Like a gritty, determined Justin Langer innings, fans of the Australian cricket team have to be prepared to see off a turbulent short term, show some resilience and look at the bigger picture.
Save for a brief period during the 1980s, and going back as far as the reign of the 1948 Invincibles, it is fair to say the Australian cricket public has not had too many disappointments to deal with of late.
Which very well might be why so many of us are so quick to spit the dummy as the Australian team undergo a transitional phase, and the inconsistencies associated with it.
Not that we should be accepting of second-rate performances, by any stretch of the imagination.
But surely the obituaries for Australian cricket and its youth system are somewhat premature.
It might be pointing out the bleeding obvious, but for nigh on two decades, our Australian team has consistently reached dizzying heights, making the ensuing comedown inevitable.
As has been stated ad nauseam, the likes of the Waughs, McGrath, Warne, Hayden and Gilchrist all occupy a space reserved for genuine legends of Australian cricket.
The effect of losing the nucleus of what may be regarded as the greatest Test team of all time has been two-fold.
Clearly, the fact that Australia no longer has a Warne or a McGrath to call on to break a partnership, or a Waugh to rely on for a ton is going to have a detrimental effect on the team’s fortunes.
But what is less obvious, but equally important to realise, is that the departure of so many in such a short space of time has led to an over-reliance on youth.
Previously, our elite talent had the luxury of being eased into a team laden with experience, and the consequences of a jittery first-up failure far less severe.
With that experience gone, Australia’s young stars must shoulder the responsibility from the outset, and given the uncompromising nature of Test cricket, it is hardly surprising that results have suffered.
Particularly when casting an eye over the two sides who have well and truly usurped Australia at the top of the Test cricket tree, England and India.
The majority of the England team who won the Ashes last summer are seasoned campaigners, with Strauss (33), Trott (29), Pietersen (30), Bell (28), Anderson (28) and Tremlett (29) all experienced cricketers.
Similiarly, India’s test team currently touring England is built around Tendulkar (38), Dravid (39), Laxman (37) Dhoni (30), Sehwag (33) and Harbhajan (31).
Perhaps more than any other sport, Test cricket exposes minor flaws and weaknesses and for a young player who is slightly down on confidence (take Hughes for example) there is simply nowhere to hide.
When this affliction in borne by two, three or four players in the XI, patchy performances and chequered results are bound to follow.
Does this constitute a complete and utter failure of Australia’s you academy, with a total overhaul the only possible solution?
Hardly. But what it does require is a realistic understanding of where the Australian team is at, and while it might be that our current crop of talent is not the golden generation of 15 years earlier, it is far too early to write them off just yet.
As an Australian public, it is our responsibility to show our collective character, put the knives away and get behind the team again.
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