, plus South Africa's Test side to tour New Zealand, whether it is signals the death of Test cricket and a whole lot more in this extended conversation. We'll be back again in a few days' time with more news and views, focusing on the Australia v Pakistan series and the New Zealand summer, but 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 a recent conversation with Mike Hesson, plus chats with former World Cup stars 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 thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening.

Happy New Year everyone! Hope you all enjoyed some rest at the end of 2023 and are now looking ahead to what 2024 might bring. From a cricketing point of view, the calendar looks very full with plenty of intriguing series and tournaments to look forward to. In this episode of the show, we discuss the series, players and tournaments we're most excited about in 2024, including: The Black Caps' home summer, which features Tests against South Africa and Australia.The England Test tour to India, possibly the biggest challenge yet for the Bazball era.The T20 World Cup and Australia's quest to hold the major men's ICC trophy in three different formats.The impact of the USA co-hosting the T20 World Cup and the 20-team format.What the year might hold for Glenn Phillips, for Jimmy Anderson, for Cameron Green and many others! We'll likely be back to our regular This Week in Cricket shows from next week, with news and views on topics such as David Warner's Test farewell, the India v South Africa series and the New Zealand home summer, but 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 a recent conversation with Mike Hesson, plus chats with former World Cup stars 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 thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening.

Happy Holidays! It is the festive season - a time to reflect on the year gone by, so we did exactly that in this review of the 2023 calendar year. We discussed our highlights, such as: Australia's world title success for both the men's and women's sidesThe men's ODI World Cup as a wholeThe double AshesControversies involving Angelo Mathews, Alex Carey and the Long Room Along with some individuals who stood out for their impressive performances and achievements during the year: Daryl MitchellNat Sciver-BruntTravis HeadStuart BroadAnd many more! We'll be back again next week with a preview of 2024, focusing on some of the things we're most looking forward to for the year ahead, but 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 a recent conversation with Mike Hesson, plus chats with former World Cup stars Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Tim Southee, 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 thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening.

The IPL doesn't start until the end of March, but the news cycle has already begun with huge trades and big paydays for some at the 2024 mini auction. In this episode of the show, we take a look at the auction night activity of all 10 teams, including: Record-breaking fees for Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins.Sunrisers loading up on overseas players, adding Hasaranga and Travis Head to Cummins and their already impressive lineup of stars.The Chennai Super Kings transformation to CSK New Zealand as Daryl Mitchell and Rachin Ravindra join Mitchell Santner and Devon Conway under the leadership of Stephen Fleming and MS Dhoni.Mumbai Indians grabbing two young stars of the World Cup in Gerald Coetzee and Dilshan Madushanka - but is everything okay in the camp after the Hardik Pandya trade?Other key trades, involving Cameron Green, Avesh Khan and Devdutt Padikkal.Rishabh Pant's potential return for Delhi.And much more! We'll be back again next week with a review of the 2023 cricket year, but 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 a recent conversation with Mike Hesson, plus chats with former World Cup stars Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Finn Allen, 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 thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening.

In this episode of the show, Binksy, Baldy and Stu look back at the week that was, including the Black Caps' Test victory against Bangladesh, the build up to the Australia v Pakistan series, England Cricket news and other bits and pieces that caught our attention. We start by discussing Glenn Phillips and his heroics at Mirpur, which saw New Zealand pick up their first points of this World Test Championship campaign in challenging conditions. There's praise for his approach, his partnership with Mitchell Santner and a conversation about what this performance might mean for his next 12 months across all formats. Eventually the conversation turns to the pitch, and the contrasting comments made by Tim Southee and Najmul Hossain Shanto. Was it fun to watch? Or was it the worst pitch ever? Or was it fun to watch because it was the worst pitch ever? There are also mentions for Ajaz Patel, a nod to conversations about where this win ranks alongside other wins for the Black Caps in Tests away from home, and some excitement towards the end of the episode about a potential ODI debut for Will O'Rourke as the two sides shift countries and formats to do it all again in a matter of days. Our next stop on this cricketing journey is Australia, where pitches have been in the spotlight as well in Geelong and at the Manuka Oval. We talk about who might replace David Warner for Australia when he finally does sail off into the sunset (in Tests at least) and whether there's any chance Pakistan can make this upcoming series a competitive one. England's white-ball squad are in the West Indies, but Binksy was excited to discuss the recently announced Test squad to tour India, which features two uncapped spinners in Tom Bartley and Shoaib Bashir. There's also brief mentions of the BBL, a Jofra Archer sighting, the upcoming India v South Africa Test series and more as we bounce around a wide range of topics. We'll be back again next week with more news and views, but 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 a recent conversation with Mike Hesson, plus chats with former World Cup stars 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 thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening.