Sport is so unimportant, and matters to us all the more for it.
Sporting heroes achieve so little of real consequence, and yet their feats inspire us so mightily. Cricket is utterly meaningless, but there are times when it means the whole world to some of us.
Like the day when, in a dusty furnace in the least traditional arena in the Test world, a beaten, bruised, almost broken collection of obvious no-hopers performed feats of such unlikely wonder that they rescued their team from catastrophe and reminded us all of why this game exists.
This is why Test cricket is played.
Dubai is hardly the place to conjure memories of cricket’s Golden Age. But on the last day of this Test match, Usman Khawaja and some doughty assistants breathed the spirit of their forebears.
This was Jones in Chennai, Atherton in Johannesburg, Hanif in Bridgetown and Border in Port-of-Spain. This was the kind of stubborn, pig-headed defiance they just don’t make anymore.
This is why we allow a game to last five days without anyone winning or losing.
Tim Paine knows full well the team he inherited in the worst possible circumstances isn’t a patch on champion elevens of years past. His humble crew could not hold a handle to the colossal world-crushing machine that wore the baggy green at the turn of the century. But that team couldn’t have saved this Test. Tim Paine’s did.
Skipper Tim Paine of Australia. (Photo by Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images/Gallo Images)
It did it by virtue of a maligned batsman of whom it was said he couldn’t play on turning wickets and was a liability in Asia; a debutant opener who spent the last decade in a pigeonhole marked “not suitable for red balls”; another debutant who started his career in the first innings with a duck that confirmed everyone’s view that he didn’t belong; and Paine himself, considered by many to be not much good for anything.
Not to mention a cameo of pure doggedness from Nathan Lyon and his legendary forward defence.
They did it because this is a team that in its short and mostly unhappy life has come to understand that sometimes there is simply nothing to do but keep plugging away.
Australia’s bowlers did it first, the spinners toiling eternally under the scorching Arabian sun and the presumed-superannuated Peter Siddle willingly blowing a gasket for his country just like old times.
Life has not been easy for Australia this year, but the advantage of life not being easy is that you never fall into the trap of expecting it to be. When everything is a fight, it never occurs to you to stop fighting, even when it seems futile
This is why it is a Test match.
Going into the final day hope sprung eternal, but laughably unrealistically. Finch was gone, the Marshes too – the brothers having produced all the impact of a pair of jammed pistols.
Their demise left exposed a green batting order of which it felt generous to say the tail began at number five. But three men played the innings of their lives – maybe four if you count Lyon – and somehow a batting lineup more fragile than any Australia has fielded for at least three decades, one that Shane Warne called the worst he’d seen, did what no other Australian side ever has.
One hundred and forty overs, in conditions that Australians are known for being unable to handle, against the kind of attack that Australians are known for floundering hopelessly against.
Usman Khawaja (AAP Image/Dave Hunt)
Usman Khawaja’s innings was quite simply one of the best ever played. Doubting his technique or his temperament will from now on be foolish.
If Travis Head never plays another Test he will have a glorious knock to remember: if he plays a hundred he may never make a score so desperately needed.
And Tim Paine, the baby-faced brick wall, has shown himself worthy of carrying on the line of skippers that includes names like Border, Waugh and Chappell. He played an innings any of them would have been proud of.
That’s why we have Test cricket. No other game could have given us anything as glorious as this day, when amidst the ruins a beaten team refused to admit it was beaten.
Harvey Wilson
Roar Rookie
I agree, the monkey isnt off his back yet. But the signs were promising that he was playing a controlled, steady innings. He didnt take risks which is what Australia have been needing for a long time. Warner came off occasionally, but more often than not a stupid shot started the rot.
Geoff from Bruce Stadium
Roar Rookie
Terrific article Ben - encapsulates beautifully what the spirit of Test cricket really means - so proud of Ussie, Tim Paine, Aaron Finch and Travis Head at the manner in which they dug in and refused to surrender. I have so much respect for Tim Paine as a person and now as a leader of this Test team. I really hope this bunch of battlers can go on with it from here. Its performances like this that make you proud to support the Australian cricket team.
WeaglesFan
Guest
Drain the marshes. ;)
Graeme
Roar Rookie
This is a great read Ben, about one of our great Test performances of recent times. Two tests after the ignominy of Cape Town, this does more to restore our self respect and confidence in the team than anything else. You captured the moments perfectly.
Fadida
Guest
Agree re the compelling nature of cricket. As someone who watched every ball of every test for about 20 years, but has lost interest in the last 10 (work, kids etc), I had to google Marnus whatsiname! Never heard of him! I once knew the background of every shield player. Amazing. I actually thought it was an autocorrect error at first
Mambo
Roar Rookie
A nice testimony to test cricket and nice to see Finch and Head take to it so well, so much more substance than a T20 slog. I'll be honest that I haven't seen the magic in Khawaja before, but this rates as two of the best Australian innings of all time. A shame it was played in a vacant lot. What a tragedy for Pakistan and world cricket.
Brokent-hearted Toy
Guest
I agree. He's very useful with his silly predictions. One thing I will take exception to about this article. South Africa and England have played some mighty last day innings in the past few years - past decade really. This is an outstanding example for Aus but only because they've never been known to be any good at saving matches. But hats off to Ussie and Paine. Couldn't happen to a nicer pair of players.
TheCunningLinguistic
Roar Rookie
Great piece, Ben- thoroughly enjoyed the read!
Matt H
Roar Guru
Perfectly put Ben. That was a great day of test cricket. Unbearable tension even when nothing at all was happening. How do you explain that to 'outsiders'.
Munro Mike
Roar Rookie
And don't forget the toil of a guy like Pete Siddle, 3-58 from 29 overs was a super effort and then 4th top score in the first innings!!! Lyon is interesting - and this is where we need to review this test in a balanced way ; Outside of Bilal's exceptional 6/36 of 21 1/2 in the first innings it was a pretty hard slog for the spinners. Lyon 4/172 off best part of 78 overs Holland 4/209 off 49 (memories of a fellow called Krejza) Yasir 4/194 of 72 Bilal 0/87 off 37 in the 4th innings I wouldn't suggest this to be a typical 'Asian' pitch when we are thinking more India/SL/Bangladesh sub continent style pitches. Has Uzzie got that monkey off his back? I don't think so - I suggest he'd still be mighty nervous returning to the 'sub continent'.
Abigail
Guest
Beautifully written and encapsulated that final day perfectly.
JohnB
Roar Rookie
JuBe, Shane Warne is the finest motivator going around (or at least that's how he might spin it).
Ouch
Roar Rookie
Great write up. "the brothers having produced all the impact of a pair of jammed pistols." "Tim Paine, the baby-faced brick wall," Gold.
bowledover
Guest
Great piece. Thank you. i just really hope that the efforts of those couple of guys doesnt mean that some deserved changes arent made for the next one....
Ado Potato
Roar Rookie
I completely agree, El Loco. There is no other sport like it - battling, not to win, but to avoid losing on the fifth day of a match. Peter Roebuck used to write about how Test cricket revealed the true character of players. Well done Tim Paine, Usman Kawaja and crew. I loved much about the great Australian Test teams from 1989, as they became stronger they knew how to win but not to fight. Those champion teams, when stood up to by an opponent, often showed they couldn't tough it out. In much the same way, a bully will lord it over others in the [metaphorical] school playground until someone stands up to them, at which point they lose all their fight. My favourite line from the article: "But that team couldn’t have saved this Test. Tim Paine’s did."
Junior Coach
Guest
Great article Ben, and probably one of the best tests ive seen for a while, maybe the baggy green means something to these blokes other than a sponsorship deal, although the Marshes have got to go. The conditions were ones that Australia has capitulated in for the last 10-12 years. A small bit of my requited love for cricket has returned .
Tony H
Roar Pro
Right proper journalism that is! Well said, Ben.
Derek Murray
Roar Rookie
Damn right. Brilliant stuff Ben. I was in a conference all day and sneaking updates on my phone. Well done Uzzie and the rest of the team.
Big Daddy
Guest
Ben, A lot better than crackling and spanks.
josh
Roar Rookie
Australia is the greatest cricketing nation on Earth.