Relief wins out in test of raw emotions

[Nergal]

 

Come the conclusion of a Test match in which emotions routinely flared and fractured more demonstrably than the new Perth Stadium pitch, the feeling that took hold in Australia's triumphant dressing room tonight was relief.

There was obvious joy when the final India wicket fell, weary satisfaction at the team's capacity to outlast a world-leading opponent in the most demanding circumstances, and heightened anticipation for the two remaining matches of the Domain Series now poised 1-1.

But given it's been 288 days since the ‘Under the Southern Cross' victory chorus was heard in an Australia Test cricket setting, and 268 days since the fabric of the men's team was ripped beyond recognition in South Africa, the win brought more release than glory.

That was acknowledged by coach Justin Langer, a product of a golden era in Australia cricket who today tasted success after almost nine months as Test coach, who claimed some members of his team had been "beaten up" for much of that time.

In years past, Tim Paine's first win as a Test captain would have been viewed as simply an overdue correction.

A return of Australia's Baggy Green brotherhood to the dominance they've exerted on their home patch for 30 summers, even longer.

However, the enforced changes brought by the ball tampering scandal robbed the men's team of not only its two most productive and inspirational batters.

It also compelled them to re-evaluate the way they compete and, as a consequence, the manner in which they are perceived.

So to stand toe-to-toe with the world's top-ranked Test team, which had already taken a sizeable step towards a history defying series win in Australia, and keep their cool while others were clearly struggling to hold on to theirs meant so much more than merely taking the honours.

It also allowed Paine's team to claim back a measure of the faith and respect surrendered at Cape Town last March, and add some substance to the oft-mouthed claim that the new iteration of the national Test team will play with an admirable spirit, that doesn't preclude winning.

"It's been hard work, the first two Tests of this series have been really, really tough," Paine said in the aftermath of Australia's 146-run win, after conceding that his personal reaction to his first Test win after five starts as captain was overwhelmingly "relief".

"Both teams have outstanding fast bowling attacks, so it's been a really bruising Test match to be honest.

"We've got some inexperienced players in terms of Test matches played, so to get a win like that against the best Test team in the world is going to give them a huge boost of confidence.

"But it means nothing as soon as we get to Melbourne next week at the MCG - it's going to be on again from ball one, so we have to maintain the intensity and keep matching India in that area.

"If we do, we're going to be right in the fight again."

It was the intensity of that fight which captured as much attention as the aggressive fast bowling, brave batting and decisive spells of spin by player of the match, Nathan Lyon.

Most notable was the apparent revelation – born of the new open-mic approach that the ICC endorsed to try and improve on-field behaviour - that players will goad one another to try and gain a mental edge.

It certainly caught the attention of New Zealand umpire Chris Gaffaney, who intervened during the day four exchanges between Paine and his feisty captaincy rival, Virat Kohli.

Gaffaney felt compelled to remind the combatants they were on-field leaders, and should could consider tempering their behaviour as such.

Kohli stood unsurprisingly defiant at game's end, dismissing suggestions that his animated gestures and combative character had breached the game's spirit, a nebulous charter that has closed tighter around Australia's chastened team since South Africa.

"As long as there's no swearing out there on the field, and there's no personal attacks, the line doesn't get crossed," Kohli said in the wake of India's defeat, which squared the ledger after their win in Adelaide a week earlier.

"There's banter going on, even in Adelaide there was a bit of banter here and there.

"It's Test cricket at the end of the day – it has to be competitive.

"You can't say that people aren't going to try to get you out in any way possible.

"With the stump mics and cameras and all of these things - honestly when the bowlers bowling the ball and you're standing at slips, you're not thinking whether the stump mic is on or the camera is on you.

"And when you're facing that ball, there's literally no one apart from the ball and you in the stadium.

"These things are totally irrelevant.

"You're actually not aware of them at all when you're on the field, it's never bothered me.

"It's never been something that's ever been of importance to me to be honest."

The unfiltered audio of Paine's on-field chat to and about Kohli ("you can't like him as a bloke" he rhetorically asked India opener Mural Vijay) was undoubtedly free of profanities, even if it might not be considered cordial dinner-table chat.

But Paine points out that the pledge of equanimity to which the Australia players have now subscribed does not constitute a vow of on-field silence, and when opponents (read Kohli) engage them in verbal combat, they won't shrink away.

"I enjoy watching him, I always have and I think he brings out the competitive spirit in a lot of people," Paine said of his jousts with the India captain.

"But you've just got to read the situation and go with what you're feeling.

"At times, you've got to draw a line and start sticking up for yourself and start sticking up for your teammates.

"We're really passionate about playing for Australia, and we're not going to sit back and be walked all over.

"Sometimes those things happen, and you've got to get involved.

"It's important, and we speak about it a lot as a group, playing on skill and not emotion.

"For us, that's really important but for other teams it might be opposite.

"We know our best cricket is played when we put emotion to the side for the majority of it, and just focus on our skill.

"Having said that, we know there's times when you have to get involved and you have to stick up for your mates.

"I think we're finding a really good balance in that sense, so I'm really happy with the way we're going about it.

"It's my role as a captain to make sure we're staying on track."

A path that, until today, offered no clear route to Australia's next Test win.