History’s lesson: Don’t meddle with the middle

Each session of play is part of the subplot to the central theme. It creates its own charisma and as such the flaws of technique, whether bowling or batting. Tests are more often won by bowling attacks storming the portals of defence than batting forces overcoming the penetrating harbingers of destruction.

As a former highly-skilled Test batsman, one who played in the great New Zealand side of the 1980s, Wright knows more than most the trials and tribulations it took to build that middle-order into an effective force. You cannot just pluck players out of a fig tree and expect immediate fruitful results.

Wright had long ago identified the problems in the India team. On a baking Sunday afternoon at the Sinhalese Sport Club, Colombo in August, 2001, he sat grim-faced as he acknowledged how a lack of self-belief had cost his side the Test and the series. This, mind you, was after the stimulating success in India over Australia; the series labelled the greatest there has been. The harsh brickbats from the forgetful were soon flying as they always do in adversity.

It meant yet again a rebuilding process which began on the tour of South Africa, and the Safs had to go through a similar metamorphosis during the remainder of that traumatic summer of 2001/02. It affected the restructuring process as a combination of age and selection policy have failed to meet those norms of what was settled middle-order of the teams led by Kepler Wessels and those of the early and mid-Hansie Cronje eras.

Australia, as usual have a stable batting middle-order where the juxtaposition depends on the challenges each match throws up. The strength in depth normally comes at five and six. Either Steve Waugh or Adam Gilchrist has been effective in those positions.

It is also interesting how the Australian selectors went for experience as a replacement for Mark Waugh when he was eventually discarded. They decided on Darren Lehmann, who has easily slipped in to fill the required needs.

New Zealand’s great middle-order of the 1980s saw the emergence of Martin Crowe, the obdurate style of his brother Jeff, mixed for a time with either Jeremy Coney or Geoff Howarth, or both, with Richard Hadlee in the Gilchrist role at either six or seven.‘‘It was a matter of combinations and getting those combinations right’’, Jeff Crowe said in Zimbabwe shortly before the ICC Champions Trophy tournament in Nairobi in 2000. ‘‘For a change we had the right players to fill positions when we had injuries. It was an era where we had skilled and quality middle-order batsmen who could more than adequately step in and fill the position.’’

England’s great teams of the 1950s had such balance as Denis Compton, Bill Edrich, Tom Graveney, Peter May and Colin Cowdrey, with Willie Watson stepping in when needed. There was flair and flamboyance mixed with solid, calm influences. was also a time in the 1980s when they had David Gower, Ian Botham and Allan Lamb. All were attacking players and set high batting standards.

It is hard to ignore the great era of the West Indian teams. There have been several: those of the 1980s and 1990s set their own high levels with Viv Richards, Richie Richardson, Gus Logie and Jeff Dujon; Jimmy Adams and Brian Lara were late additions. Yet can it compare with the most famous trio of Ws the game has come across in the last 50 years: Wollop, Wonderful and Woe (Weekes, Worrell, Walcott).

Pakistan have also had teams which have had their middle-order moments of domination. Javed Miandad, Zaheer Abbas and Ijaz Ahmed, although Mudassar Nazar started his career at five or six in the order. Each era, though, has its players who dominate; some whose ability, talent and skill will long be remembered. There are some who come and go, soon forgotten until leafing though an old scorecard for information. Whatever happened, for instance, to Aravind Apte? He played one Test in 1959, looked promising but was discarded after that tour and not heard from again.

Hopefully India’s selectors have learnt from their Australian colleagues. It is, as Wright says, all about consistency.