In last 13 years, Australia constructed a cricketing realm which they deliberated will last for a thousand years. Guess they were not the first to get it wrong. They are now the mighty fallen. The next generation cricketers struggled to hold and finally crashed off from plinth and the empire crumbled.
Sydney Test in modern history has acted as final nail to the coffin for the tourists, but its going overturn in the new era where Australia, in the same ground faces the prospect of a series whitewash.
South Africa in Australia
But before the new stars date history, chopping and feel good stories will emerge concurrently from cricket’s once most powerful nation.
Not in his wild dreams, Victorian allrounder, Andrew McDonald would have thought of putting a baggy green so soon in his career, but time masters the universe. Can he play? That will be seen.
Something comparable will also hold true for Doug Bollinger and Tasmanian Ben Hilfenhuas who could also get a game soon.
There is every chance that Australia could face a trouncing in the third Test as they haven’t got the best of the starts in the Sydney. So won’t it be good for Aussies to try some new talent in the upcoming ODI series rather than going with same Hayden faces.
South Africa in Australia
Maverick batsmen has been a real pain to the opposition in past and literally took the cricketing world by storm with 30 Test centuries that include the second highest individual Test score of 380-runs, second only to another great left-hander, Brain Lara. But for certain, Hayden days are over and it won’t be great if Australia try Phillip Hughes with the new looking Simon Katich at the top.
Hughes is a young prospect for Australia and averages touching 54 after 16 first-class games for New South Wales. There is a possibility that he could open for Australia when they travel to South Africa to play a three match Test series starting this February.
Australia has been guilty in past of not allowing enough new talent to peep into the Test side and a sudden loss of big names created such a void that it changed their cricketing stature. But now rebuilding is not an option, but a necessity; thankfully for Australian cricket it has finally begun.
West Indies learned it the hardest way that it is impossible to remain at the Everest of cricket for a life time.
Australia might not be a force and will take years to reestablish the aura of dominance, but luckily for the cricket, they don’t face the same fate as West Indies suffered after their reign: Australian prospect are certainly brighter with a strong domestic structure to avoid catastrophic fall.
Every team has a generation of cricketers who rule the sports and bring glory home. But with great players retiring or eventually getting dropped some other nation with equally matching talent climb to the top. Australia is seeing something similar happening as Proteas are becoming the new dominating shade of green in the ever expanding cricketing rainbow.
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