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Forget the Pup and Kat in-fight. Plenty has already been written on it. Instead, let’s concentrate on Mr Test Cricket, Michael Hussey.
Be it Test cricket or One Day Internationals (ODIs), he rules the roost in the last few months.
In the ODI series concluded in South Africa on Friday, he was adjudged Man-of-the-Series after averaging a monumental 112.00. No South African bowler could get him out as he remained unbeaten in the first and third ODIs and was run-out in the second.
In the Test series against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka last month, he averaged 92.60, winning Man-of-the-Match awards in all three Tests and Man-of-the-Series award as well.
As mentioned in my Roar column on 21 September, this is unique in Test history.
Australian cricket seems to be on its way up; winning the ODI series in Sri Lanka 3-2 in August, the Test series in Sri Lanka 1-0 (with two drawn) last month and the ODI series in South Africa 2-1 last week.
But now is the Big Question: How will fourth-ranked Australia go in South Africa against second-ranked home team in the two-Test series starting at Cape Town next Wednesday?
This is the real test of skipper Michael Clarke.
A victory over the Proteas will be an occasion for double celebration for him. Winning a Test series against a higher ranked opponent is always a joyful occasion. But it will be more than that.
At a personal level, he will be happy that Australia has won without Simon Katich and the judgements of the selectors in general and he in particular have been vindicated. So let’s begin with the openers.
Shane Watson has been the success story of Australian cricket the last few summers. But what about his partner to face the new ball attack of Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and Lonwabo Tsotsobe?
Phil Hughes has not shown consistency of late. If I was a selector, I would certainly have picked Katich.
So there I go again! Katich may be 36 but so is Mike Hussey – three months older than Katich, with Ricky Ponting eight months older.
Hussey and Ponting also went through rough patches but selectors showed confidence in them and they came good, especially Hussey. Double standard?
For no. 3 there is a conflict, Shaun Marsh or Usman Khawaja? The tour match starting on Melbourne Cup day at Potchefstroom against South Africa will give us a clue as to who to pick.
Skipper Clarke, Ponting and the in-form Mike Hussey will bat at nos. 4, 5 and 6. Wicket-keeper Brad Haddin will go in at no.7.
Mitchell Johnson has been less wayward in his line and length in the ODIs just concluded and should be given the new ball.
Although teenager Patrick Cummins took five wickets in the ODI series, including 3-28 in the first match at Centurion, I would go with Trent Copland to open the attack with Johnson.
The never-say-never Ryan Harris will be my first change bowler and spinner Nathan Lyon will be my spinner of choice.
And of course there is Watson the all-rounder.
Who will win the series? Even Nostradamus will be as much floored to pick the Melbourne Cup winner on Tuesday as he would be to predict as to who will win the Test series in South Africa on 21 November in Johannesburg.
But Graeme Smith’s men have the home advantage and possess the best all-rounder since Gary Sobers in Jacques Kallis.
Will Mike Hussey perform a rare hat-trick of being adjudged Man of the Series after his successive triumphs in Sri Lanka in Tests and in South Africa in ODIs?
He is one of the very few batsmen to average over 50 in Tests, ODIs and first-class matches, averaging 53.26 in 62 Tests, 51.17 in 166 ODIs and 52.91 (highest score 331 not out) in 249 first-class matches.
And yet so under-rated internationally! Why?