IT IS not so long ago that Michael Hussey was cast as a reliable batsman lacking the special ability required to break out of his mould. At once he was a sound Shield player, an honest journeyman, a skilful operator, and all the other labels that meant he was never going to wear the colours of his country. It is not that observers were fools. The sentiments were universal. Seldom has a batsman so far surpassed his supposed possibilities. More than most, Hussey had to conquer himself before he could conquer the world. He took his time about it but it was worth the wait.
And there he was in the thick of the action once again, looking like he belonged, looking like he had been in Test cricket all his life. Perhaps he had, in his mind. Hard as they pressed, the Indians could not remove him, a frustration shared by several other nations. No one else has been able to eject him either, or not without paying a heavy price. Once more his bat was broad, his shot selection faultless, his footwork alert and his placement precise. Somewhere along the way he must have erred, missing a ball or been in danger, yet he never really looked like getting out. He remains an uncracked code.
Come to think of it, he was troubled by Anil Kumble early in his innings as the ageing trouper probed away, but before long the left-hander had worked it out, and anyhow his edges went along the ground. Almost always his tickles stay down. Old professionals know how to do that, using soft hands and a dead bat, avoiding wafting away with the profligacy of youth. Most of them skidded away through gaps. Even that was not entirely due to luck.
So there he was, the immovable object, holding the innings together, ensuring that the Australians did not squander their advantage. To that end he wore down the attack, thereby adding to the pressure on the home batsmen.
Better than most, Hussey knows the value of secured runs. As usual, he advanced unobtrusively and it took a glance at the board to realise that he had reached 24 and then 43 and the other posts along his route. He does not set out to collar the bowling, just to score as quickly and safely as possible. All that hard yakka in domestic cricket taught him a lot about making the right decisions at the crease. Discernment had been a weak point. Those seasons did not curb his ambition so much as inform his mind.
Accordingly he arrived in Test cricket armed with a lot of knowledge and plenty of experience. He was able to bat regularly and to study his craft without feeling the sword of Damocles hanging over him. County cricket gave him a chance to bat without thinking about his ambitions. Till then he had been looking too far ahead, wanting recognition too much, turning himself inside and out in its pursuit. He was held back by desperation to represent his country. It is possible to want something so much that it becomes an inhibition. It was not until he came to terms with failure that he was able to succeed.
Representing a county as an overseas player also gave Hussey responsibility as the best batsman in the side. It is a good feeling. It meant he mattered, could not focus only on himself. Arguably he has become the best batsman in the Australian side as well. Of course, he is not the only latecomer to blossom in county cricket. Phil Jaques and Simon Katich also benefited. Indeed, it is becoming the new route into the Australian team. It is not the runs gathered in England that count so much as the confidence gained and lessons learnt.
As usual Hussey relished the heat of battle. Intense and yet somehow relaxed, he looked as well organised as a teller's table. By now he knows his game and himself back to front, knows that it is enough. He has stopped trying to perfect. It is not a man's supposed limitations that matter, it is the use made of his strengths. Doubtless he was reassured by his hundred in the previous match in Hyderabad, a knock that helped him find his rhythm.
Immersed in his work, balanced and in charge, Hussey pounced on anything short, threaded drives through the covers, tucked singles off his pads, and pushed the total along in his customary way. He has always been a busy cricketer, and in the past couple of years he has become businesslike. He does not make many mistakes and has found a way to control his considerable energies towards the task of run-making. In the past he cared too much, lived and died with every ball. Success has taken away the torment and nowadays he is able to bat for pleasure and service. Not that he has forgotten the hard years; they drive him along for he does not want to go back.
Many batsmen with sound provincial records must watch Hussey and wonder. In some ways it must give hope and yet the secret remains unknown. Why him and not 50 others of seemingly similar ability? Perhaps it is that he dared to dream. Before long he was celebrating the hundred that had long seemed inevitable. But he knows nothing is inevitable, or impossible. Cricket has taught him that. Whenever he has reached three figures Australia has won the match. No longer is his value in doubt.
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