While we in the sub-continent have been healing all our wounds of Test Match losses abroad with the greatest panacea - "The IPL", Bridgetown Barbados witnessed one of the great Test Matches. In one of my previous post, I had described why I find Test Cricket a such an intriguing sport. This test match at Barbados proved testimonial to my claims. Until probably the end of day 3 it always seemed like this game would go down as a dull high scoring draw. But Test Cricket has a habit of springing in great surprises. This game went down to a final session thriller. Under fading light, Australia scripted an amazing victory.
Great Test Matches are won not merely by great skill, but by an amalgamation of skill and insight towards the game. In this game, Clarke showed his great ability as a leader and the way he thought about the game. It was so refreshing to see Clarke not scared of losing. The fight put up by the Australian lower order, the decision to declare with 40 odd runs behind, the fiery spell by Hilfenhaus, Warner's blitz all played a part in scripting a famous and memorable test.
Suddenly, after the retirement of the Aussie legends who shaped the team in the first decade the Australian team slacked down. The team of the early 2000s, never knew what it meant to play for a draw. They believed that every game could be won. It was this attitude in the team, which made them such a great unit to watch. 2006 Adelaide Test at the Ashes was a prime example. Despite the drubbing England gave in the first innings, Australia played to win. Shane Warne spun the web in the second innings and Australia was a part of an unlikely victory. At that time Micheal Clarke was still a very young guy in the team- still learning various tricks of the trade. As Clarke himself said that it was from the Adelaide Test that he derived inspiration to win this game.
Australian Cricket has traditionally always stood for ruthlessness and the willingness to win at all cost. Winning in Australia has always been the benchmark against which other teams compared each other. After the depletion of the great unit of the early 2000s, when it seemed that those qualities which defined Aussie cricket would slowly die off, the arrival of Clarke as a captain comes a great relief for the fans in Australia. Micheal Clarke seems to have all the ingredients to be the bridge between the Australian team of yesteryears and the current team. This win at Barbados might have the same impact on the relatively new caps in the Australian line-up like David Warner, Ed Cowan, Mathew Wade, Hilfenhaus etc. as the Adelaide Test would have had on him. These cricketers will now understand what that winning is having no fear of losing. Micheal Clarke's decision to declare with a deficit was a brave and a smart move. It also re-signified the beauty of Test Cricket. It is sometimes like an on-field chess game. You may have to lose a few pawns and maybe also the queen to protect the king. After this win, Clarke has shown that the dynamic and pro-active captain he is. Cricket Australia can be assured that Australian cricket is in safe hands.
I am in no way saying that, this team would again be the near-invincible like that in the first decade of the 21st century. Such teams are formed by convolution of rare abilities at a single time. Such teams are formed only once in a generation. To expect this team to be like that is unfair. What I hope is that Clarke passes on the 'win at all cost' attitude to this team. I hope he retains the image of Australia as one tough nut to crack and teams overseas should still take pride in beating Australia in Australia.
Great Test Matches are won not merely by great skill, but by an amalgamation of skill and insight towards the game. In this game, Clarke showed his great ability as a leader and the way he thought about the game. It was so refreshing to see Clarke not scared of losing. The fight put up by the Australian lower order, the decision to declare with 40 odd runs behind, the fiery spell by Hilfenhaus, Warner's blitz all played a part in scripting a famous and memorable test.
Suddenly, after the retirement of the Aussie legends who shaped the team in the first decade the Australian team slacked down. The team of the early 2000s, never knew what it meant to play for a draw. They believed that every game could be won. It was this attitude in the team, which made them such a great unit to watch. 2006 Adelaide Test at the Ashes was a prime example. Despite the drubbing England gave in the first innings, Australia played to win. Shane Warne spun the web in the second innings and Australia was a part of an unlikely victory. At that time Micheal Clarke was still a very young guy in the team- still learning various tricks of the trade. As Clarke himself said that it was from the Adelaide Test that he derived inspiration to win this game.
Australian Cricket has traditionally always stood for ruthlessness and the willingness to win at all cost. Winning in Australia has always been the benchmark against which other teams compared each other. After the depletion of the great unit of the early 2000s, when it seemed that those qualities which defined Aussie cricket would slowly die off, the arrival of Clarke as a captain comes a great relief for the fans in Australia. Micheal Clarke seems to have all the ingredients to be the bridge between the Australian team of yesteryears and the current team. This win at Barbados might have the same impact on the relatively new caps in the Australian line-up like David Warner, Ed Cowan, Mathew Wade, Hilfenhaus etc. as the Adelaide Test would have had on him. These cricketers will now understand what that winning is having no fear of losing. Micheal Clarke's decision to declare with a deficit was a brave and a smart move. It also re-signified the beauty of Test Cricket. It is sometimes like an on-field chess game. You may have to lose a few pawns and maybe also the queen to protect the king. After this win, Clarke has shown that the dynamic and pro-active captain he is. Cricket Australia can be assured that Australian cricket is in safe hands.
I am in no way saying that, this team would again be the near-invincible like that in the first decade of the 21st century. Such teams are formed by convolution of rare abilities at a single time. Such teams are formed only once in a generation. To expect this team to be like that is unfair. What I hope is that Clarke passes on the 'win at all cost' attitude to this team. I hope he retains the image of Australia as one tough nut to crack and teams overseas should still take pride in beating Australia in Australia.
Nice piece, though Clarke is one of those that will always have a love hate relationship with fans in his home country. For me, the jury is out on his captaincy credentials and the attitude - I read today that he wants players with greater than one main skill. If he can bring back the ruthlessness then he will have achieved something memorable - time will tell. If Sammy had shown any captaincy ability in Barbados in the fourth innings only one side could have won the match. The scary part for me was that there was no Pattinson agains a side that oddly has struggled with genuine pace. For the sake of world cricket I hope your comments on MC are proved correct.
ReplyDelete@A Cricketing Buddha: Thanks. Somehow, probably a person with that kind of a relationship does become a great leader. Cricket requires Australia to be ruthless. So, let us hope M Clarke turns into a great captain. Though, very early days I hope when he calls it a day, people would remember him in the same league as Taylor. Remember, unlike Waugh and Ponting he doesn't have super talented resources to work with!
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