Published: Feb 16, 2016, 12:39 PM (IST)
Edited: Feb 16, 2016, 04:20 PM (IST)
On a lighter note, Adam Voges’ batting average during the opening Test in New Zealand had zoomed past 100, which cannot even be termed Bradmanesque!
Voges, the 37-year-old batsman who was drafted into the side to provide Australia further stability lower down the batting-order, has rapidly emerged as their best. While Voges barged into the team on the bank of a very successful run in Sheffield Shield 2014-15, he let himself down and all who banked on him to excel in England. Voges was in form, had the experience of playing in the English conditions, but still he failed. ALSO READ: Adam Voges displays batting prowess and how!
The next Test assignment for Australia after Ashes 2015 was the tour of Bangladesh, which did not happen. The Australians backed out citing security reasons, and their red-ball specialist Cameron Bancroft was robbed off a chance to make Test debut. The men in Baggy Green started preparing to host New Zealand and West Indies, and it was widely expected that the Ashes non-performer Voges would be dropped for good.
However, the two gutsy half-centuries towards the end of Ashes 2015 rekindled Australia’s faith in Voges, who was retained for the summer at home. What followed was relentless run-scoring, with the right-handed batsman taking himself to a position where he stands indispensable. At least, for the time being.
Voges had been making runs in Shield cricket, but the fortitude he has shown in the past few months along with an insatiable hunger for runs, strict discipline and systematic application has taken him to another echelon. His defence has been impregnable on most occasions he has walked out to bat, and the biggest reason for that has been the price Voges puts on his wicket. FULL CRICKET SCORECARD: New Zealand vs Australia, 1st Test at Wellington
On his return from England, Voges decided to change his entire approach towards batting. He told ABC Grandstand, as reported by ESPNCricinfo: “I decided to put all drives away — cover drives, straight drives, all drives. I wasn’t going to play one, I was going to be as disciplined as I could be and just fight as long as I could and just make them really have to earn my wicket.” ALSO READ: Adam Voges surpasses Don Bradman, Sachin Tendulkar
The idea has certainly worked for Voges, and Australia have, in return, been benefitted immensely by a seasoned campaigner putting it all that together perfectly. Voges’s hard work is a culmination of the results that he has been getting. A few months ago, Voges — just another member of the Australian ‘Dad’s Army’ — was being looked up to as a temporary addition to the batting firepower. But he has done extremely well post the retirement of batsmen in Michael Clarke and Chris Rogers to provide Australia the stability they sought.
Voges’ current form may have delayed the debut for Bancroft, but Australia should not be worried as long as the venerable batsman is getting runs. Australia have had many of their senior men hitting purple patch in the past and Voges is no different. He has certainly testified Australia’s faith in their senior campaigners.
(Devarchit Varma is senior writer with CricketCountry. He can be followed on Twitter @Devarchit)
