The Hindu : Sport : Memorable masterpieces

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Wednesday, Aug 17, 2005

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Memorable masterpieces

England will rightly feel short-changed at the result

STEVE WAUGH

Rarely do consecutive Tests qualify as memorable matches but the Edgbaston Epic was paralleled by a Manchester Masterpiece that saw Australia cling to a draw by the barest of margins. It reminded me of the match in Adelaide where the great West Indian dynasty of domination was averted by a single run when Craig McDermott gloved a Courtney Walsh bouncer through to Jeff Dujon and our dream of dethroning them evaporated days later in the decider at Perth.

It's always hard to take the final step and ascend to No. 1 purely because the power and privilege of being the best is something that must be earned. The occupier has both personal and team pride on the line and should be willing to fight for survival with all the courage and valour that can be mustered.

Ponting led from the front as all influential leaders should and in doing so gave his teammates a lesson in concentration and application that should jolt them into action, for if it doesn't, the Ashes are in a perilous position.

In time, Ricky will look back and see this as his graduation as a Test captain. He walked out to bat with quite possibly the series result hinging on his performance, 20,000-odd parochial fans baying for his blood, rumours of internal conflict circulating in the media, a scratchy form with the bat behind him and a pitch showing signs of decay. All of these issues would have been swirling in his head, but as a leader you have to compartmentalise to survive and this he did with a single mindedness that will now be a benchmark.

My moment of reckoning came in vastly different circumstances as I lay prone with a Hannibal Lecter mask protecting a nose with multiple fractures in a Colombo hospital bed next to Jason Gillespie, who had a shattered leg bone and a fractured wrist. It was during a reflective look back at my captaincy up to that point that I realised if I didn't make it back to captain Australia again, I had sold myself short as I'd captained by consensus and not by my instincts. In my sorry state I vowed to always back my gut feeling and to never hesitate in the future.

The same rationale could be applied to Michael Vaughan, who lifted against the odds when his team needed him most. It augurs well for the remaining Tests because teams will often mimic the captain's attitude. England will rightly feel short-changed at the result, which was affected by rain, for they controlled the tempo of the match throughout, but again baulked just when the killer blow needed to be delivered.

No doubt we'll hear both camps come out in the next couple of days saying they gained a psychological advantage from the outcome by putting a spin on proceedings. In truth, England is playing the better cricket and Australia must raise their intensity to reverse the momentum.

Apart from the final day at Lord's, England has been the more assertive and dominant force in this area, which is a significant change from the past. They have played with an in-your-face style, led by bowlers cracking helmets and eyeballing Australian batsman with a bullying intent normally practised by the Aussies. They also appear to have more of a spring in their step on the field and a general enthusiasm that appears to be lacking in the Australians. In short, they are hungrier and enjoying their work more than Ricky and his boys.

High standard bowling

In contrast to the batting, the bowling standard has been high quality from both sides with England probably overshadowing Australia in the areas of reverse swing and bowling in partnerships. Both sides have one bowler out of sorts in Jason and Matthew Hoggard, which unlike a batsman's mini slump can't be disguised as conveniently, and as a result both will come under intense scrutiny for the next Test.

An incredible number of chances have been squandered for no apparent reason, though a team's standard is often directly related to the form of the wicket-keeper, who is the heartbeat and standard bearer of the unit. It is here that both Adam Gilchrist and Geraint Jones have been below par.

Gameplan

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