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Right handed compliments

The Australian opening pair of Michael Slater and Greg Blewett must surely fancy themselves to put up some big totals against India in the latter half of the Test summer. After facing the feared Pakistani new ball duo of Wasim Akram and Shoaib Akhtar, they would probably look upon the Indian pace attack of Srinath and any one of Prasad, Mohanty, Agarkar and Kumaran with a certain amount of glee. Walking out to take on Akram and Shoaib, one of the best new ball attacks going around at the moment, is an unenviable task and yet Slater and Blewett, two stroke-playing right-handers, had an impressive series as a combination against the Pakistani pacemen.

When the Australian batting order is analysed, attention invariably focusses on the search for a permanent batsman in the critical No. 3 slot, a search which may well be over with Justin Langer's current success in that position. But in recent years, a settled pairing at the top of the order has been just as difficult to find. Ever since Slater was harshly dropped for the summer of '96-'97, after a one-off Test with India, the opening batsmen have faltered. Slater and former Australian captain Mark Taylor had a successful union, but once that was split up with Slater's axing, consistent runs from the top two have not been forthcoming. Taylor began his well-publicised form slump, Matthew Elliott and Matthew Hayden were given an ultimately unsuccessful run, and then a rejuvenated Slater returned for the 1998 series against India and held a tenuous grip on his position before making runs in the 3rd Test in Bangalore.

When Taylor retired at the end of last season, Elliott was brought back for the West Indies tour to form what was expected to be a productive partnership between he and Slater. But Elliott failed miserably, scoring just 69 runs at 11.50 in 3 Tests against the West Indies. That meant Greg Blewett, who himself had performed inconsistently in a Test career batting at No. 3 or No. 6, was promoted to open for his country for the first time in the final Test in Antigua. Since that time, Slater and Blewett have not looked back.

The two stylish strokemakers have opened in 13 innings together and averaged an excellent 65 as a partnership, including 3 stands of 100 or more. It really all started in Sri Lanka this September, when they put on consecutive hundred-run opening partnerships for only the third time in Australia's Test history. They then brought that form into the home series with Pakistan, putting on an Australia vs Pakistan record of 269 in Brisbane to help kickstart the series. That was followed by partnerships of 74* (to win the first Test by 10 wickets), 76 and 39 in Hobart, then ironically 0 in Perth when Australian won by an innings. With Tests to come against India on more docile pitches and against a less hostile pace attack, they are favoured to cash in. If India allows them to do that, then the tourists have serious concerns, for a powerful batting line-up follows.

Michael Slater, a passionate and aggressive batsman, has played 56 Tests and scored 4303 runs at an average of 45.77 with an impressive 13 centuries, 7 of which have come since his return to the Australian side last year. One of the most watchable batsmen in world cricket, he indeed has strong claims to being the world's premier opening batsman. Along with his 13 hundreds, 7 of Slater's 15 fifties have been scores in the nineties - a record which is behind only Steve Waugh and Alvin Kallicharan. Even in making his 169 against Pakistan in Brisbane, he was dropped at first slip on 99, and was also dropped in the 90s in Hobart before being dismissed for 97. If there is such a thing as the "nervous nineties", then Slater is afflicted by it. He always leaves fans holding their breath as he approaches a hundred, for there is forever the likelihood of him doing something rash.

That impetuous streak, however, is what makes Slater such an entertaining and dangerous batsman. When in full flight he can be truly destructive, as he can pull and cut fiercely, as well as play a thunderous cover drive. He has a tendency to pursue wide deliveries but also possesses an excellent defensive technique, which he uses only when there is absolutely no chance to score a run. Complementing that is an eagerness to turn over the strike, which his partner must always be alert to or else be in danger of being run out. When the blood is pumping, Slater almost appears to play a tip-and-run style from the backyard days, which slower partners must be wary of! This suits Greg Blewett, though, for he is also speedy between the wickets.

Slater and Blewett are reputed to be great mates who enjoy each other's company off the field, which could go some of the way to explaining their success together on it. Ordinarily they might be an unlikely combination, for both are right-handed and like to play their shots when it is common practice for one opener to adopt a defensive role and ensure the new ball is seen off without loss. But these two can defend stoutly when required and once they are set, the damage inflicted upon the opposition is severe.

Greg Blewett, a renowned shotmaker in the Sheffield Shield, has generally played second fiddle in Tests to his more overtly aggressive partner in Slater. But Blewett, although not technically perfect - he is frequently out bowled off an inside edge - is more aesthetically pleasing as he can play the most glorious of cover drives and is the sweetest puller of the ball in Australia. Indian fans will probably remember Blewett for his disastrous tour to India last year when he made just a dismal 48 runs from 3 Tests. Condemned for his deficiencies against spin bowling, Blewett admitted that by the end of that tour anyone could have got him out and conceded that he was going to be dropped, which he duly was.

Blewett bounced back from that disappointment by making a record number of runs for South Australia before Christmas last year and scored a hundred virtually every time he went to the crease. He was rewarded with a tour to the West Indies, where he batted at No. 6 and missed the 3rd Test because of an injury before replacing Elliott in the final Test as an opener, which is where he bats for South Australia and where he has always wanted to bat for his country.

After making an outstanding start to Test cricket with centuries in his first two Tests against England, Blewett was dropped twice and is figured to be on his third and final chance. His play against spin, which had been exposed by Mushtaq Ahmed in '95/96 and later in India, has improved through hard work. He is by no means a master of slow bowling, but now handles the spinners with a fair degree of competence, as he demonstrated against Muralitharan and Saqlain this year. A productive series against India would cement his position as a senior Australian player with increased responsibility heading into the next decade.

After failing in the their last Test, the law of averages says Slater and Blewett are due for another sizeable partnership in Adelaide. Adelaide Oval is Greg Blewett's home ground and the local patrons are keen to see him succeed, as he made a hundred here on debut and was tragically bowled for 99 against the West Indies in 1997 (later becoming the first player to make two 99s in a calendar year by repeating the unfortunate feat against New Zealand). Slater, also, should now be fond of the ground after he made one of his 6 centuries against England here last season. With the openers now so productive and Langer coming off consecutive hundreds, the onus is on the rest of the batting order to provide more runs and cause further headaches for India's attack.

Daniel Laidlaw