Clarke’s exemplary sacrificial gesture

Richard Dwight

”It’s deeds and not words that matter in the end.” This is one amongst yet other segments of virtue that spring up from ‘Test Cricket’.

Perhaps it was for this reason, that the ‘5 day’ game of cricket was deliberately long drawn out – so that the cricketers could imbibe the noble virtues, that of being sportsmen.

Sad to say that the youngsters and the not so young elderly, do not hold to such cherished thinking. For they feel it is fart too conservative, old fashioned and out of date to be obsolete.

That which they desire is quick action, the temporary clowning game of chance, T/20.

The question of teams winning or losing is more or less dependent on luck, and spectators on the winning side will be smiling for good reasons along with the cricketers and yet others.

Notwithstanding this, the well-established long-standing Test cricket of 5 days, efforts opportunities to play the game in the way it was intended to be played, as sportive gentlemen.

we did witness this in the second cricket test between Australia and India at Sydney, where Australia crushed India by an innings and 68 runs to go 2-0 in the series.

It is not the victory that stood out, but by the way in which the triumph was crafted.

Ably led by the Aussie all rounder skipper, Michael Clarke, the strong Indian batting, was dismissed for a first innings score of 191 runs.

In reply, came the Aussie batting blitz, where the Aussies made little of the weak Indian attack to run up a commanding, massive 659 for just 4 wickets.

The main contribution towards this huge total was none other than Clarke’s, who was unbeaten on 329. If he so wished he could have got past the records of Bradman 334, Taylor 334 not and the highest Australian scorer Matthew Hayden 380.

But did not succumb to the temptation of self-glory by going for records, rather he declared the innings close at 659 for 4, leaving the Indians to bat who made 400 and lost by 68 runs.

That which was most significant in this second test match was the exemplary sacrificial gesture of Clarke, who denying himself the past records put team and country before self and was appropriately rewarded. This act of his warmed our hearts and enlivened our spirits.

He did restore his lost favour among spectators and fans and was now hailed as an Australian skipper with much foresight. Test cricket derives its glory from many a deed such as this, for such deeds, far more eloquent than words, gives the game a special kind of lustre and lifts it above the ordinary.