Grabbing at Strauss

Brian Charles Lara is back with a bang. The ''Prince'' slammedhis 19th ODI ton against Pakistan in the VB Series, a huge 156 comprising 14hits to the fence and five towering sixes. In the process West Indies chalked upthe highest ever one-day total at the Adelaide Oval - 339/4.Thethrone for the best batsman in the world is up for grabs again with the IndianMaster Blaster Sachin Tendulkar not in the running because of injuries and ausurper in the shape of Andrew Strauss from England staking claim for the tophonour.The question to be asked is whether batsmen like Sachin andLara are more useful to their teams, with their moments of brilliance, orsomeone like Strauss or Dravid for their consistent strings of scores and doggedrather than brilliant approach to the game? Both Sachin and Lara are attackingbatsmen and their genius is unmatched. But give them a situation where they haveto curb their natural instinct to hammer the bowler and they struggle. This iseven more true for Sachin. Injuries might have forced him to play lessaggressively but still Sachin is at his best when attacking the bowler.Even Lara who got 156 again Pakistan in the ongoing VB Series mightnot have reached the mark had he been in form. Because his shots were limited,because he elected to score his first two fifties largely through singles, didLara reach 156. His third 50 came off just 19 balls but then he wasdismissed. Even for bowlers, seamers like Matthew Hoggard are any daymore precious for the team than Speed Gun Heroes like Lee and Akhtar who aremore out than in because of injuries. Granted that bowlers like Shoaib, Lee andbatsman like Sachin and Lara are great to watch on their day but do they winmatches for their teams that often?Strauss from Middlesex has playeda pivotal role in England''s outstanding performance in the past year. Hissuccess is not yet another flash in the pan. It is unlike a magical ton scoredby Sachin or Lara once in a while. It is all about consistency and performingover and over again. The value of knuckling down and a crafty accumulation ofruns is what makes Strauss so special. Part of his success should also beattributed to the confidence Strauss has in his game, his ability to beundeterred by the opposition and a fierce hunger for tall scores.For the statistically minded, in the 12 Tests that he has played sofar, Strauss has accumulated 1246 runs at an average of 56.63 with fivecenturies and four half-centuries. In the one-day format, Strauss 658 runs from22 matches at an average of 38.70 and one hundred to his name. As Justin Langer, former Middlesex captain and Australianbatsman put it, "Any opposing team that has a person like Andrew Strauss withinits ranks is a team that makes me nervous."Born in Johannesburg in1977, Strauss honed his skills in England at Radley College and DurhamUniversity. South Africa must be ruing the moment Strauss crossed over toEngland. For the South African side it was painful deja vu every time Strausscame in to bat and sent the bowlers on a leather hunt time and time again. Interestingly, Strauss surprised South Africa as much as hesurprised his own teammates! Strauss was always a good prospect but never morethan that. He was not a Tendulkar or a Lara who had Champion written all overthem even before they made their debuts. And had the not the English selectorstired with Vikram Solanki and Michael Vaughan twisted his knee at the nets,Strauss might have still been just playing for Middlesex! Strauss does not thehave the variety of shots that Lara or Sachin have in bountiful. But theMiddlesex player has turned this limitation into strength. Lara andSachin can so play many shots and can then logically also get out to so manyballs. Time and time again both Sachin and Lara have lost their wickets whentrying to play a shot too many. But the compact and nuddgety Strauss has no suchproblems. Falling back on the cut, pull and drive, Strauss has perfected the artof watchful batting and a temperament that just refuses to buckle under.