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.
Zubes
Guest
To answer your question Kersi, I would say no. It was Warne and McGrath + a very strong batting lineup that kept Oz at the top for so long. Mitch in his second coming is on a purple patch but how long will it last? So far his wickets have come on wickets most suited to his style of bowling. An Australian bowling attack needs to prove itself in the sub continent before you can call them great etc...
Passionate_Aussie
Roar Rookie
Agreed!
Passionate_Aussie
Roar Rookie
Johnson is amazing but our otherbowlers are doing their jobs. Johnson's job isn't even to take the amount of wickets he's taking but he's alleviating that pressure from the other bowlers and the need for part time bowlers. Clarke's captaincy is also genius!
Adam
Guest
Exactly!
Passionate_Aussie
Roar Rookie
Slowly but surely the transition is being made. I don't expect Rogers to last much longer. Hughes will be there soon. Harris is also just a car crash waiting to happen.
Passionate_Aussie
Roar Rookie
And a series win for us will continue to add to how good the team is playing, but South Africa first. We still have two tests to go.
Passionate_Aussie
Roar Rookie
You can't, nor should you.
Worlds Biggest
Guest
Felix, if you've read most of the comments no one is predicting a new golden era off the back of the win at Centurion. I don't think anyone is taking the bluff. As others have mentioned, if Australia can win this series and the next Ashes and then the discussion can start.
Vikram
Guest
I think you (aus) are no 1. Evean batter then. . . R. P. Or R. W. 's team But to stay there is another thing. I just don't see enough talent at preset au first class latel to stay no. 1 Which both the S.W. And R.P. had
Pete
Guest
+ our allrounders are better (no disrespect to Watto or Faulkner, but Anderson and the Neesh are special players)
Pete
Guest
As a Kiwi i think we are about to have a golden age as well. 2 decent openers and a spinner and we will take on anyone. Your openers are much better Our middle order is a bit better Your seamers are a bit better Your spinner is much better The keepers are about the same Would love to see Williamson, Taylor and McCullum against Mitch
felix
Guest
Golden age,No this team is not half as good as Ponting's team,dont let a big victory bluff you,when the Hayden,Gilchrist,Langer,Warne and McGrath came here I expected SA to lose,cant say the same with this current Aus team,remember India also won a test match big deal but they lost the series ;-)
Behroze
Guest
Well said Kersi. Mitch Johnson certainly strikes fear in any batsman. But think of poor Brad Haddin who has saved many a wayward ball that has slipped out of MJ's fingers! Any stats on just how many catches Hads has taken from MJ's bowling? And of course others like Doolan, Smith, Clarke, etc. Some superb catches have supported MJ in his claim to fame. But there's no doubt he is a freak that we are lucky to have on our side. Long may he reign!
Bearfax
Guest
Errr Chop. Since the last Ashes in England Smith as been averaging in tests 47.4 and Warner 59. Both have scored three centuries during that period. Hardly lacking in consistency I'd say. Haddin on the other hand has scored 1 century and is averaging 54.8 since the last English Ashes, brilliant but less than Warner and not that much better than Smith.
Nick
Roar Guru
How about the majority of the team that are above 30? Or the fact that this is the oldest average team amongst all test team. Rogers, (Watson), Clarke, Haddin, Johnson, Harris, Marsh are all over 30+ and Siddle at 28/29. Its not a team that will be together for ages like the teams of the 2000's. We should enjoy the run while it lasts and see how we handle the next transition.
Bearfax
Guest
The new Golden Age was coming two years ago when most were on with gloom and doom It was obvious that there were rising champions, often maligned at first, who were on the rise like Warner and Smith. But this golden streak is all about two men, Lehmann and Johnson. One gave Australia's team a will to enjoy their cricket again, the other gave Australian batsmen the room to establish themselves. Just hope Johnson doesnt get injured because he is the key at the moment. But I still suspect there are changes that will occur especially in the bating line up, before Australia can claim a true Golden Era again.
Chop
Roar Guru
I think the definition of a 'golden age' needs some sort of criteria where there are no single points of failure. E.g previously in the batting we had Ponting, Waugh, Hussey, Clarke, Hayden, Langer....Now we've had Marsh and Doolan performing in the last test but no one except Haddin consistently performing since the ashes in England. In the bowling our single point of failure is of course Mitchell Johnson, previously we had McGrath, Warne, Gillespie, Lee Another critieria should be consistency of team selection, barring injury the team barely changed during the 2000's. There are still constent changes so I think we still have a way to go before declaring another 'golden age'. Given the ages of some of the team stalwarts, Haddin, Rogers, Harris especially, Johnson, Marsh (if he stays there) and even Clarke, means there will be a significant turnover in the next few years so time will tell if the next people in can maintain the standard set over the last 6 test matches.
Kersi Meher-Homji
Guest
Bayman, Sheek and Chris, An excellent summing up. You should be on the Foxsport TV panel along with Brendon Julian, Allan Border, Greg Blewett, Stuart Clark... And I am not joking.
Sideline Comm.
Guest
And it won't come for a few years yet, we have India at home this summer.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
If Johnson can maintain form anywhere near this for another couple of years then he'll likely finish his career in the company of the all-time great fast bowlers and when he's not around anymore that will be a significant loss. But that being said, I still salivate about the idea of a bowling lineup featuring Cummins, Pattinson and Starc, and then with guys like Bird, Hazelwood, Faulkner, Couter-Nile etc waiting in the wings. Maybe none of those guys will have the lethal impact Johnson can have at his best, there are few in the history of test cricket that do, but I can see that as a pretty formidable pace battery for years to come. Then when you look at some of the young batsmen coming through like Lynn, Maddinson, Silk, Carters and even Hughes, who I still believe is just too good to not get back and make a real good go at test cricket, Nathan Lyon who's fast developing into a really world class spinner, and a few young spinners showing serious promise to possibly keep the pressure on as well as give good aid when they travel to the sub-continent, there is very much the makings of some good long term success for Australia.