As we reach the 20th anniversary of the 3rd test in Chennai of that famous 2001 series, its time to wrap up our Final Frontier series.  Our thoughts on the factors behind the slow-build of the Australia v India rivalry, the way that 2001 series entered the public consciousness, and the legacy of the series that continues today. 

The Greatest Season That Was Presents is produced by Jay Mueller and edited by Dave Collins. It is part of The Bad Producer Podcast Network.

Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/TGSTW

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For many years, the rare Australian cricket tours to India went barely noticed by Australian cricket fans.  Scoreboards and match reports were the most that could be consumed. This mixed with the supposed horror stories that filtered back after the fact from players about  accommodation, food and illness resulted in the perception of an outpost - something that was not as worthy as the iconic and growing rivalries elsewhere.

However, legendary cricket writer Mike Coward begged to differ. He embraced India like no other Australian in the cricket fraternity through the 70s and 80s. He saw the nation for its cricket passion, and 30 years ago was moved to wrote the  seminal book ‘Cricket beyond the bazaar’ that put a spotlight on the untold stories of Australia’s battles on the subcontinent, and  foretold the rise of Indian cricket well before Australia and the rest of the world cottoned on. 

As we reach the finale of The Greatest Season That Was Presents: Final Frontier, Mike Coward joins us to give the historical backdrop to todays’ great rivalry, and the reasons why it took so long for Australians to appreciate Indian cricket.

The Greatest Season That Was Presents is produced by Jay Mueller and edited by Dave Collins. It is part of The Bad Producer Podcast Network.

Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/TGSTW

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The amazing turnaround at Kolkata not only had a nation rejoicing, it cemented the India and Australia rivalry forever.

This series was now set for a grand finale in Chennai, a test that truly proved to be the icing on the cake of this magnificent series.

The man nicknamed after Tone Loc’s hit Funky Cold Medina,  Colin “Funky” Miller was a maverick journeyman in domestic cricket.  But his mid-30s experiment with bowling off spin as a side hustle to his medium pace, resulted in an international career and cult hero status – whether it be with blonde, pink or blue hair.  

Colin Miller joins The Greatest Season That Was Presents - The Final Frontier to talk about his journey to international cricket, and the starring role he played in the frantic finale of one of the greatest test series ever.

The Greatest Season That Was Presents is produced by Jay Mueller and edited by Dave Collins. It is part of The Bad Producer Podcast Network.

Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/TGSTW

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.