Biswajit JhaIt is often said that all that goes up, comes down at some point of time. The great Australian cricket team of the nineties was no exception to the ancient rule. It tried to carry on the legacy into the next decade too, but that was as far as they could go.
When Matthew Hayden decided to quit international cricket in 2009, it was the last nail in the coffin, as the Aussie team was already in tatters due to retirement of a number of famed cricketers that formed one of the best teams of all times.
Before Hayden, champion players like Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Justine Langer, and Adam Gilchrist- all gradually decided to pull the curtain on their illustrious careers. Not that they were forced to leave the international arena, rather, they decided to hang their boots in their pomp, when they were still terrorizing the opposition, conquering new territories and creating new landmarks.
The champion cricketers that they were, they decided to leave in their prime. Since most of them were once-in-a-generation cricketers, it was not easy to find their able replacements. Naturally, the dominance and the aura with which Australian cricket team played, faded away with them.
After losing the away series in India, they lost the home series against South Africa. Cricket pundits started writing an obituary for Australian cricket. The Australian cricket system, which was looked upon as a model, came under scrutiny for not being able to provide good second generation cricketers, and for showing lack of imagination for a smooth transition.
People were comparing the present Australian team with that of the 80s, when they had suffered major blows after the retirements of Greg Chappell, Dennis Lillee and Rod Marsh. It took a considerable amount of time for them to crawl their way back to the top position under Mark Taylor in early 90s.
Beaten overwhelmingly in Tests and ODIs, and robbed off the number one rank in one-dayers by the rampaging Proteas in their own den, Ricky Ponting and his team came under scathing attack from the critics, media and fans. Fingers were also raised on Ponting’s quality as a skipper and selectors’ failure to prepare the bench-strength.
Everybody was busy discussing the worthy replacement for Australia at the top… India or South Africa?
When Australia landed in South Africa for the away series one month later, no one gave them any iota of a chance. What will an Australian team do without the likes of Haydens, Gilchrists and McGraths? But, they proved their critics wrong, winning the Test series in style, got some exciting new talent and displayed fortitude in the face of adversity.
Though they lost the ODI series 2-3, they regained their supremacy in Tests, winning two out of the three Tests convincingly, and kept their number one Test ranking intact.
More importantly, the rookies, who were dismissed as not the worthy successors, set the cricket field on fire and won crucial matches. That particular series marked the remarkable turn-around for Australian cricket and showed again that they have enough talent to carry forward their fabled legacy. It may take sometime for the greenhorns to mature at the international arena, but they are ready to fight it out to hold on to their supremacy.
Debutant Marcus North set the tone in the series as he hit a classy century in the first Test. Another debutant of the series, Philip Hughes, smashed tons in both the innings in the second Test to dispel the doubts of the naysayer. Though he has struggled in the present Ashes tour, he surely has the potential to overcome his technical shortcomings. Phil Jacques and Shaun Marsh are two other exciting openers who can easily step into the shoes of Langer and Hayden.Simon Katich, who was struggling to fulfill his promise, cemented his place in the series by slamming a gritty century in the second Test. And suddenly, Oz seemed to be one of the best teams in business, if not ‘The Best’.
In the bowling department too, Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus looked like the bowlers for new times. Mitchell Johnson, who has off-late been struggling with his form, was shouldering the responsibility of being the pace-spearhead with amazing success. In their own day, they can give the greatest of batsmen a run for their money. Though it’s not possible to find a replacement for Shane Warne, at least they have Nathan Huritz, who gave them a good spinning option.
Despite the series victory in South Africa, people were still not ready to accept that Australia are still the best team around. Before the ongoing Ashes started, again, no one gave Australia a chance.
And they were yet again castigated when they lost the second Ashes Test. But, they came back in style, playing brilliant cricket in the fourth Test to level the series. They showed that they were still no pushovers and have an indomitable spirit to fight against all odds. Even if they lose the Ashes, it can safely be said that Australia have overcome the stage of slump created by the retirement of some of their all-time greats, and they are still the best Test team in the world, if not the greatest.
