Mr. Dependable, Mr.Cricket, Mr. Hussey!

He is not in the elite league of players who have made ten thousand plus runs. He is not even the best player to emerge from his country, rather he was fortunate to be a part of a champion side. But, what is it about this southpaw that has earned him the name of Mr. Cricket and Mr Dependable, ahead of players like Jacques Kallis and Rahul Dravid who have been quite the synonym of these terms? A rock-solid batsman of immense caliber and his talent of carving a niche for himself in the talent filled Australian team, has earned him a name, not through luck but a certain special set of skills that he possesses, skills that never fail to capture the bedazzlement of the audience.

Michael Hussey had a rough start to his career, terrorizing the domestic circuit, yet unable to break through the ranks of the national side. It was a story of a dream come true, a roller-coaster ride for the Australian. He was extremely prolific and was a keen learner of the game. Hussey’s strength is his versatility that he brings about with him; he can play the role of a sheet anchor on one day and can go after the bowlers, if the situation asks for it.

The Australians were a team made of grit, determination, and the fierce attitude to compete, which Hussey was the brand ambassador of. Muralitharan was rightly awed by the practice routines of the Australians which he said was a benchmark for the champion side. Hussey signified the same, and was responsible enough to carry his head on his shoulders even after attaining stardom.

Long story short; Hussey’s journey has been like a typical Indian movie which showcases the protagonist going from rags to riches in a whoosh, owing to the typical good natured virtues that he seemingly possesses. Hussey was no different; his career was deteriorating due to the lack of opportunities in the national side, much like our own Subramaniam Badrinath. Good fortune smiled upon him, albeit a bit late in his career. He was not a man to rue the bygones, rather he went on to make a mark in his debut series, impressing his skipper and thereby gaining his vote of confidence.

Michael Hussey confessed in an interview how his emotions betrayed him when he was facing a fiery Fidel Edwards for his debut delivery. His eyes were full of tears, having thought about all the pain and humiliation that he had to go through to wear the prestigious whites. He remarked that he would have got out if the ball had pitched anywhere near him; rather Edwards chose to bowl a bouncer which Hussey was only too happy to evade. The rest, as they say, is history.

The important aspect of Hussey’s batting is the ability to switch gears at will. Remember the last over in the T20 World Cup in 2010 when Hussey smashed an in-form Saeed Ajmal for three huge hits to snatch victory from the brink of defeat? That was the knock which scripted a career for the fading Hussey in the shortest format.

There was no looking back for him, and he went on to become a mainstay in the Chennai Super Kings batting, as he was instrumental in their near perfect record in IPL. Hussey had to fight for his spot even in the Chennai Super Kings side which was dominated by another batsman from Australia, Hayden, who was the lynchpin of Chennai’s batting. After Hayden’s retirement, CSK had no good replacement to fill his shoes, therefore, Hussey, who was a middle order batsman, was promoted up the order to provide some stability for the team now that Murali Vijay had taken up the responsibility of being the pinch hitter. Hussey proved to be an excellent foil, anchoring the innings from one side even as he was scoring at a brisk rate. This proved to be a master-stroke from the Chennai management as they discovered the opening abilities of Hussey which turned out to be a boon, as they could not have pulled up a last minute replacement for the towering Matthew Hayden.

Unlike many of his Australian counter parts, Hussey was generous in his gestures and words, which earned him an unwavering fan-following all over the world. He was humble enough to take victories and defeats with equal measure. I could go on about Hussey’s batting techniques, the crisp cover-drives and the powerful cuts and pulls which have been the trademark of his batting. Hussey is well-known for his sweet timing and his ability to pierce the in-field, if not for anything else. His stroke play is simply a treat to watch, and he has an uncanny knack of managing to stay on the field even if he is not in the best of form. Consolidation is his success mantra, and he never misses out on a chance to score runs.

Mr. Cricket has many similarities to The Wall of the Indian cricket. It could be true to a great extent for the kind of passion they show towards the game and the habit of putting the team in front of his own are the attributes which define his greatness, on and off the field. Hussey is an intense learner, which is quite visible even today.

Whenever I talk about him, there are a few knocks that spring to the front of my mind. The gritty century he made against Pakistan to guide a struggling Australia to salvage their pride at home, batting with the tail-enders, was a testament to the patience that he possesses. Yes, he survived few close calls but it does not make the innings any less important. Batting in the lower middle-order for the majority of his career, Hussey is a wonderful companion to the tail-enders, walking along with them, guiding them to hold it together for the team. He has forged such innings on many occasions to the dismay of the opposition, whose only folly was to relax, presuming that the match was in their bag whilst Hussey still remained. He has made them pay for it time and again and has relished in soaking up the pressure and delivering for the team in tough times.

The south-paw was termed as the perfect replacement for the master finisher Michael Bevan, and he did live up to the expectations of the team by playing some valuable knocks down the order. He has an impressive average of over fifty in one day cricket, add to that he is extremely athletic on the field, a fitness freak, who was in perfect shape even on the day of his retirement. His ability on the field saved many a run for them.

Like I said, he might not have been born with a silver spoon, but, today he would be a satisfied man, having had an incredible journey along with some fine cricketers of his era. The guard of honour which was presented by the Sri Lankans is an indication of the kind of impact he left behind. Test cricket will miss him for his cover drives especially, but as a Chennai Super King fan, I rejoice in realizing that he is going to be with us throughout this season, and his presence is definitely going to lift the team up! He is an Australian by birth, but a true Chennai ‘Super King’ at heart. Goodbye Huss!