From the iSport Cricket Paddock: iSporter Akshay Iyer talks about Mr. Cricket, Mike Hussey!
‘Impossible is nothing’ is Adidas’ tagline, but it can easily sum up Michael Hussey’s attitude to life and cricket. Hussey had to wait his turn to represent Australia despite a magnificent domestic record, but he has made up for lost time since his international debut in 2004.
However, the southpaw had experienced a dip in form for a while in the last season-and-a-half. The fighter that Hussey is he has managed to conquer his demons in the last couple of months, and is once again showing the game and characteristics that earned him the nickname ‘Mr Cricket’. Throughout his international career, Hussey has bailed out Australia from tricky and hopeless situations, and he did that again in the second Twenty20 World Cup semi-finals against Pakistan at St Lucia on May 14, 2010.
Chasing a target of 192, Australia was in all sorts of trouble when Hussey came in to bat in the 13th over with the score at 105 for 5. As is his wont, Hussey nudged around in the early part of his innings and ensured Cameron White would get most of the strike. Hussey and White had to put together a partnership to ensure Australia’s passage into the final, but when the latter holed out in the 17th over with the Baggy Greens still needing 53 runs to win, it looked like game over for Michael Clarke and his men. White hit five massive sixes in his 31-balls 43, as he led Australia out of the woods, but his and Steven Smith’s dismissals brought Pakistan right back in the match.
Hussey, who had scored 16 in 11 balls at the start of the 18th over with Australia still needing 48 runs to win, then took centre stage as he gave batsmen the world over a lesson in finishing and winning matches from an impossible situation, as he scored his next 44 runs in only 13 balls. He did hit some massive sixes in this period, but the highlight for me was Hussey’s batting in the 19th over of Australia’s innings, which saw the southpaw facing all six balls and taking 16 runs off the Mohammed Aamer over with some deft placement and terrific running between the wickets.
At the start of the last over of the match bowled by Saeed Ajmal, Australia needed 18 runs to win with Mitchell Johnson on strike, who did the smart thing by taking a single off the first ball to bring Hussey back on to face the off-spinner. What followed in the next four balls was nothing short of dramatic as Hussey took Australia to victory with a ball to spare. Hussey took 22 runs in those four balls bowled by Ajmal – 6,6,4,6 – to propel Australia in to their first-ever Twenty20 World Cup final. Hussey got a lucky break with the boundary as his edged shot flew past the backward point fielder, but those three sixes that he hit were clean and powerful strikes of the ball.
Hussey remained unbeaten on 60 (24 balls, 4x3, 6x6) and put on an unbroken partnership of 53 runs in 2.4 overs with Johnson (5*) for the eighth wicket, as the elder of the Hussey brothers showed yet again just why he is considered Australia’s finisher with the bat in the shorter formats of the game. He has slotted in perfectly at No. 7 but can easily do the job should he be required to bat higher up in the order.
It would not be an exaggeration to state that Hussey’s unbeaten 60 is one of the best ever innings to be played in Twenty20 Internationals for it is one of the most extraordinary and special knocks one can be privileged enough to watch. After the match, Hussey admitted this was his best moment as an international cricketer, and the elation on his face after hitting the winning shot was testament to that fact.
Hussey would be looking to repeat his big-hitting and sold batting ways against England in the final on May 16, 2010. He not only stopped Pakistan from entering the T20 World Cup final for the third consecutive time, but also ensured that yet again a new T20 world champion would be crowned. ‘Mr Cricket’ ... take a bow!
However, the southpaw had experienced a dip in form for a while in the last season-and-a-half. The fighter that Hussey is he has managed to conquer his demons in the last couple of months, and is once again showing the game and characteristics that earned him the nickname ‘Mr Cricket’. Throughout his international career, Hussey has bailed out Australia from tricky and hopeless situations, and he did that again in the second Twenty20 World Cup semi-finals against Pakistan at St Lucia on May 14, 2010.
Chasing a target of 192, Australia was in all sorts of trouble when Hussey came in to bat in the 13th over with the score at 105 for 5. As is his wont, Hussey nudged around in the early part of his innings and ensured Cameron White would get most of the strike. Hussey and White had to put together a partnership to ensure Australia’s passage into the final, but when the latter holed out in the 17th over with the Baggy Greens still needing 53 runs to win, it looked like game over for Michael Clarke and his men. White hit five massive sixes in his 31-balls 43, as he led Australia out of the woods, but his and Steven Smith’s dismissals brought Pakistan right back in the match.
At the start of the last over of the match bowled by Saeed Ajmal, Australia needed 18 runs to win with Mitchell Johnson on strike, who did the smart thing by taking a single off the first ball to bring Hussey back on to face the off-spinner. What followed in the next four balls was nothing short of dramatic as Hussey took Australia to victory with a ball to spare. Hussey took 22 runs in those four balls bowled by Ajmal – 6,6,4,6 – to propel Australia in to their first-ever Twenty20 World Cup final. Hussey got a lucky break with the boundary as his edged shot flew past the backward point fielder, but those three sixes that he hit were clean and powerful strikes of the ball.
Hussey remained unbeaten on 60 (24 balls, 4x3, 6x6) and put on an unbroken partnership of 53 runs in 2.4 overs with Johnson (5*) for the eighth wicket, as the elder of the Hussey brothers showed yet again just why he is considered Australia’s finisher with the bat in the shorter formats of the game. He has slotted in perfectly at No. 7 but can easily do the job should he be required to bat higher up in the order.
It would not be an exaggeration to state that Hussey’s unbeaten 60 is one of the best ever innings to be played in Twenty20 Internationals for it is one of the most extraordinary and special knocks one can be privileged enough to watch. After the match, Hussey admitted this was his best moment as an international cricketer, and the elation on his face after hitting the winning shot was testament to that fact.
Hussey would be looking to repeat his big-hitting and sold batting ways against England in the final on May 16, 2010. He not only stopped Pakistan from entering the T20 World Cup final for the third consecutive time, but also ensured that yet again a new T20 world champion would be crowned. ‘Mr Cricket’ ... take a bow!
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