Editing Ian Chappell (section)

===The Ashes regained and the first World Cup===
[[File:Ian Chappell graph.png|right|thumb|upright=1.5|Ian Chappell's Test career batting performance. The red bars indicate the runs that he scored in an innings, with the blue line indicating the [[batting average (cricket)|batting average]] in his last ten innings. The blue dots indicate an innings where he remained [[not out]].<ref name="testlist">{{cite web |url=http://stats.cricinfo.com/statsguru/engine/player/4560.html?class=1;template=results;type=allround;view=match |title=Statsguru – IM Chappell – Test matches – All-round analysis |access-date=15 April 2008 |work=[[ESPNcricinfo]] |archive-date=11 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240711030131/https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/player/4560.html?class=1;template=results;type=allround;view=match |url-status=live }}</ref>]]
The highlight of Chappell's career was Australia's 4–1 win over England in 1974–75 that reclaimed The Ashes. Strengthened by the new fast bowling partnership of [[Dennis Lillee]] and [[Jeff Thomson]], the Australians played aggressive cricket and received criticism for the amount of [[Bouncer (cricket)|short-pitched]] bowling they employed.<ref>[http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/154334.html ''Wisden, 1976 edition'': The MCC in Australia and New Zealand 1974–75.] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120710165052/http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/154334.html |date=10 July 2012 }} Retrieved 18 August 2007.</ref> Chappell scored 90 on an "unreliable" pitch on the first day of the opening Test at Brisbane.<ref>[http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/153460.html ''Wisden, 1976 edition'': 1st Test Australia v England, match report.] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120722070415/http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/153460.html |date=22 July 2012 }} Retrieved 18 August 2007.</ref> He finished the six Tests with 387 runs at 35.18 average, and took 11 catches in the slips.<ref name=Statsguru/> The Test matches attracted big crowds and record gate takings, enabling Chappell to negotiate a bonus for the players from the [[Cricket Australia|Australian Cricket Board]] (ACB).<ref name=Bulletin>[http://bulletin.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=132856 Tight flows the Don.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012183219/http://bulletin.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=132856 |date=12 October 2007 }} ''The Bulletin''. Retrieved 8 October 2007.</ref> Although this more than doubled the players' pay, their remuneration amounted to only 4.5% of the revenue generated by the series.<ref>Harte (1993), p 560.</ref>

Within months, Chappell was back in England leading Australia in the [[1975 Cricket World Cup|inaugural World Cup]].<ref>[http://www.abc.net.au/cricket/items/s772864.htm ABC Sport: One-day cricket's tactical evolution.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071208051806/http://www.abc.net.au/cricket/items/s772864.htm |date=8 December 2007 }} Retrieved 11 October 2007.</ref> His dislike of the defensive nature of limited-over cricket led to the Australians placing a full slips cordon for the new ball and employing Test-match style tactics in the tournament.<ref>[http://www.sportstaronnet.com/tss3010/stories/20070310014504800.htm Leading from the front.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110521195310/http://www.sportstaronnet.com/tss3010/stories/20070310014504800.htm |date=21 May 2011 }} ''The Hindu Sportstar Weekly''. Retrieved 13 November 2007.</ref> Despite the apparent unsuitability of this approach, Chappell guided the team to the final where they lost a memorable match to the West Indies.<ref>[http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/150279.html ''Wisden, 1976 edition'': Prudential World Cup final, match report.] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120709102645/http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/150279.html |date=9 July 2012 }} Retrieved 6 April 2017.</ref>

The workload of the captaincy was telling on Chappell and the four-Test Ashes series that followed the World Cup dampened his appetite for the game.<ref>Chappell (1976), p 120.</ref> After winning the only completed match of the series, the first Test at [[Edgbaston Cricket Ground|Birmingham]], Australia's retention of the Ashes was anticlimactic: the third Test at Leeds was abandoned due to vandalism of the pitch during the night before the last day's play.<ref>[http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/ci/content/story/216592.html Cricinfo: Vandals stopped play.] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120707060838/http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/ci/content/story/216592.html |date=7 July 2012 }} Retrieved 13 November 2007.</ref> In the last Test at the Oval, Chappell scored 192 from 367 balls to set up an apparent victory. However, England managed to bat for almost 15 hours to grind out a draw and Chappell announced his resignation from the captaincy on the final day of the match.<ref>[http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/153459.html ''Wisden, 1976 edition'': 4th Test England v Australia, match report.] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120715210718/http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/153459.html |date=15 July 2012 }} Retrieved 13 November 2007.</ref> In 30 Tests as captain, he scored 2,550 runs at an average of 50, with seven centuries.<ref>[http://stats.cricinfo.com/guru?sdb=player;playerid=1243;class=testplayer;filter=basic;team=0;opposition=0;notopposition=0;season=0;homeaway=0;continent=0;country=0;notcountry=0;groundid=0;startdefault=1964-12-04;start=1964-12-04;enddefault=1980-02-06;end=1980-02-06;tourneyid=0;finals=0;daynight=0;toss=0;scheduledovers=0;scheduleddays=0;innings=0;result=0;followon=0;seriesresult=0;captain=0;keeper=0;dnp=0;recent=;viewtype=aro_summary;runslow=;runshigh=;batposition=0;dismissal=0;bowposition=0;ballslow=;ballshigh=;bpof=0;overslow=;overshigh=;conclow=;conchigh=;wicketslow=;wicketshigh=;dismissalslow=;dismissalshigh=;caughtlow=;caughthigh=;caughttype=0;stumpedlow=;stumpedhigh=;csearch=;submit=1;.cgifields=viewtype Cricinfo: IM Chappell career summary.] Retrieved 13 November 2007.</ref>