Test Debut
Tallon made his Test debut in a one-off Test against New Zealand at Wellington in March 1946, although the match was only given Test accreditation two years later. On a wet wicket, New Zealand were dismissed for 42 and 54 against the slow bowling of Bill O'Reilly and Ernie Toshack. Tallon made a stumping, a run out and took a catch. He scored only five runs as Australia won by an innings and 103 runs. Tallon had rarely kept to O'Reilly's leg spin and impressed the bowler, who compared him with Oldfield. During the tour of New Zealand, Australia won all of their five matches, four by an innings. Tallon scored 123 runs at 41.00 and made 12 dismissals.
The following season saw Australia's first Test series since the end of World War II, with five matches scheduled against Wally Hammond's touring Englishmen in the 1946-47 Ashes series. Tallon staked his claim for the Test wicket-keeping position in Queensland's second match of the season, which was against MCC. Tallon combined with McCool in four stumpings and two catches, and in the process took his first-class tally to 170 dismissals his 50th first-class match. He also scored 26 and 35. Tallon's proficiency keeping wicket to McCool's bowling was now a major factor in his favour for national selection, because McCool had established himself as Australia's first-choice spinner since the retirement of O'Reilly. Tallon was duly selected for the First Test of the series in Brisbane.
In First Test at Brisbane Tallon took two catches but scored only 14 in a victory. Tallon was worried that his poor batting might lead to him being replaced, but he was retained as Australia secured an innings victory in Sydney. He put in a polished performance with the gloves, with four catches and two stumpings, in addition to 30 runs. The only negative aspect of the match for Tallon was that he dislocated his finger. Beyond the raw statistics, two of the catches that Tallon made in the first innings were regarded as among his finest ever and turned the tide of the match. Len Hutton and Bill Edrich—two of England's leading batsmen—had seen their team to lunch with only the loss of one wicket. Tallon declared to Bradman that he intended to dismiss Hutton down the leg side, so Bradman brought off spinner Ian Johnson into the attack immediately after lunch. Johnson was instructed to bowl at Hutton's legs to give him an opportunity to glance the ball. Hutton obliged and struck the ball from the middle of his bat, expecting a boundary. He turned around and was shocked to see that Tallon had intercepted the ball from a blind position at a range of just one metre. The score was 2/88 as Hutton, who held the Test world record score was dismissed and replaced at the batting crease by Denis Compton. Bradman introduced McCool and Compton misjudged a cut shot which went wide of Tallon and struck Johnson, fielding at slip, in the chest. The ball rebounded past Tallon's shoulder and was heading for the ground when he spun and dived backwards to catch it just before it landed. According to Roland Perry, it was "an acrobatic feat that would put any trapeze artist in the shade, taking one of the most brilliant catches in Test history". Tallon took another difficult catch from McCool to dismiss Hammond as England fell to 4/99, with three specialist batsmen to improbable catches. This restricted England and allowed Australia to set up a match-winning lead.
Tallon now felt secure about his place in the team for the rest of the series. This led to increased confidence in his play in the Third Test at Melbourne (MCG). After keeping tidily and scoring 35 in the first innings, Tallon combined with Ray Lindwall in the second innings for a 154-run partnership in just 92 minutes. Described by Wisden as a "hurricane", the partnership was marked by Tallon's powerful driving and cutting. Lindwall reached his century, but Tallon fell for 92 to Doug Wright. Tallon's 92 remained the highest score by an Australian wicketkeeper until Rod Marsh equalled it with 92 not out in the 1970-71 Ashes series and surpassed it with 132 against New Zealand in 1973–74.
In the Fourth Test at Adelaide Tallon stumped Denis Compton, but the umpire gave him not out because "the glare of the sun suddenly became so intense that he was unable to see clearly the white line of the popping crease" and Compton made 147. The England openers Len Hutton and Cyril Washbrook had put on 100 in the second innings when Tallon caught Washbrook, scooping up a ball from Lindwall. Washbrook "stood there transfixed. Even some of the Australian leg-side fielders expressed amazement". Tallon was known for his impetuous appealing - "he was often roaring before he had studied facts and it was his over-eagerness that brought about the shocking decision" - and this caused an umpiring controversy. But Tallon maintained the appeal and Bradman backed him. Washbrook told Wally Hammond that the ball had gone into the ground just before it went into Tallon's gloves and the England captain tried unsuccessfully to find a press photograph of the ball touching the ground. Later in the match Tallon missed a vital stumping off the England wicketkeeper Godfrey Evans, who stayed put for 95 minutes without making a run. Tallon stumped Compton again, but he was given not out and went on to made an unbeaten 103 in a match-saving stand of 85 with Evans.
Tallon's keeping was further lauded in the second innings of the Fifth Test, when he stumped Edrich, Jack Ikin and Alec Bedser from McCool's bowling. By series end, Tallon had set an Australian Test record of 20 dismissals in a series and averaged 29 with the bat. He also scored 54 and claimed seven dismissals in a Queensland win over South Australia.
Tallon started the next season by taking five catches and scoring 41 in the second innings and Queensland scraped home to beat New South Wales by two wickets. He played in all five Tests against India in the Australian summer of 1947–48, and earned praise from Indian skipper Lala Amarnath who described him as the "greatest keeper he had seen". Tallon made 13 dismissals but had an unproductive time with the bat, scoring only 49 runs at 12.25. Outside the Tests, Tallon scored 229 runs at 22.90 and made 15 dismissals in six matches for Queensland.
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