Mr Cricket (2 page)
The media found out straight away that I was going to play instead of JL and consequently I had a million interviews to do that afternoon. I got back to my hotel room in a complete daze. My head was everywhere; it felt like I was completely disconnected from reality. It was a very weird sensation.
The day before the Test I had a light hit, checked all my gear, made sure everything was ready and took it easy for the rest of the day. Still, I wasn't totally settled which made it extremely difficult to concentrate on what I had to do to be ready for the big day.
I had quite a poor sleep that night, tossing and turning. My family and close friends had rushed over to Brisbane as quickly as they could. Everything was happening a little too fast which made it hard to be able to properly assess what was going on around me. Nevertheless, on the way to the ground on the morning of the match I felt relatively relaxed and comfortable.
The great Bill Brown presented me with my cap, which was a special moment, as it signified the end point of my journey from baggy blue to baggy green. I felt that the guys were truly happy for me. They all shook my hand after Bill gave me the cap and there was a genuine sense of comradeship among us. These guys, more than anyone, knew how much work it took to get to this point.
From baggy blue to baggy green.
I went through my normal warm-up and everything was on track. But when Ricky Ponting won the toss and told us we were batting first, I started to go downhill. Fast. The nerves swept through me straight away and butterflies started whizzing around in my stomach. It became a hundred times worse when we did the national anthem, which was literally five minutes before I was supposed to face my first ball in Test cricket. The anthem finished and Matthew Hayden and I, with pads already on, had to run off to grab our gloves and bats. I honestly could not feel my legs! It was terrible! I was sure I'd fall over and make a complete fool of myself before I'd even faced a ball.
There were few words spoken in the dressing room before we went out to bat. Few that I can recall, anyway. But there was one conversation I will never forget. Shane Warne, relieving himself in the bathroom, in his undies, having a cigarette, called me over.
âHuss,' Warney said. âYou know, you don't have to prove anything to us. We all know that you deserve to be here and we want you to go out there and play your way. Be yourself.'
It was amazing to hear that from him because, well, he's Warney, but also because he was probably the only guy in the team who made me nervous. We'd had a couple of run-ins playing state cricket over the years and I was a bit tentative around him and his incredible aura. For him to say that just before I went out to bat really meant a lot. Not that it helped calm my nerves â¦
Haydos said he would take the first ball and I agreed to take the first ball of the second innings. I hoped that would tame things a little but I still had no feeling in my legs as we walked out to start the match. It only got worse when Matty got an early single and I found myself on strike.
The West Indies fast bowler Fidel Edwards was at the top of his mark, readying to try to blast one through me and leave my debut in tatters. Very inconveniently, this was the moment when my brain decided to start playing a slideshow of flashbacks. I'd been through so much, been on such an incredible journey to get to this point, of facing a ball in Test cricket. I started thinking about trying to beat my brother in the backyard and my dad standing there watching us. I remembered being presented my baggy blue cap for Whitfords, wearing my daggy shorts and socks pulled up to my knees. I remembered playing my first A-Grade game for Wanneroo and all the work I'd done with my wonderful batting coach, Ian Kevan, to whom I will always be grateful. I remembered how inferior I felt batting with the genius Damien Martyn, who was the Wanneroo captain, and all I'd been through with WA. I thought about the many times I felt like giving up, seemingly destined to never make it to the top level.
The logical part of my brain tried to interrupt these thoughts. I needed to ensure that I didn't allow emotion to sabotage the extremely important task at hand. âHuss!' I yelled in my own mind.
âYou're playing in a Test match! Concentrate on what's happening now!'
But nothing could stop it. I started thinking about the overwhelming disappointment of being dropped from the WA team and how it prompted me to write a heartfelt, if a little embarrassing, letter to Steve Waugh asking him to share with me the secrets of mental toughness. I thought about how proud I was for somehow managing to work my way back and reaching this moment. Can you imagine those thoughts going through your head as a West Indies fast bowler comes tearing in to bowl at you in front of millions of people watching on television?
I was getting deeply emotional and started to choke up. My eyes became a little teary and I thought, âFor goodness sake, you can't start crying before your first ball in Test cricket!' I managed to put my feelings aside just as Fidel delivered and, thankfully, it was a big bouncer that sailed over my head. It was a moment of great relief as no one could take away the fact that I'd done it: I had represented my country in Test cricket.
One mark had been achieved. But immediately the next task became apparent: How would I get off the mark? It was the same quandary I used to face in my early A-Grade games, when I was so flimsy and weak that I could hardly hit the ball off the square. How? Where? Will I ever score a run? It took me a while, but after 20 minutes or so I managed to push one to midwicket for a hesitant single, which felt amazing. This Test cricket thing isn't so hard, I thought. You know what? I really do belong! I really can mix it with the best! So, what did I do? Got a short one, went for a pull shot, hit it straight up in the air and got out.
Since that surreal day at the Gabba my international career has moved along very nicely. I've performed as well I could have ever imagined and represented my country with great pride. I've scored centuries, was named the international limited-overs player of the year, was part of the team that won back the Ashes and defended the World Cup in stunning style. But as each goal was reached, one thing continued to irk me: the feeling that too much is never enough, that complete satisfaction is impossible to reach. There's always something more on offer, more to achieve, more goals to attain. It made me wonder whether I could ever say with certainty, âI am successful.' Surely there must be a level of achievement at which one can be completely content.
You might think that, for a cricketer, there can be no greater sense of achievement than being selected to play for Australia. Getting my baggy green cap was, of course, a great moment and one in which I felt as though I had made it and could now define myself as âsuccessful'. But my goals changed from the moment I got out playing that silly pull shot and suddenly it wasn't just about getting a baggy green; it was about becoming successful in the baggy green. When I scored my first hundred I again felt incredibly good. But, sure enough, my goals shifted and I wanted more. A Test ton was fantastic. But how about another one? Surely this cycle couldn't go on forever?
MICHAEL HUSSEY
TEST CRICKET CENTURIES
Hobart, Test 2 v West Indies
I thought this would be my last Test as Justin Langer was to return from injury in the third Test.
We bowled the Windies out for 149 on a brilliant batting pitch at Bellerive. Matty Hayden and I started pretty slowly but then began to build a good partnership. I really enjoyed the innings and could not believe it when I brought up my hundred with a fine leg glance off Fidel Edwards. My reaction was one of pure emotion and I get very embarrassed every time it is replayed on television. Scoring that hundred proved to me that I was good enough to play Test cricket.
Adelaide, Test 3 v West Indies
Even though Justin Langer returned to the team, I was retained to bat in the middle order. Batting at number five was very foreign to me as I had almost always been an opener. I tried to relax while waiting to bat so I sat next to Andrew Symonds who had me in stitches for most of the first day's play. I had to come out for the last over of day one when Justin was dismissed for 99. I didn't see any of the balls but somehow survived. I learnt my first lesson about batting in the middle order â always use a night watchman.
I struggled through the innings until I batted with Stuart MacGill. I loved batting with the tail, playing cat and mouse with the West Indians and eeking out as many runs as I could for the team.
MCG, Test 2 v South Africa
My dream in life was to play in a Boxing Day test. So to get there was a huge thrill â but to score a century was beyond belief. It was even more significant to me as Kerry Packer passed away the previous day and I thought about him often during my innings. He was a pioneer in the development of the game. Again I felt as though I struggled through much of my innings until I was joined at the crease by Glenn McGrath. We put on a hundred run partnership and really annoyed the South Africans. Glenn showed so much courage and concentration to survive as long as he did and I am forever in his debt.
Chittagong, Test 2 v Bangladesh
My innings was completely overshadowed by Jason Gilllespie's double hundred. I could not really believe how well he batted and batted and batted. What I do remember is how hot it was and how impressed I was with Jason's application and concentration for such a long period of time and in such oppressive conditions. It was really pleasing to score a century away from home and play my part in another Test win for Australia.
WACA, Test 3 v England
I had a feeling it was my day. I made a few errors during my innings and they did not cost me my wicket. Normally in Test cricket, if you make one mistake, you're gone. It felt as if it was meant to be â to score a ton on my home ground in front of my family and friends in the biggest series of my life. I was so pleased that my family was there to witness me score a Test hundred. I feel they are a huge part of any success I have had. It was a very special day.
Brisbane, Test 1 v Sri Lanka
I was very nervous coming into this Test because I'd incurred a hamstring injury at the Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa and had played only two grade games and two games for WA since. I didn't score many runs in those games and felt extremely underdone. Additionally, I hadn't been batting at number four for Australia for long and was concerned about how I could contend with Murali from the moment I came to the wicket.
The battle with Murali became absorbing. I could hear the ball fizzing down the pitch each time he bowled. I was concentrating extremely hard and managed to pick most of his deliveries. But Murali has great variation and accuracy and put me under pressure virtually every ball. He is a champion bowler and to score a hundred against him in a Test match is one of the most satisfying feelings I have ever had in my career.
This innings gave me plenty of confidence and eased my fears about my fitness and form. Michael Clarke and I shared a big partnership and complemented each other really well. He kept talking to me and kept me very focused on batting for as long as I could.
Hobart, Test 2 v Sri Lanka
My confidence was high coming into the match and the pitch was great for batting. But you begin the game on zero, so again I was nervous about getting a start. Phil Jaques was batting brilliantly when I came in, which took a bit of pressure off. I just felt as though this was my day. Sure enough everything I tried turned to gold. I did have a little luck along the way, but was thrilled to bring up my hundred in the last over of the day. That was a great relief because it saved me a sleepless night!
But that definitely wasn't the end of my task. I gave a lot of thought that evening to how I could go on to make a really big score, even perhaps a double hundred. I was very motivated the following day and had planned out exactly how I was going to do it. The plan was to pay a lot of attention to the first hour and build up towards cashing in later in the day. After battling hard and getting through that first hour I was very disappointed to make a mistake and be dismissed for 132. It felt as though a big opportunity had slipped by. Nevertheless, I was
still very happy to score another Test century.
Sydney, Test 2 v India
My second innings century against India will always be overshadowed by the controversy that followed when Anil Kumble accused Australia of not playing in the spirit of the game.
Despite this, there are a couple reasons why this is the most satisfying innings of my career. We were under extreme pressure when I came to the wicket, as the scores were about level and we were already two wickets down. The pitch was turning and eleven chirpy Indians were letting me know how hard it was in the middle. Also, we West Australians are often accused of being ordinary against spin. Therefore, to score a century against Kumble and Harbhajan on a fourth and fifth day SCG pitch â and put Australia into a position of strength in the Test match â was extremely satisfying. I vividly remember looking up at the packed old SCG grandstands, receiving a standing ovation from the crowd when I brought up my ton and thinking âWow, how good is this!'