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Have I spoken too early? Is the current Australian cricket team approaching the Golden Age?
Remember, still two Tests are to be played against the no.1 Test nation South Africa.
Until 21 November 2013 Australian cricket lovers were moaning and groaning about their team’s future after being whitewashed 0-4 by India in India and defeated 0-3 by England in England.
“Will we win even one Test against England in Australia?” the Aussie supporters had wondered.
The chanters of “Aussie, Aussie, oi, oi, oi” were quiet when Australia lost 6 for 132 in Brisbane on the opening day of the Ashes series in Australia on 21 November last year.
Then Brad Haddin with the bat (and gloves) and Mitchell Johnson with the ball (and moustache) turned things around from November to January.
And how, oh my goodness! Australia hog-washed England 5-0 and not by tiddly margins.
They won the first Test in Brisbane by 381 runs, the second in Adelaide by 218 runs, the third in Perth by 150 runs (to regain the Ashes with two Tests to go), the fourth in Melbourne by eight wickets and the fifth and final Test in Sydney by 281 runs.
The home spectators were delighted but the critics were not so sure. Australia had home advantage. And England was perhaps a team divided.
Top Test players – Jonathan Trott, Graeme Swann – do not leave an Ashes tour mid-way unless there is an internal friction.
Jury is not out regarding the “disappearance” of master batsman Kevin Pietersen from Test scene after the tour.
Let’s wait for the tour to South Africa, ranked number one in Test cricket, warned the experts, to see how good Australia really is. Will they retain their mojo over there?
They did, and they won the first Test in Centurion by 281 runs in four days, coincidentally by the same margin as they had annihilated Alastair Cook’s Englishmen in Sydney in three days.
Except a little after lunch on Day 1 of the Centurion Test when Australia was 4 for 94, the South Africans were nowhere in the picture.
Apart from two fighting innings by AB de Villiers, and Dale Steyn taking 4 for 78 in the first innings, the others resembled Under-19 amateurs.
Mostly, it was the Mitchell Johnson bombardment that reduced the champion team to also-ran status. It was fear factor at its most dangerous as he captured 7 for 68 and 5 for 59.
He intimidated the experienced opening batsmen skipper Graeme Smith and Alviro Petersen in both innings as South Africa lost 1 for 11 and 2 for 15 in the first innings and 1 for 6 and 2 for 12 in the second.
Smith could make only 10 and 4 while Petersen struggled to 2 and 1.
Badly begun is horribly finished.
Terminator Johnson was the obvious man of the match, but other Australians had contributed as well. Ryan Harris, Peter Siddle and Nathan Lyon bowled accurately to keep the pressure on.
Shaun Marsh (148) and Steven Smith (100) added 233 precious runs after Australia was struggling at 4 for 98.
In the second innings when Australia lost Chris Rogers cheaply, lucky David Warner (a chancy 115) and debutant Alex Doolan (89) put on 205 for the second wicket to steady the ship.
Much is expected from Doolan who batted sensibly in both innings and took a magnificent juggling catch at short leg off Johnson to dismiss JP Duminy.
Who will be dropped in the second Test starting at Port Elizabeth on Thursday the 20th if Shane Watson is fit?
Apart from Chris Rogers who failed in both innings scoring 4 and 1, everyone else performed well.
However, as Rogers had scored well in the Ashes, I would rather give him one more chance than replace him with Watson who currently is not comfortable opening the innings.
If I was a selector, I would name the same XI for the next Test.
So ending with my beginning, is the current Australian team approaching the Golden era? Or is it a false dawn?
To many, Golden Age is always in the past; the days of Don Bradman, Chappell brothers, Waugh twins and Ricky Ponting.
In fast and furious Johnson, accurate seamers Harris and Siddle and spinner Lyon, Australia has a powerful attack.
Not so convincing is its batting. Fortunately for them, two or three batsmen in every innings have anchored the team to big scores.
Let’s wait until 5 March to assess the team’s greatness.