A different Australia will take the field when they meet India come October 9th. It is not the hosts alone that they will battle on home conditions. They will be looking to exorcise a few personal demons as well.
Shane Watson: The blue eyed boy who made a splash during the IPL in the summer has found a new lease of life since. Thrust into the role of the opener in the one day internationals, Watson is showing the faith being reposed in him once again. And fortune seems to be smiling on him. He stands now to regain a position he lost to Andrew Symonds to injuries albeit for perhaps only a short period of time.
Watson’s inclusion raised the first time round in the Australian squad raised comments from former Australian cricketers who wondered how he had come through. Watson appeared to lack self-belief and it showed in his brief stint. One of the few youngsters in the side, the criticism on Watson was brutal and scathing. His injuries, predominantly that of shoulder and hamstring, also propelled the move to pull him out of the squad.
Watson’s career has now been reignited and Symonds’ misfortunes seemed to have ironically given Watson to reprise his role that went to Symonds. Symonds has since established himself firmly till his personal misdemeanours put Symonds’ career under threat. Watson now has a limited opportunity with Symonds set to come back perhaps after this tour to India. But given the form Watson has been and given his skipper’s faith in him, perhaps a reenergized Watson will now take the field and make it his own.
Brett Lee: While Symonds will take time at home to regroup his thoughts and plan his coming back into the team frame, Lee has decided to throw his heart into the Indian tour. This could either work well for Australia because a fired up Lee will be available. On the other hand, even though he is a professional, his domestic troubles brought on by the split with his wife Liz Kemp could also cause him some heart burn in the family oriented country that is India. Lee does not seem the kind to fall apart. But stranger things have happened.
Lee does not only walk into the team. He now carried the mantle of the Australian pace attack into the series and he, like Watson, is hoping that the IPL stints and one day international experience will stand him in good when the Test matches commences. (He is not one of the four who have previously played the Tests.)
Simon Katich: Katich is one of the privileged few to have played Tests in India. But ironically he could lose his place to Watson whom the skipper seems to personally favour. Katich will have experience going for him but it will be hard to beat the team management’s temptation to play a rising star if the situation to pick one is upon them.
Brad Haddin: He has perhaps the hardest job of them all. Adam Gilchrist’s retirement has allowed Haddin the opportunity to play his first Test in India and it seems he is already aware of the battles that lay ahead of him. He is relying heavily on his experience of playing as a batsman last year this time round. But he has big boots to fill in Gilchrist’s belligerent batting at number seven but perhaps the more important role of keeping wickets in grueling heat conditions and for long periods of time. Haddin will be tested.
Ricky Ponting: The Australian team have had two injury scares ahead of the tour to India. Matthew Hayden and Ricky Ponting had to sit out of the series against Bangladesh. But Ponting finds himself in significant pressure himself. His average of twelve against India is far from inspiring. In Symonds’ absence, the onus of seniority is something that he will feel as well. Under such circumstances, Ponting will have his task cut out for him. One would not expect the man who averages 58 is Tests to be feeling this kind of pressure. But his inability to counter spin tracks in India have caused him and his team mates some concern. Ishant Sharma picked up out on several occasions on the last Indian tour to Australia and Zaheer Khan looks strong to test Ponting as well. How Ponting is able to overcome his previous deficiencies with the bat will have a telling effect on how the series is won or lost.
It will be a battle to watch out for. The Indians would be as severe as they can get. Make no mistake here the Indians would with come up with a flawless performance that is bound to shock the Aussie might. Be it Stuart Clarke or Brett Lee, all that they lack is a quality spinner that could turn a match on its head? To win in a series in India it is important to have a quality spinner an the Aussies are lacking in that department of the game. they are not mighty enough to win a series here.
Australian players sure have a point to prove at the individual level if not as a team. Ricky Ponting for one has had a hellish time in India and he’d surely want to exorcise his demons.
But then people like Watson and Haddin, comparative novices in India, are also out with a point to prove. Will their personal considerations impact their performance as a team? only time will tell.
