Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer has been a tremendous opening pair for the Aussies for nearly two years. They temper brilliant, even daring stroke-play, especially from Hayden, with the calm, cool, even sometimes reserved diligence and watchfulness from especially Langer. Oh how the West Indian fan and/or historian would love to see the likes of Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes again, just to match opening blades!
One could only imaging what expletives went through Hayden's mind when he literally ran himself out on Day 1 for 10, knowing fully well, after seeing Shiv Chanderpaul's masterpiece, that the Bourda Oval's pitch was only waiting to yield many more centuries. The thoughts in Langer's mind must have been different. He would make the West Indies pay for Hayden's mistake. He certainly did.
There was a time when both Ricky Ponting, who bats at No. 3 these days for Australia, and Justin Langer were out of the Australian team, for different reasons.
A few years back, Ponting had somehow acquired the reputation of being "not yet fully ready for the big time", as one famous leg-spinning former Australian captain put it. Generally, it was thought that Ponting, despite his obvious natural talents and gifts as a cricketer, was not taking things in terms of international cricket seriously enough. Oh, how that has changed.
Langer, on the other hand, was simply out of form, especially after the last Australian tour to the Caribbean, though not out of favor. He was even tried at No. 3, to see if his slump would end, but for a period, he could not score heavily enough to be in the batting line-up, despite some regular 30's and 40's. The Aussies are tough cricket judges these days.
If Langer had been scoring even 20's or 30's regularly as a West Indian Test player, he would have been a star in the Caribbean. After all, the West Indies cricket team presently includes a supposed batsman whose batting average just about equals his Test appearances, and he has already played 19 Test matches. One has to wonder what he is being selected to do. Certainly it cannot be for his batting, yet he seldom bowls. It must be for his nationality!!
Anyway, for the real Justin Langer, all changed about nine months ago. Now, he is as settled as the gold that is sifted from the silt in the Rupununi. The guy is ready for really big things. Before this 1st Test, he had made 4077 runs from 59 Tests and was averaging 44.31. After the 146 he made on Day 2 of this 1st Test match, his 14th Test century overall, his average has inched up to 45.41.
This innings was of tremendous intelligence and purpose, lasting over six hours, grinding the West Indies into the dust. Langer realized that the pitch was playing so very well that he would have to get himself out, as the West Indian bowlers seemed not to be able to even penetrate his defense, much less give him any trouble at all.
Add the fact that West Indian captain Brian Lara set such strange field placings that one wondered if he had learned something new, something no-one else knew, about the Australians.
One wonders how Vasbert Drakes and the rest of the bowlers felt to be bowling with a 8-1 field, eight fielders on the off side and one on the leg? We may never know, I guess. Lara was correct when he said he had changed!
Ponting's innings was different. He was pugnacious, classical, arrogant and showed a batsman full of form and even contempt, so easily he had played.
If he continues in this mould, he will make about 600 runs in this series. After his exploits in the World Cup, as captain, then being named official Vice-captain of this team, the times have really changed to roses for Ricky Ponting.
He certainly is more reliable, organized even, in his cricketing attributes, that is, his batting and thinking processes. The 114 he made on Day 2 was his 15th Test century, averaging, even before this game at 47.91. Talk about talent, this guy oozes with it.
Between them, even when the others failed, bar the bludgeoning Adam Gilchrist, both Ponting and Langer showed how to correct everything about themselves and come good when it mattered.