The Invincibles
Many things make Australian teams such dominant outfits, but the knowledge they can win from virtually any position is one of the most devastating characteristics
The Verdict by Peter English
05-Nov-2006
![]() |
![]()
|
Many things make Australian teams such dominant
outfits, but the knowledge they can win from virtually
any position is one of the most devastating
characteristics. Other teams may try to convince
themselves anything is possible, but modern-day
Australians believe they are as invincible as their
most famous predecessors, especially in big matches.
At times they almost seem to be toying with each
other. "Let's see how much trouble we can dig
ourselves out of today." In the Champions Trophy final
Australia were struggling to hang on halfway down the
cliff within ten overs. Chris Gayle supplied his
whirlwind impression and at 2 for 80 West Indies had
more control than an airport immigration officer.
However, it didn't bother Australia and the lengthy
break for rain in the second innings was the only
serious disruption.
Ricky Ponting's glare became more piercing as Gayle
bounded, but there was no slumping in the field or
terminal concerns from his charges. They knew it was
time to lift and they moved swiftly from near death to
certain victory. It was the same belief that drove Don
Bradman's 1936-37 outfit from a 2-0 deficit to a 3-2
Ashes victory. Keith Miller had it when he convinced
his journalist friend RS Whitington to write Australia
would win the Durban Test of 1949-50, despite still
wanting 250 on the final day after being bowled out
for 75 in the first innings on a horrid pitch.
Steve Waugh turned the trait into a trademark and has
passed it on to this side. Success is not expected as
much as it is demanded. It is why the embarrassment of
Australia's previous misses in the Champions Trophy
was treated so seriously even though the Ashes series,
the peak of their calendar, begins in less than three
weeks.
There was no thought of engineering an early exit to
gain more Test preparation even when West Indies
over-ran them on the same Mumbai ground in the opening
round. The team's heavy artillery started to move into
firing range and repelled the opposition in four
matches that were effectively knockouts, saving their
biggest reaction for the final.
Nathan Bracken, who opened ahead of Glenn McGrath, was
the only one unscathed during the brutal opening
exchanges and delivered an incredible spell
considering the opposition's method. In collecting the
first three wickets he kept Australia breathing - the
dismissal of Gayle, bowled playing inside the line of
an outswinger, was the highlight - as he waited for
McGrath to recover from an early beating of 22 in two
overs. Gayle's forceful six, pulled four and hammering
off-driven boundary in consecutive balls stirred
McGrath and he hit back with the essential wicket of
Lara with the help of a wonderful left-handed diving
catch by Adam Gilchrist.
Moments like those win trophies. Lara, one of the few
batsmen who has been able to sway Australia's
confidence, was dispatched as part of another
horrendous West Indies collapse. From the comfort
earned by Gayle and Shivnarine Chanderpaul, they lost
8 for 58 as McGrath, Bracken and Shane Watson revamped
the world champions.
Only storm clouds made the Australians fearful. Two
early wickets went before the rain came but the delay
could not stop them from claiming their first
Champions Trophy. The embarrassments of first-round
exits and semi-final defeats were erased as they
corrected a major omission.
Now the prize sits alongside the World Cup and the
tournament has also provided major momentum ahead of
the Ashes. Only England have been able to disrupt
Australia's winning expectations in Test series over
the past five years, but the home team will carry a
healthy winning habit into the Gabba and be boosted by
their history of expecting to escape from any crisis.
Peter English is the Australasian editor of Cricinfo