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VIEWPOINT: CRICKET TALK
Meticulous Performance
This
rate reached a crescendo in the 72nd over when Harbhajan Singh claimed
a hat-trick, sending Australia plummeting from 4/252 to 7/252. It required
a fair degree of skill and a modicum of fortune for Steve Waugh and "Dizzy"
Gillespie to survive till stumps with Australia having lost their early
advantage to be 8/291.
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| VERY VERY SPECIAL: Michael Slater
congratulates Laxman on a double century which turned the Test match
upside down |
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The following day we were able to witness one
of the game's great leaders, Steve Waugh, demonstrate why he carries that
tag. His never-say-die attitude, his ability to turn adversity around
and enjoy the experience, his mental skills to be able to "disengage"
himself from all the surrounding distractions of scoreboard, crowd, good
and bad decision-making, from physical pain or danger and enable him to
meet and conquer difficult situations time and time again. This pair put
on what appeared to be a matchwinning 133, allowing Australia to finish
at 445 with the help of a last wicket stand of 43, steered by McGrath.
The momentum had swung back in our favour and
was to continue through the last session as we began to take wickets with
regularity. At stumps with India on 8/128 and three days remaining, the
momentum all Australia's way, many, possibly most, were again predicting
a win for us within three days. However, there is an old cliché-cricket
is a funny game. That is why it is unique. That is why we are all magnetised
by it, those who have had the privilege to be touched by it. I am never
one to lend support to the theory that there is one or possibly two turning
points that determine the end result; however, I do subscribe to the theory
that a player can have a significant impact on the final outcome.
I believe Laxman was the man most responsible
for determining the outcome of this Test match. He played confidently
in the first innings after an early close decision went his way. Not only
do I think it raised his level of self-assurance against our attack, but
it also provided some heart for India's batting in the second innings.
With all the momentum running our way and the fragility of the Indian
batting still fresh in the minds of both teams, we opted to enforce the
follow-on-a decision given similar circumstances I believe we would do
again. Laxman was elevated to No. 3 and so began an innings which changed
the destiny and certainly the whole momentum of the match. His innings
was majestic in strokeplay and mighty in terms of endurance. He carried
all players along with him-Das, an edgy Ganguly and a scratchy Dravid.
His shots spanned both sides of the wicket and were played with equal
aplomb against spin and pace alike. There will be enough written of the
statistical brilliance of Laxman's knock, but in the end it was the pure
magnitude of time, his unerring confidence which stopped our momentum
and swept it all India's way.
We temporarily seemed to halt this momentum,
going to tea on day 5 at 3/161 within Hayden on 59 and captain courageous
Steve Waugh on 23. However, that critical mass of wickets, five in fact,
in quick succession between the 44th and 51st overs sealed the fate of
the game. The much heralded Australian winning streak has now come to
an end-has India's begun? The rubber is wide open with the series momentum
swinging very much in India's favour.
However, as we keep finding out, cricket is
a funny game-as soon as you feel you are on top, it has a habit of bringing
you back to earth. I believe the Indian win to have done us a great favour.
It is whether we have the time to take in what has happened, digest it
and move forward. While I am not an overly religious person, I do have
a faith and I am drawn to Philippians 4:8 in the Bible, "Finally
brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever
things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely,
whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there
is anything praiseworthy-meditate on these things."
(John Buchanan is the coach of the current Australian
cricket team.)
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