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Journalism of Courage
Australian captain Steve Waugh today said the loss to India in the second Test at Adelaide has given his team an opportunity to prove to the world that they are still the best in business. ‘‘We have heard about it for a number of years that we are ageing. Quite a few coaches in the past have said that. We can best view that in the next two Tests whether we are number one or not,’’ said Waugh making his side’s intentions clear just a couple of days before the start of the third Test.
Waugh said the defeat set a perfect stage for his team members to deliver in the absence of a few key players. ‘‘There’s lot being said about our great bowlers not being there. So there is an opportunity for other players to put their hands up,’’ he said.
Waugh, the outgoing Test captain, also disagreed with coach John Buchanan’s letter that termed the players’ performance in the Adelaide Test as ‘‘un-Baggy Green’’ and ‘‘soulless’’. ‘‘He (Buchanan) is entitled to what he is saying. We don’t have to agree with it. It’s his job to make observations and challenge the side. It doesn’t mean they are true. There was a lot of stuff written in the letter, which was not necessarily right.’’
Waugh was adamant his side had slipped up only by 10 per cent in the Adelaide Test and they were not far off from being their best. ‘‘We were not far off in the second Test. We dropped a couple of catches, had two bad sessions but we know we were not far off the mark — probably just 10 per cent. Intensity is the key for us, to play with intent — if we can keep pressure on the opposition, we can force mistakes.’’
Waugh admitted his side is not used to being one-down in the series and that India had done very well in Adelaide. ‘‘They played very well in Adelaide. There is no doubt we are not used to being 1-0 down with two to go. It’s a great challenge but we look forward to it.”
