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Allan Border
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=== Reluctant captain === [[File:Allan_Border_(Cricketer)_-_At_Victoria_University_Wellington_-_1986_(16311670747).jpg|alt=|thumb|316x316px|Allan Border in [[Wellington]],1986]] After a short [[Australian cricket team in India in 1984-85|successful tour of India]], Australia faced the West Indies again in the 1984β85 season.<ref name="testlist" /> After suffering heavy losses in the first two Tests, Hughes was unable to fight back tears<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/Cricket/A-captains-long-lonely-walk/2004/11/25/1101219679404.html |location=Melbourne |work=The Age |first=Chloe |last=Saltau |title=A captain's long, lonely walk |date=26 November 2004 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090630005829/http://www.theage.com.au/news/Cricket/A-captains-long-lonely-walk/2004/11/25/1101219679404.html |archive-date=30 June 2009 }}</ref> as he resigned as captain during a press conference. Despite Border's limited captaincy experience and stated indifference to taking the position,{{citation needed|date=June 2008}} he replaced Hughes for the Third Test at [[Adelaide]], which the Australians also lost: it was their sixth consecutive defeat to the West Indies.<ref name="testlist" /> The tide turned somewhat when Border led the team to a draw and then a win in the final two Tests, but his own form suffered, and he averaged only 27.33 for his 246 runs.<ref name="testlist" /><ref>Christison, pp. 47β48.</ref> He distinguished himself in the one-dayers, though, by savaging an attack comprising [[Michael Holding]], [[Joel Garner]], [[Malcolm Marshall]], [[Winston Davis]] and [[Viv Richards]] for 127 not out off 140 balls at the SCG. Knox, who was present that day, described him as "the finest all-round one-day cricketer of his time, alongside Viv Richards", in spite of the fact that "his reputation is built on stodge and defiance".<ref name="Knox 2009" /> In April 1985, Australia's prospects were weakened when plans were announced for a team of Australians to tour South Africa, in defiance of the [[Gleneagles Agreement]]. Seven players, originally selected for the [[Australian cricket team in England in 1985|1985 Ashes tour]], had signed for the Hughes-led "rebel" team and withdrew from the squad.<ref name="c49">Christison, p. 49.</ref> The disloyalty of the players affected Border deeply: journalist [[Mike Coward]] described his going into a "depression" and noted that, while he eventually forgave the players involved, he never forgot.<ref name=Wisden2>{{cite web |url=http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/153197.html |title=''Wisden, 1995 edition'': The record-breakers retire |publisher=Content-aus.cricinfo.com |access-date=16 August 2013 |archive-date=21 January 2013 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130121043418/http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/153197.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Australia was defeated three-one by England, with the team's only success coming in the Second Test at [[Lord's]], where Border hit 196.<ref name="c49" /> His unbeaten 146 in the second innings of the Fourth Test at [[Manchester]] saved Australia from another defeat. In all, he amassed 597 runs at 66.33 in the series, and 1,355 first-class runs at 71.31 for the tour, including eight centuries, making him easily Australia's best batsman.<ref name="testlist" /><ref>Christison, pp. 50β51.</ref> Australia continued to struggle during the 1985β86 season, when [[New Zealand cricket team|New Zealand]] defeated them in a Test series for the first time. Despite Border's unbeaten 152 in the second innings, Australia fell to a heavy defeat in the First Test at Brisbane. Although they bounced back to win the Second Test, New Zealand took the Third to take a two-one series victory. During the subsequent three-Test series against India, the tourists dominated but failed to force a result, and the series was drawn. In the Second Test it took a last-wicket partnership of 77 between Border (who scored 163) and [[Dave Gilbert (Australian cricketer)|David Gilbert]] to deny India victory.<ref>Christison, pp. 51β52.</ref> Border expressed his dismay at Australia's inability to perform under pressure.{{citation needed|date=April 2009}} On the subsequent tour of [[New Zealand]], Border's form remained good: he scored 140 and 114 [[not out]] in the Second Test, before Australia lost the Third in [[Auckland]], thus losing another series.<ref>Christison, pp. 53β54.</ref> Over the course of the extended summer, Border scored four Test centuries, but the continued poor form of the team pushed him to breaking point.<ref name="testlist" /> After another loss in an ODI on the tour, he threatened to quit as captain if performances failed to improve.{{citation needed|date=June 2008}}
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