History often has lessons for those who forecast the future. The theory goes that life makes its way in the universe by going back to where it started, giving those of us with a more philosophical bent the perception that "things" - events for which our vocabulary looses the power to select words - "things" go in cycles.
Nowhere is this more obvious that Test cricket. I say nowhere when I really mean to say nowhere where I have any expertise or interest ... but you know what I mean.
Teams ebb and flow, as does their dominance of the game at the highest level. Australia ended such a cycle of dominance, ironically, with the acrimonious win against India in Sydney in the first days of 2008. Having been "the dog" since the week after Anzac Day in 1995, when Richie Richardson showed Hayden-like sportsman and a distinct lack of honour in describing Mark Taylor's Australians, they ended the era as "monkeys". Their demeanour rather than their ability as sportsmen, dictating the closing curtain.
Much of this has to do with personnel and as any good administrator knows, when you discover a prime crop of players, you immediately start planning for when they retire. Australia has lost a batch of superstars in the last few years. The same thing happened in 1984 and the same again in the middle 1960's and so the story rolls back through time. What was different this cycle was the decline in their powers happened much earlier but was propped up by arrogance and aggression and big-headed buffoonery (there is such a word, I just invented it).
How does this impact on what is happening in Brisbane?
Despite all of the atrocious administration in the Caribbean, which is intent on milking the dollars without feeding the cows, it could be that a new crop of West Indians is trying to rise and the voluntary sporadic abdication by Chris Gayle and his fellow strikers has opened the door for some new faces and here in Brisbane, they are certainly playing like a cricket team. Unfortunately, a lack of senior players prepared to stand and fight will make their journey harder.
Is it crazy to suggest that guys like Travis Dowlin or Adrian Barath or Brendan Nash could go on to become Chanderpaul's or Sarwan's? I've seen enough to imagine Kemar Roach could be a new Holding. Certainly Holding looked no better at the same stage.
Test your memory and think back to Ian Chappell's tourists in the West Indies in 1973. Sobers was out of the series and the West Indies relied on the aging Rohan Kanhai to be the mainstay of the batting with Clive Lloyd having been on the scene long enough to be called experienced. In their Test infancy were Alvin Kallicharran, Maurice Foster, Lawrence Rowe and Derrek Murray and the other Greenidge, Geoffrey, who soon disappeared. This was a series where Australia field two leg spinners, O'Keefe and Jenner, where Lillee broke down and Max Walker was our quickest bowler and John Benaud headed the bowling averages whilst the Windies fielded four spinners!
Two years later in Australia, four new boys were in the team - Richards, Holding, Roberts and the real Greenidge. They took a bath but didn't like it and showed signs they had what old Rooster had - true grit.
Back to the present day, I reckon their are signs of grit in the likes of Roach. I admired the way Bravo fought hard on day two and always tries even though he's not quite a Test player.. Benn has great height and a subtle change of pace, he just needs Ashley Mallett to talk to him about spin and drift. Behind the sticks, Ramdin was and always is impressive. He can bat too. Once the Pretty Boy finds another way to make money, they might do worse than give him the Captaincy. He knows a bit about bowling other than catching it. He used to open the attack!
The Australians bowled well. This was disciplined world champion stuff, despite the lost wicket to a noball. Johnston is a different player at home, perhaps because all the creature comforts are near by. His action is different, more fluent and his confidence is up. In that state, he is a world beater. I still question mark Hillfenhaus as our down wind bowler on home soil. Looks seriously like a first change to me. Nudey Bum snared two good grabs in the slips, grabbed a wicket thanks to the very tidy Haddin and more importantly, got through five overs without needing the physio.
Baring weather, Australia 3-0 but not without the pleasure of watching some young men with emerging skills among the opposition and not without fights mounted at times. Certainly enough to warrant the entry price.
On a final note, it was so nice to see the smiles of competitors leaving the arena together yesterday rather than snarling their way to spiteful press conferences. Whoever is responsible, thank you.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Comments will appear after moderation.