I absolutely abhor the Australian cricket team. For a die-hard Indian cricket fan like me; they have been the cause of great heart burn and innumerable humiliations. I still hope that in the upcoming world cup; we do manage to whoop their cumulative arses and avenge some of the sore wounds they have given us.
But today morning; on the second day of the new year; I have let myself lower my guard a little bit and ponder over some of the developments of the past three weeks. True; I hate the Aussies from the bottom of my heart but then that’s because they have always been talented enough as a team to make us Indians look almost amateurish at times at the way that we play our cricket. And for that; most of those guys command my respect too.
Hence; I think in about a month from now, cricket will be a little different. It will be a little different when Glenn McGrath does not amble in to ball all six balls in the corridor. It will be a little different when Warney; the magician, does not get one to rear up and make a hapless opposition batsmen look eternally stupid. It will be a little different when you can’t see Damien Martyn walk in at No. 4 and play the most technically correct game an Aussie player can ever play. And it will be a little different when you don’t see Langer dig his heels in and ensure that the Aussies are 102-0 every second time they walk to bat.
These four blokes along with Ponting formed the foundation of the successful Aussie juggernaut after the departure of Steve Waugh. Between them they ensured that the now well recognized Aussie attitude towards to game never dipped and I think more importantly, was imbibed in new recruits over the years. Each of them tough men; forever criticized either for attitude on/off field (Warne); kept being interrupted in the drive towards greatness by recurring injuries (McGrath); always doubted for talent although numbers suggested otherwise (Langer, Martyn); they somehow found a way to keep these menial issues outside of their purview and ensure that Australia reached the distinction that it deserves in the Test as well as the One-day arena.
And now they are gone. The next time the Aussie team walks into the cricket field; it’ll be without the magic of Warne, the accuracy of a McGrath, the solidity of a Martyn and the doggedness of a Langer. Will it make them a weaker team? Going by the history of the Aussie team; probably not. But one thing’s for sure; their cricket and that of the world will not quite be the same again.
Ode to you mates; well played!! Cricket will miss you
But today morning; on the second day of the new year; I have let myself lower my guard a little bit and ponder over some of the developments of the past three weeks. True; I hate the Aussies from the bottom of my heart but then that’s because they have always been talented enough as a team to make us Indians look almost amateurish at times at the way that we play our cricket. And for that; most of those guys command my respect too.
Hence; I think in about a month from now, cricket will be a little different. It will be a little different when Glenn McGrath does not amble in to ball all six balls in the corridor. It will be a little different when Warney; the magician, does not get one to rear up and make a hapless opposition batsmen look eternally stupid. It will be a little different when you can’t see Damien Martyn walk in at No. 4 and play the most technically correct game an Aussie player can ever play. And it will be a little different when you don’t see Langer dig his heels in and ensure that the Aussies are 102-0 every second time they walk to bat.
These four blokes along with Ponting formed the foundation of the successful Aussie juggernaut after the departure of Steve Waugh. Between them they ensured that the now well recognized Aussie attitude towards to game never dipped and I think more importantly, was imbibed in new recruits over the years. Each of them tough men; forever criticized either for attitude on/off field (Warne); kept being interrupted in the drive towards greatness by recurring injuries (McGrath); always doubted for talent although numbers suggested otherwise (Langer, Martyn); they somehow found a way to keep these menial issues outside of their purview and ensure that Australia reached the distinction that it deserves in the Test as well as the One-day arena.
And now they are gone. The next time the Aussie team walks into the cricket field; it’ll be without the magic of Warne, the accuracy of a McGrath, the solidity of a Martyn and the doggedness of a Langer. Will it make them a weaker team? Going by the history of the Aussie team; probably not. But one thing’s for sure; their cricket and that of the world will not quite be the same again.
Ode to you mates; well played!! Cricket will miss you
Comments