Ball Sense
Farewell, Steve Waugh
His career did not have a fairytale ending, thanks to the touring Indians who spoiled the party by retaining the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He is assured of his place in history, but were Steve Waugh and his team playing for Steve Waugh or Australia? In the final crazy minutes of the Sydney Test, did a hundred in his farewell knock became a possibility? Should the captain not have offered to walk off at 6 p.m. Sydney time, when neither team seemed to have an earthly chance of forcing a decision? Holing out to Sachin Tendulkar in the country, did the elder Waugh twin not expose the Australian tail to the danger of an improbable defeat? Did he fail strategically when he refused to promote Adam Gilchrist up the batting order to set up an incredible fourth innings chase? Would he have won the admiration of people who have respected his leadership qualities for the last five years, if the match had ended in an exciting finish, regardless of who the victor was?

In the end, all this was forgotten as all of us remembered the highlights of Steve Waugh’s amazing cricket career rather than dwell on the embarrassments of his last series. Among all contemporary cricketers other than Indian, he has probably the greatest fan following in India, and not merely because of his charitable work in Kolkata. In any cricket conversation at places private and public, his name will figure prominently when it comes to voting on the best batsman in the world, the charisma of Sachin Tendulkar — and now Rahul Dravid — or Brian Lara notwithstanding. If his 200 at Jamaica in 1995 against West Indies provided the definitive moment when Waugh emerged as a top contender for the tag of best batsman in the world, his two centuries in the Manchester Test a couple of years later when he helped Australia snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, firmly placed him on that pedestal.

He made his Test debut in the 1985-86 season, which like his last game in international cricket, was against India — but unlike his farewell at his home ground Sydney, played at Melbourne. It was an unpropitious start, the young debutant making 13, 5, 8 and 0 in his first four innings, though he took 2 for 36 with sharp medium pace in his very first innings. He was into his fourth Test when he made 74 against New Zealand, but his run of failures continued until the next home series, when he scored consistently against England. He sealed his place in the Australian side on the England tour of 1989, making unbeaten scores of 177 and 152 in successive Tests. After that, his batting ability and big match temperament were never questioned.

Steve Waugh’s steely resolve distinguishes his cricket from the artistry in brother Mark’s batting. He often won matches for Australia with the bat from precarious situations and bowled with icy cool at the death in several one-day internationals before injuries forced him to quit bowling. An example was his inspired final over at Chennai, taking his team to an exciting win over India in the Reliance World Cup of 1987. He had played a notable part in the tied Test at the same venue, a year earlier. His positive attitude enabled Australia to win the 1999 World Cup after their losing streak at the start of the tournament. His hundred against South Africa in the semi-final came when his leading batsmen failed.

In India, Steve Waugh is loved by millions for his generosity to the children of Udayan, Kolkata, and his future plans for charitable work in India. Indians who have met him off the field know that he is a thoughtful, considerate guest in a country less fortunate than his, genuinely interested in their lives. He is a brand ambassador for MRF and AMP Sanmar Assurance Company. Knowing the tremendous value his name has brought to their insurance venture, it is hardly surprising that AMP Sanmar have announced their intention to continue their association with Waugh even after his retirement. He is the perfect brand ambassador — dignified, caring, humane.

V Ramnarayan
email: wordcraft@vsnl.com 

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