The Hindu : Sport : The real Australian team stood up

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Aug 31, 2005

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The real Australian team stood up

All of a sudden, the spring in the step was evident, and the body language assertive

STEVE WAUGH

While Australia now need to win the final Test at Trent Bridge to retain the Ashes, they did at least rediscover the traits that have made them a great side on the last day of the Trent Bridge Test. They came out defending a paltry 129 runs on a good batting wicket armed with some good old-fashioned Aussie `mongrel' spirit. The fire within was burning and the stomach for a battle to the death was back. All of a sudden, the spring in the step was evident, and the body language assertive. Fieldsmen became desperate, bowlers animated and batsmen `dug in'. The masks had been discarded and the real Australian team stood up.

Both Michael Clarke and Simon Katich played in the knowledge that Australia's chances depended solely on their ability to build a partnership and batted accordingly, while both Shane Warne and Brett Lee played with a clear plan and great courage. They all put a high value on their wickets, which is something that we have not seen enough in this series, possibly owing to a hangover of excess one-day cricket, mediocre previous opposition and an England attack that has stopped their scoring areas and ruthlessly exploited sluggish footwork.

Warne simply brilliant

All said and done, the team should be proud of their last-day efforts, as they came within a close LBW shout on Andrew Flintoff to pulling off a miraculous victory. Warne was simply brilliant — so good that I venture to say that not a single television set anywhere was turned off during his mesmerising spell. His famous drift through the air was back, a sure sign that he was 'ripping them' as hard as he could to impart maximum spin, and not one English batsman could claim to have been in control against him.

At the other end, Brett bowled himself to a standstill and produced a `heart and soul' gem that beat Flintoff for pace and gave Australia a real chance to pull off a win along the lines of India's famous victory of 2001 in Kolkata. Brett has been a revelation on this tour, channelling his hunger from a year as the drinks waiter into a now mature cricketer whose enthusiasm and attitude are contagious.

Ricky Ponting captained on gut instinct — always the best option for a leader — and he and the team will now be quietly confident that they can restore the balance at the Oval. They will need to start with the same hunger and enthusiasm that was shown during the last day at Trent Bridge, because any drop in intensity will be seized upon by an English side that now believes it is destined to win back the Ashes.

Indeed, credit must be given to England for subduing Australia after the trampling at Lord's, and gaining the high ground through some purposeful, intense cricket that has been unrelenting and consistent. They have attained this primarily through a thoughtful analysis of the Australian batsmen — blocking their dominant areas and forcing them to rethink their strategies. For Australia, time is running out to counteract these tactics, but the answer remains simple: work through the tough periods and always back yourself.

Persist with Hayden

It is for this reason that I wouldn't change the batting order, because these are all class players who lift under pressure and want to embrace a challenge. Knowing Matthew Hayden — who seems under the most pressure right now — he would be desperate to reverse his slump and show everyone that he is still a great player. To my mind, all it will take is one booming off-drive and his attitude will be reset, and it will be business as usual.

On the bowling front, we need to take 20 wickets and for this simple reason, Stuart MacGill must play. He has the highest wickets per game of all the bowlers, always lifts in a Test match environment and would expose England's shakiness against leg spin.

The Australians may well be more relaxed going into the last Test, as they only have one option and that is to win. Clarity under pressure brings out the best in champions, and the team is full of them. Mind you, England have many in the making, and we'll shortly know whether the last two games have been a hiccup or a real glimpse into what lies ahead. For what it's worth, I'm backing an Australian victory.

Gameplan

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