Put the debate of ‘who’s the number one test team?’ aside for a bit; In the heat of argument ones senses often shut down, and one stops observing. And if there’s ever been a time in modern day cricket when one needs to observe and appreciate, wait and watch, this is it. Two top-notch teams are engaged in one of the most enthralling conflicts in recent memory, trading blow for blow. Whether they are numbers 1, 2 or 3 doesn’t really matter right now. It is much more engaging to simply watch them go about their test cricket and construct achievements that might have been beyond their own beliefs not too long ago. And they’ve just kept doing it all summer, again and again.
At this moment, however, only one of them is smiling in Johannesburg. And Australia> could not have done anything more to deserve it. If you are a fan of Australian cricket, this is not a time to hang your head in shame and embarrassment. Keep it lifted with a lot of pride. A young, unheralded team has been thrust into big shoes with no time to come to terms with this pressure-driven reality, and they have not let you down. As the sun sets over the Wanderers, the result of this edge-of-the-seat test match has just given the cricketing world a fresh perspective to reflect over, as results so often do.
Looking At All The Facts
Everyone was talking about Australia’s decline. They got beaten in India, they got beaten at home by South Africa, they got thrashed in the one-day series, even New Zealand went and almost beat them. Everyone thought it was the script of a nightmare, and everyone, except the Australian fans, was happy as the monster who had terrorized the world was getting the beating it had dished out relentlessly, year after year. No one was paying attention to the fact that they were quietly re-building, and getting better rapidly, with every game. Until now, of course. Now suddenly everyone is taking notice of the ‘other facts.’ Yes, Australia lost the first two tests against South Africa, but they were good enough to get themselves into winning positions against a red hot team. And they learnt, and went ahead and beat them in the next two, one of those in their own hostile backyard. They lost to New Zealand in the first two one-dayers which meant six defeats in seven straight ODIs, but without either the confidence or the time to recuperate, they rebounded when it mattered the most and one the next two straight. This team seems to be here to stay.
New Dynamism
The most commendable aspect of this new Australian team has been their dynamism, and it was on full view in Johannesburg. All those questions that everyone had begun to rattle off as soon as the Aussies reached the shores of their southern hemisphere compatriots, have been answered in some way or the other. Who is Hughes? Can the young kid even begin to fill Hayden’s big boots? Who are the bowlers? Can they take twenty South African wickets? Is Haddin> really an answer to Gilchrist’s position? Without Symonds at no. 6, is there anyone good enough to provide a counter blow? They just kept coming before this game…and Ponting just kept smiling and repeating how proud he was to be associated with so many promising youngsters. ‘We are re-building’, he said, ‘and have come with more than just this series result in mind.’
Hughes can bat, and while his technique seems awkward and he was a bundle of nerves in the first innings, he brings a surprising degree of composure for his 20 years of age. Marcus North is not in the Symonds mould at no.6, but he is technically very organized, seems at ease with pace and bounce and is willing to wait for the bad balls. His was one of the most relaxed centuries on debut you’ll ever see. Haddin, though not the cutter and puller par excellence that Gilchrist was, moves his feet like lightning and is an excellent counter attacker against spinners. And if anyone thought that the days of destructive lower order Aussie batting were gone, they might want to think again. Not many in Johannesburg will ever forget the carnage wrought by Johnson’s powerful 96* in the first innings. That they were all fine cricketing shots coming from a guy who still bats at only no. 9, and one knows comparisons with a Mr. Klusener will not take long coming. All in all, the sheer length of this batting line-up and the versatility that it still has, must have some demoralizing effect on the South African bowling going into Durban. Very simply, they just keep coming.
Their seam bowling also provided a surprising degree of variety in helpful conditions. The absence of Lee and Clark has really given the opportunity for Johnson and Siddle to flower. They run in hard from different angles, left-arm and right-arm respectively. While the former is already one of the best bowlers in the world, Siddle is one of those guys who bowls with a lot of heart, pace and aggression, and is always looking to make things happen, much like a young Brett Lee. Hilfenhaus> moves the ball both ways at pace, but appears more sedate and consistent. He is a very good foil for these two, while McDonald can tie up an end. Sure, not the greatest bowling attack ever but very effective.
This is what dynamism means. In the time of problems and weaknesses and the vulnerability that they cause, you recognize the opportunity for new thinking, and come up with fresh solutions. That is how weaknesses are converted into strengths, the Aussies have shown us. And now they will go to Durban a more relaxed, happier and stronger unit. The pressure is back on South Africa. They are smarting, and they have to contend with these audacious and seemingly fearless outsiders. Quite interestingly, South Africa were on the other side of this same scale just a couple of months ago, after the Perth test.
What will happen next is anyone’s guess, but the battle of this series has just scaled another level. One can hardly wait for morning to wash over Kingsmead on the Friday. But who’s no. 1? For now, at least I don’t care.