Sport - Cricket

A perfect start to the series

In thrusting himself onto the international stage with such a wonderful debut innings, Michael Clarke, along with our experienced bowling group gave us the perfect launching pad for the series here in India. To go one up is the ideal start but of course we know only too well how quickly fortunes can change in this game, particularly here on the sub-continent.

There were many positives to come out of the opening encounter, although the Indians will no doubt feel an over-riding negative was the umpiring and its effect on the match. This is a delicate topic for a player to comment on, but I think we are all grown up enough to realise a couple of mistakes from the men in black and white did cost the local side dearly.

After the match I went on record in defence of Billy Bowden and Steve Bucknor, stating that the unique conditions here in India, extreme crowd noise, spinning, bouncing wickets with men all around the bat, make their jobs outrageously difficult. It's tough to hear a team-mate at first slip, let alone detect the noise of an inside edge from 22 yards away.

Umpires too can err

Yes, the test for me will come if the shoe is on the other foot and we cop a few crucial `bad ones'. I hope to be consistent on my assessment and understanding of the umpires whether decisions go for or against us. What is a given is that like us, as players, the umpires are bound to make mistakes.

Perhaps, just perhaps by `walking' when you know you've hit it, a player makes an extremely tough job for an umpire just that little bit easier and we could all move towards more consistent performance. Enough of the negatives though, as there was so much to enjoy for any cricket lover in the way Michael Clarke entered Test cricket.

A passionate, emotional young man, he handled all that was thrown at him with a very cool head. A great effort considering he is one of the most nervous players I've ever come across prior to going in to bat. `Pup' has been his nickname for several years but I consider `Nemo' to be a better suited tag for this youngster.

Clarke likes challenges

He calls Matty Hayden `Big Fish', a combination of Hayden's huge physical stature and also his massive presence on the international stage. Clarke will no doubt one day be a `big fish' himself, but for the moment, like Nemo, he is a talented, sometimes cheeky small fish, who is prepared to swim from the reef into the deeper waters and take on bigger challengers than himself.

Already there is talk from wiser heads that he will have to be wary of the off-field trappings of success. A valid point indeed, but I suspect we need not worry about the focus of young `Nemo', as has a great support network around him and as strong a desire to concentrate on his cricket as I have ever seen.

If you do hear of or see Clarke driving a Ferrari, it's not because success has gone to his head, it's because he's always had a genuine love of cars. He's always coloured his hair and sported an earring. None of his flashiness will be manufactured by a big ego. Put simply he has a natural flare that he should continue to stay true to.

And much credit should go to Trevor Hohns and his fellow selectors for yet again trusting their instinct and having the courage to back talent and potential. As a result of their faith in Clarke, and thanks to his personal achievement in Bangalore, he could well become a unique player who averages more in Test cricket than in an overall first-class career.

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