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A most Australian win
Australia's series win has been among their most characteristic - and least. And Ponting has been at the heart of it all
Sidharth Monga
November 10, 2009
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One can see why Ricky Ponting rates this series win right up there with the more special triumphs - the World Cup, the Champions Trophy, which are the pinnacle of ODI cricket. And to think that before this series, having beaten England 6-1, he seemed as interested in these seven-match bilateral back-and-forths as in meeting Harbhajan Singh for a coffee.
It is special, for it is perhaps Australia's most human success. It is special, for it stretched Ponting's leadership; for it was not the sort of one-sided clinical triumph Australia are used to. Limited-overs cricket makes a case for replacements coming in and immediately doing well enough, but losing nine players, five of them during a tour, is no joke. Just to put it in perspective, look at how India did without Virender Sehwag and Zaheer Khan in the World Twenty20 in England, or without Yuvraj Singh and Zaheer in the Champions Trophy in South Africa.
This series tested Ponting's patience and resourcefulness, and Australia's bloody-mindedness. It was their most un-Australian display: dropping catches and missing run-outs (Hyderabad), bowling poorly at the death (Vadodara and Nagpur), wasting good starts with the bat (Delhi and Mohali). In effect, for a change, they looked capable of beating themselves. Yet this was their most Australian display: hanging in, clutching to last straws, taking risks when they were least expected to, fighting back after making mistakes, and opportunistically jumping on the first small window Sachin Tendulkar provided them in Hyderabad.
In a way Ponting epitomises the quintessentially Australian aspects of their unexpected success in this series. As the team has grown weaker by the day, Ponting, in a way, has come to resemble Allan "Grumpy" Border more. He is one of the very few current players who openly criticises the schedules that non-ICC Twenty20 tournaments have resulted in. Border apparently went to the extent of forbidding his players from talking to opposition players, lest it softened them when they played. Ponting is not a fan of players turning up the evening before the start of a tough series for Australia, especially when one of them, his key fast bowler, injures himself in the next match. He lets it be known that he wishes "the next generation of players coming through have the same sort of want and desire to play as much international cricket as I have, because that's what it's all about as far as I'm concerned".
Ponting went on to complain about the poor practice facilities in Delhi, and the umpires not allowing him a ball change, other than the one after 34 overs, when the dew came down in Delhi, but he also took responsibility when a boundary-less period between him and Michael Hussey cost them the match.
That loss in Delhi came on the back of a mauling in Nagpur. Over those five days, they had lost five players to injuries, and whatever momentum they would have hoped to carry from Vadodara. After Delhi, Ponting looked resigned. "Where do you go from here Ricky?" he was asked. "Mohali. Tomorrow."
He did go on to say he was proud of the way his team had fought. "We are just trying to get on with it [the injuries], we are just trying the best we can. We are trying to play the best cricket we can. We are finding it a little bit difficult at the moment. We will keep giving our 100% and keep hoping that one of these close games we can win."
| As the team has grown weaker by the day, Ponting, in a way, has come to resemble Allan "Grumpy" Border more | |||
Ponting will have no complaints with what he got out of the resources that were available to him. The ferocious pride in playing for Australia was all there. Beating Australia takes more than skill, Sachin Tendulkar will testify. MS Dhoni even remarked after the Hyderabad loss that it was the mental battle that they lost - the final collective step that they didn't take. It's like Rafael Nadal, who makes you hit an extra shot. Australia make you take that extra step. It was the sudden transformation that Suresh Raina's wicket brought in Australia that night that makes beating them so difficult. Until then, they were dropping catches, they were missing direct hits; suddenly, after that wicket, they regrouped, ready to attack, knowing Tendulkar was the match.
Tendulkar's innings will be the abiding memory of this series, in a time when not much stays in the memory. Hussey's consistency, Shane Watson's aggression, Shaun Marsh's willingness to put his hand up, Peter Siddle's hostility, might be forgotten. But in the end the small things mattered.
If you count being bowled out as 50 overs played out, India scored more runs than Australia did in the first six matches, at 5.41 an over. Australia managed 5.3. Yet the scoreline says 4-2 to Australia. Guwahati and Nagpur cancelled each other as facile wins, Mohali and Delhi as tense but easy ones, but it was in the close ones, the thrillers in Vadodara and Hyderabad, that Australia proved to be tougher.
Not for no reason does Sourav Ganguly reckon that India will come out better for this continued struggle with Australia. They came here without hullabaloo - no claims of thrashing India, no smug quotes in the media. In three days' time they will leave, having reinforced their place as the best ODI team in the world. Having shown India it is possible to win without big stars. Having shown the world that a West Indies-like decline or an eighties-like decline (after Rod Marsh, Dennis Lillee and Greg Chappell left together) will not happen. Having reinforced the sporting cliché that it's not over until it's over. And having contributed to reinforcing the popularity of the 50-over game. The Gods of Big Things have become the Gods of Small Things, but the scoreline reads 4-2 Australia.
Sidharth Monga is a staff writer at Cricinfo
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@vkarthik_2009:Johnson is not exactly a new comer to India. He was part of the 11 in the last ODI series trip in 2007 (7 match series), test series (2007 in Aus & 2008 in Ind) .Get your facts right, India did not win tri series without Yuvraj. He was part of the 11. Anyway Raina is not such a big impact player which makes a team miss him. Look at his stats outside India and good bowling sides like Aus, SA ,Pak .He may not last in the Indian team till the next world cup. The whole world knows about his weakness against short pitched bowling. Ishant,Irfan are the guys who were successful in 1st year then disappeared somewhere. Johnson has been around more than these guys. @Drew12: In ODI's one umpire can be from the home side.
Posted by sabina2009 on (November 12 2009, 06:51 AM GMT)The one thing I always like about the Aussies is their patience and "never give up" tendency type attitude. Whatever the situation is, they simply do not give up. I believe, whenever they come to the field, "Losing is not an option" is what each and every player keep on murmuring. They give more than 100% to the game and this is why Australia is so good in beating other teams anywhere. This is not at all the best Aussi side and their performances in the series against the Indians was not at all "World Class". But still they successfully won the series.
Posted by eyballfallenout on (November 12 2009, 01:56 AM GMT)To all who say india lost the series aus didnt win the series. The best "team" won the series, the best "team" may not necessarily have the best players, but they may play the best cricket. Even when Australia had the best players they where still the best "team" as well, so they would win easily. India did not handle the pressure well, even tendulka with his big innings, he should have been there to hit the winning runs, what was the shot he got out to? brain explosion. then there was nothing left from the team after that, No support from Indian team at all. Great team of indiaviduals, but not a great team Big effort from AUS with 9 players out.
Posted by Sebi76 on (November 12 2009, 01:02 AM GMT)Well said BalajiK. I agree with you to the fact the India is number#2 despite the fact that we have poor bowling and fielding. And being an Indian Fan, I would certainly like to see them at the top. They need some good bowling and fielding attack to back their batting and Ishant need to come back strong too. I would love to see some more bowlers like Sreesant and RP performing well so that we can rotate these bowlers quite often. Ishant had some really good time last summer in Australia, but lost a bit of pace too and consistency in length in past couple of series. I think we need to follow a rotation policy with the bowlers of that caliber, but we need some bench strength in order to do so.....
Posted by rahulkumar12280 on (November 11 2009, 19:34 PM GMT)@U.A.1985.. No hard feelings but I think you need to do a bit more research before posting comments. Just looks at the Aus team results when it was at its peak. They were ruthless and you have to give your 120% to beat them. they use to thrash the opposition convincingly. In this series Ind played 60-70 % of their potential and still some of the games were really close. What i meant was, instead of saying Aus played brilliant cricket to beat India, it was the case where one team didnt play to its potential and lost the series. I dont think Aus won because they were good.
Posted by Nampally on (November 11 2009, 17:58 PM GMT)Sidharth, India lost this series by NOT taking "home team"advantage of the crowd. This is a huge advantage and losing at home by 4 runs and 3 runs from a commanding position is not acceptable. Where is the team spirit? India was playing a relatively weakened Australian team with a very strong batting line up. The Indian Selectors and Dhoni should have stressed upon the team that the crowd support means India is playing with 12 players or MORE.. I am stressing this again because India plays Sri Lanka at home. The team needs to take the home team advantage and put away the visiting teams with ease. Mr. Dhoni please stress this upon your team members emphatically - make sure they hear it loud and clear.
Posted by vkarthik_2009 on (November 11 2009, 16:06 PM GMT)In a way losing their key players proved blessing in disguise. india's notorious problem against new comers was laid exposed. Guys like Akhtar, Gul, Saqlain, M Johnson had success in their first encounter against India. Then they never proved to be good. It reminds me of how India won at Perth with a second string bowling against first choice Australian side. India also won tri series in Australia without Yuvraj, Raina, Sehwag. It is much like Australia losing to England in the Test series.
Posted by Amy_Andrew on (November 11 2009, 13:29 PM GMT)This is a great article. I am enjoying clashes between India and Australia more and more. It is interesting to see how Australia copes with the changing player group. They need to let go of Lee in the test matches. Bring in the newbies. We are watching cricket in a unique era of Tendulkar and Ponting.
Posted by Cric_123 on (November 11 2009, 11:10 AM GMT)@GrishE...Typical loser mentality.."We are better on paper". Throw that paper away @Rahulkumar...That's the point man..This is a team that played badly to lose in T20 worldcup, played badly to lose in Champions Trophy and has played badly again to lose the home series against an under-strength Aus..Why the hell do u think this is a good team when it plays badly in every important tournament / series?
Posted by Drew12 on (November 11 2009, 09:29 AM GMT)I know this is off-topic but does anyone know why it is that an Indian umpire is able to umpire internations involving india while Australian umpires cannot ie Taufell. Correct me if this is not the case. If it isn't then why could Shavir Tarapore, born in Kolkata, umpire in the 6th ODI. I'm not saying he was biased (his only mistake was Dhoni LBW who should have been out 5.3 overs in caught behind) my point is that the best umpire in the world should be able to umpire important matches irrespective of who is playing. Well done Australia and Ponting btw. Shown India to be undeserving of the no 2 spot.