By Benjamin Conkey
January 7th 2010 @ 1:00am
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The best rebuilding cricket team ever
The Australia team celebrates the dismissal of Pakistan's Kamran Akmal Mitchell Johnson on day 4 of the second test at the SCG in Sydney on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2010. (AAP Image/Tracey Nearmy)
When Australia walked onto the ‘GABBA against Sri Lanka in November 2007, it was the start of a new era. No Warne and no McGrath. All the talk was how this team was going to regularly take 10 wickets. Immediately the critics were hushed as Australia won the match by an innings and 40 runs.
Brett Lee stepped up to the challenge, taking eight wickets, and Mitchell Johnson was the new boy on the block making his debut.
It’s been 26 months since that first examination of the new Australian cricket team, and their incredible win against Pakistan at the S.C.G proves that a winning mentality is hard to shake.
It’s also the determination to avoid defeat at all costs, which has been indoctrinated by skipper Ricky Ponting.
They have slipped in the World Rankings, and the winning percentage has declined. But when you look at the numbers, Australia is still an extremely difficult side to overcome.
The Aussies have played 31 Tests since Warne and McGrath called it quits, and have lost just eight times. They’ve won 7 of the 10 series played.
No bad for a side that’s rebuilding!
Some may call the most recent victory lucky. Others will claim Pakistan lost the second test rather than Australia winning it. But the fact that Australia had any chance at all needs to be applauded.
I hope all International Test teams were watching Australia’s performance, because it’s a great lesson in the value of staying in a contest.
Too often we see teams play for a draw or even appear to accept defeat after being bundled out for a cheap score in the first innings. But you never get that feeling with Australia.
Even when the Aussies lost by an innings to South Africa last year, they were positive in defeat. On that occasion, it looked like South Africa would record one of its biggest victories after leading by more than 400 on the first innings.
That was until Mitchell Johnson arrived, scoring 123 not out in 103 balls. It might not have saved the Test, but it was a sign that you can never discount Australia.
Pakistan found that out yesterday morning, when Peter Siddle dug in with Michael Hussey sharing in a record partnership.
Nathan Hauritz then proved his worth as a match-winning spin bowler, enticing Mohammad Yousuf into one too many aggressive strokes, before opening up the tail with the wicket of Misbah-Ul-Haq. Credit to Ricky Ponting for sticking with Hauritz, who was smashed by Yousuf in the over before tea.
And what about Johnson?
He just keeps taking wickets. Right-hand batsmen must have nightmares about his bowling. That unique angle across the batsman is like hypnosis. Players know they shouldn’t take the bait, but they can’t help it. The good news for Johnson is that the selectors have forgotten about his Ashes performances.
The only weak link appears to be Marcus North in the middle order.
Nathan Hauritz has more runs this summer than the struggling West Australian. He will get another chance after the win, but he better make use of any opportunity he gets, and his fielding needs to improve as well.
Australia have played supposedly weak opposition this summer, but you still have to get the results on the board. At 5 for 139 against the West Indies in Adelaide, Michael Clarke and Brad Haddin batted for 20 overs to force a draw.
Then in the following Test, the Aussies refused to panic with the Windies on 3 for 196 chasing 359 for victory. Ponting brought in the field and kept Nash in the 40s for an eternity, which put the pressure on Deonarine, who finally succumbed for 82.
The rest is history.
This mental toughness continues to amaze me (which I assumed would diminish in the new era), no doubt it amazes Australia’s opposition too.
One gets the feeling that the rebuilding phase might be slowly heading towards the domination spectrum. This is no longer a team of champions, but a bunch of very good cricketers who can still beat anyone, even when it’s not their day.
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(9)
vinay verma said | January 7th 2010 @ 7:53am | Report comment
Benjamin..I have listened to and watched Australian sport since I was 7 years old. The early days were listening to Radio Australia and the BBC. I remember listening to Benaud bowling Australia to victory after England was 1 for 150 odd at Manchester. No one gave Australia a hope. When Benaud bowled Dexter it was game on. Australia never gives up and this is the envy of other Nations. Tennis and Athletics are individual sports but the will is still there.Herb Elliot,Ron Clarke,DeCastella,Charlesworth,Border and even Lleyton Hewitt embody this will to win.
I am dismayed at punters who dismiss this Cricket side as ordinary.In Ponting,Clarke,Hussey,Katich and Watson they have a classy batting lineup and in Johnson,Hilfenhaus,Siddle and Bollinger a quartet that will get better. And Hauritz cannot do more than take fivefers.
Fisher Price said | January 7th 2010 @ 9:31am | Report comment
A classy batting line-up that collapses if the ball is moving.
Roger Rational said | January 7th 2010 @ 9:31am | Report comment
Hehe. These Roar cricket articles veer from one extreme to the other. Ditch Ponting yesterday and predictions of domination today. It makes Manchester City football fans look positively grounded in comparison.
Brett McKay said | January 7th 2010 @ 10:05am | Report comment
welcome back Conks, glad to see you returning with your views in 2010..
As surprising and amazing as yesterday’s win was, we only need to go back as far as 1999/2000 Hobart – again against Pakistan – to see that sometimes the improbable can happen. During Langer and Gilchrist’s epic partnership on that final day, Langer kept up his mantra “you just never know” to the then just-debuted Gilchrist, and history shows that they did it with overs to spare.
I don’t think it’s any coincidence now thinking about that Test ten years ago, that Australia could repeat the dose on Pakistan yesterday, especially when you consider that in the home dressing room sits the figure of one J.Langer..
sunshine said | January 7th 2010 @ 10:53am | Report comment
I think the articles written in the press are particularly harsh on Australia.
Pakistan spread the field for Hussey who was set and brought it in for Siddle a lot of the time. Besides the dropped by keeper chances Hussey gave very little away. Maybe more pressure should have been applied by Pakistan but decisions are made on the field and not from the comfort of a press box.
Ponting needs to be congratulated for sticking with hauritz, it would have been easy to pull him early on when copping some stick.
The main difference was the age old adage catches win matches…
Brian said | January 7th 2010 @ 11:25am | Report comment
7 out of 10 series ain’t that great. Look more cloesly and you’ll see the 5 series that matter – India, England & Sth Africa. On that note they’ve won 2 lost 3. Hardly world beaters and they were lucky to beat India here. Given the resources and prblems of the world’s cricket boards only 4 teams in the modern age can truly strive to be number one. To be ranked 3rd out of those 4 hardly strikes me as amazing.
Johnson is world class bu I doubt anyone other than Krejza has nightmares about Hauritz. His 5 wicket hauls dismissing the likes of Asif, Kaniera & Ajmal do a disservice to the milestone.
Hoy said | January 7th 2010 @ 12:39pm | Report comment
On another side of the coin, I have often thought Ponting sticks with bowlers for too long without changing even the field settings, and it goes the other way, and the batsmen get cheap runs as the bowler is carted everywhere for too long.
It is a knife edge, and I feel Ponting was lucky to pull that one back from the depths of a massive and possibly humiliating loss. Again, I thought we were going to be all out for around 70 in the first innings.
Mick of Newie said | January 8th 2010 @ 1:02pm | Report comment
Brian
Accepting your top 4, Australia is currently 1-1 in series with each of the other team on a home and away basis.
India and Sth Africa are slightly ahead and Engalnd slightly behind.
Unfortuantely Sri Lanka the other truly competitve team miss out on these discussions as Australia puts a low priority on them. Sri Lanka have a positive series record against Sth Africa and England. They have also beaten and lost away series in India in recent years.
Cowboy Bob said | January 8th 2010 @ 10:06pm | Report comment
It would have been better for Australia to lose that test match. Might have been the wake up call they needed. The batting is brittle, and Bollinger is an enthusiastic park bowler who will be found out by better opposition. I fear England will roll us on our home soil.