Simon Katich
Simon Katich speaks about the rivalry between India and Australia and many other matters relating to Australian cricket.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
'Ganguly's pull-out worked in our favour'
In the last two decades, Ashes has witnessed just two competitive Test series (1986 and 2005). In contrast, every India-Australia Test series with the exception of 1999-2000 has been bitterly fought. Is Border-Gavaskar Trophy bigger than Ashes?
Definitely. I feel the hard fought series in 2001 when India won that Test match in Kolkata after being down in the dumps triggered this fascinating rivalry. Later we beat India in their own backyard in 2004 after 35 odd years and got the much-desired revenge. It was one of the greatest victories for us. Once again India came to Australia last year and it was a fantastic series. This year in October once again it's going to be a toughie for us. I can't wait for it.
You were a part of that successful tour of India in 2004. What did Australia do so differently in 2004?
Our quick bowlers did a fantastic job getting the ball to reverse. That definitely helped us beat the Indians. Shane Warne's contributions can be easily forgotten since the quickies grabbed all the wickets but honestly he played the role of support bowler really well and got the breakthroughs at crucial junctures. I think the most important point is that we were rather defensive in our approach.
How did you guys prepare for 2004? What was the lesson you learnt from 2001?
We had some strenuous work out sessions prior to leaving for India and also the series win in Sri Lanka just before the tour of India was a huge plus point. Beating Sri Lanka was a huge boost for us and we carried forward the moment. The greatest lesson we learnt from the disaster of 2001 was to play safe and do the basics right. Our pace trio and Warne were simply fabulous. We learnt from past mistakes that patience is the virtue to succeed in India. There is a common notion that only spinners can win a series in India but our fast bowlers stuck to a steady line and length and won us the series.
In the third Test match of that series in Nagpur, there was a huge rift in the Indian contingent. Sourav Ganguly had a spat with the curator and opted out of the Test match. What was the feeling like in the Aussie camp?
Oh we thought it worked towards our benefit. We smelled a rift in the enemy camp and it was good for us. We saw some grass on the pitch and loved it. We carried a lot of confidence after the comprehensive victory in Bangalore. We were going into Nagpur knowing that we could strike the rod when it was hot. However we were beware that the Indians have a fantastic batting line-up and we could not have made the mistake on underestimating them. So I would say the feeling in the camp was brilliant and we surely did party hard after clinching the Nagpur Test. It was one of the happiest moments in our cricketing lives, to know that we had done something that our predecessors had not achieved.
John Wright has written in his book about the one week break that the Australians enjoyed during the second and the third Test. Supposedly Cricket Australia had made a request to the BCCI, seeking the rest. Talk us through that….
Ya that is a funny one you know. Most of the guys (Australian players) went away on vacation but my wife and I (who was touring with me) were down with food poisoning. We actually lazed around and recovered from the illness for the better half of the week. There was a feeling in the camp that we could win in India (this time around) and we realised that taking too much pressure on ourselves was the wrong way of approaching such a difficult series. John Buchanan was instrumental in our thought process.
Talk us through Adam Gilchrist's captaincy in that series? He never gave either of the three quicks – Kasprowicz, Gillespie or McGrath a spell of over 7 overs at a stretch.
Oh! Adam Gilchrist's captaincy on that tour was simply fabulous. The manner in which he tackled the spinners and handled the bowlers was amazing. John Buchanan made a lot of useful contributions too. We used to sit and chalk out plans on how to dismiss VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid and touchwood all of them worked to our advantage.
How difficult has it been for you to adjust as an opening batsman? You started your career as a middle-order batsman and have been there for a better part of your career? Are you comfortable opening or prefer the middle-order?
To be honest I have faced the new ball for the better part of my career since I bat at number three for New South Wales. I got a recall after three years to the Australian national team and I would obviously be comfortable doing anything my team management wants off me. I am glad that I got the much-required runs in the West Indies to give my career a great boost. I still prefer batting number three and higher up the order rather than batting at five or six. I really loved batting at three during that 2004 tour.
You have been enormously supported by Allan Border over the years. A lot of people felt that your international career was over after the 2005 Ashes. But you have made a spectacular comeback….
I have never learnt to give up. I will continue to fight till the day I play cricket. I do realise that I need to wait for a player to get injured in order to get into the team at this stage of my career. However I know that I will not let any opportunity go past me. I am playing in an era when so many brilliant batsmen are playing for Australia. I also know that I got into the team on the tour of West Indies primarily because of Matthew Hayden's injury, but what matters to me is that I performed well when I got the chance. I enjoy playing and captaining my state side. I just love cricket, scoring centuries and being a part of a winning outfit, doesn't matter who I am playing for. But obviously representing Australia is beyond all.
In a team braced with flamboyance in the form of Clarke, Ponting and Symonds, how does it feel to be the grafting types? You did however open the batting in ODIs and score some brisk runs…
I don't let it bother me to be honest. If my coach and captain feel I am good enough to play for Australia it gives me enough motivation to prove myself. I can be aggressive too but I prefer playing the game the way I do. I have a role assigned to me and I try my best to fulfil it. Opening the batting in ODIs alongside Adam Gilchrist was a fantastic experience. But I knew at the back of my mind that it was a matter of time before Matthew Hayden would replace me.
Australia's new-look pace trio of Brett Lee, Mitchell Johnson and Stuart Clark have never featured in a Test match in India before. How fast would they be able to adjust to the conditions?
It's true that these guys have not played a Test match in India before but they have travelled to India and have a sense of the conditions. All three have been doing terrifically well in the last 12 months or so and the fact that they got to bowl at the Indians last year is a huge plus point. They should be able to adjust fast enough I feel. It is going to be the biggest challenge of their lives. I am quite sure that McGrath and Co. will give them useful tips before they depart from Australia in two weeks time.
How fast is Matthew Hayden recovering? He is obviously one of your key forces… Will he tour India? How is he placed at the moment?
His injury is a big worry for us but from what I am being told he is recovering quite fast. He is such an integral part of our setup and sets up the victories for us batting at the top of the order and scoring those big hundreds. The squad is to be announced on Monday (15th) and nothing is certain as of now. Andrew Symonds may still make the tour for all you know and so will Hayden. Ricky Ponting is also battling a wrist injury but is expected to recover in time for the tour.
Ricky Ponting is arguably one of the greatest batsmen in contemporary cricket. However in the 8 Tests that he played in India, he averages 12.28 and boasts of a single half-century. Why has he failed so miserably in India?
Oh that is something none of us are able to figure out. He is such a tremendous batsman you know and the art of succeeding in India is to be patient. I feel Ricky knows a thing or two about conditions in India now and will fare better next time around. For most batsmen around the world, succeeding in India is the greatest achievement and knowing Ricky, he is itching to change this fact and get some runs under his belt.
You are 33 now. Are your best years as an international cricketer ahead? Also we hope you don't get out for 98 this time around.
I just want to play cricket and score buckets of runs, that's all. Yes I will try to get that hundred this time.
