by from_the_stands » Thu Mar 06, 2014 5:49 am
Another significant series win has come the way of Darren Lehmann and his merry men. This win in South Africa has put the rest of the cricketing world on notice that the Aussies are back and are once again a force to be reckoned with. The win in South Africa is huge on a number of fronts; it's an away win against the number one Test team in the world, the conquering of South Africa snaps a 15 series winning streak, and a new cricket super power has emerged.
With the Darren Lehmann era now nine months old, the stages of his tenue now seem clear to me. I see this in five stages;
Stage one - re group, rebuild.
Stage two - consolidate
Stage three - transition
Stage four - world domination
Stage five - sustained world domination
For me, stage one is now complete, and probably was after smashing England in the home Ashes series. The Australian team is now more balanced than it has been in years. We've got a fantastic bowling attack, with good reserves waiting in the wings. Our batting looks a lot more solid, with Twatto finally moving down to 6. It's still early days for Alex Doolan. Steve Smith has really come forwards in leaps and bounds. Dave Warner is at a level all on his own.
Stage two is about consolidating on what was been laid as a foundation. Away to Pakistan, home to India and away to England is where this is going to happen. Over the past few months, the Oz players have set the bar very high for themselves, especially Mitchell Johnson and Ryan Harris... and Dave Warner & Steve Smith. Victory in all three series is very much a legitimate outcome.
Stage three is really about what happened after the next Ashes series. Brad Haddin, Ryan Harris, Chris Rogers, and possibly Micheal Clarke will all go out of the game. If Clarke's back holds up, he may stay another 6-12 months, but that's about it. Mitchell Johnson too will surely only be another 12 months in the game for hanging up his mo. So what next? Tim Paine/Sam Whiteman, Nathan Coulter-Nile/Jackson Bird, Phil Hughes/Nic Maddinson, Chris Lynn/Jordan Silk, and Mitchell Starc.
Stage four is when the game is in trouble. Australia start flogging everybody, and as a result, the rest of the cricketing world lose interest.
Stage five is when we have every trophy back in the cabinet, and they're all covered in dust. James Muirhead has morphed into the next Shane Warne, and Shanky has declared his love for the Oz team, and especially Phil Hughes. At that point, Boof can call time on his coaching tenue with Oz, bring an end to the Darren Lehmann era.
"Hey, doll. Could you scare up another round for our table over here? And tell the cook this is low grade dog food. I've had better food at the ballgame, you know? This steak still has marks from where the jockey was hitting it." Al Czervik, aka Rodney Dangerfield in "Caddyshack" (1980)
2009 India vs SL ODI prediction guru
2010 Australia vs Pakistan Test Prediction guru
2012 Big Bash fantasy guru
2013 Big Bash fantasy guru
2017 IPL fantasy guru