Australia v India: 1st Test - Day 1
ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA - DECEMBER 17: Tim Paine of Australia, Pat Cummins of Australia, Steve Smith of Australia and Marnus Labuschagne of Australia after the signing of the national anthem during day one of the First Test match between Australia and India at Adelaide Oval on December 17, 2020 in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Australia v India: 1st Test - Day 1

There will be a new Cricket Australia documentary focussing on the journey of the men's Test team in the lead-up and during their successful 2021/22 Ashes campaign.

In a similar mould to the original documentary "The Test", which aired on Amazon, a film crew has been a fly on the wall as the team deal with scandal and the uncertain future of their head coach.

This series will reportedly focus more on key players than staff with the likes of skipper pat Cummins a key focus.

Embed from Getty Images

According to News Corp, the documentary captures the behind the scenes fall out of former captain Tim Paine's sexting scandal that saw him stand down as captain and step away from the Test team.

Richard Ostroff, Cricket Australia’s head of broadcast, said that Paine's resignation wouldn't be the only major storyline in the series with coach Justin Langer's relationship with the playing group another area of interest.

Langer took a step back during the T20 World Cup and Ashes series with players growing tired of his ferocious style.

Embed from Getty Images

Ostroff said that the Langer saga was one that would be covered by the new documentary.

“That’s one of the themes that will be explored … this change of philosophy, the change of roles, the delineation of responsibilities, there will be an overarching narrative around that and obviously Pat Cummins leads that story quite a lot,” he said.

“One of the really interesting themes to explore is, there is a lot going right within that team that you can observe just from the outside.

Embed from Getty Images

“You’ve got a group of happy players again in a way that we probably haven’t seen in a number of years, I don’t think.
“I think one of the things we’re exploring here is, what’s changed inside the group?

“JL’s clearly doing a terrific job and my personal view is he’s been copping a lot and it’s tough on him. When they’re losing it’s because of him, and now they’re winning and the press is it’s in spite of him. But that’s certainly not how I see it. I think there’s a lot to be said for someone who operates at his level to reinvent himself and that’s what appears to have happened.”

Langer's contract is set to expire relatively soon and he has had plenty of support from the likes of Steve and Mark Waugh, as well as fellow Western Australian Damien Martin.

While viewers will see some of the Langer story, it won't be the main focus and the Western Australian won't be as heavily featured as he was in the original.

“The plan for this second series all the time was we needed to take a deeper view of the players themselves, because in a sense, JL carried so much of the first story – and rightly so,” said Ostroff.

“He’s such a fascinating character and it was as much about his journey starting in the job as anything else. But you’ve always got to do something different. You’ve always got to ask yourself, ‘well why would we do this again?’

Embed from Getty Images

“One of the key points of difference all along – and this is irrespective of whatever role JL is now playing within the team – was this one needed to have more of a focus on the players as essential characters, which it does.

“In terms of the observations of what’s going on within the group as to anyone’s particular role; that will reveal itself.”