Australia ke cricket fans, kya haal hai? Ek baar phir se humari team World Test Championship (WTC) final mein South Africa se haar kar chhati peet rahi hai. Aur is baar, sabse zyada shor macha hai team ke top-order ke bare mein, jahan Usman Khawaja toh jaise-taise Ashes ke liye apni jagah bacha lete hain, lekin Marnus Labuschagne ke sar par talwaar latak rahi hai. Head coach Andrew McDonald ne bhi ishara kar diya hai ki top-order mein badlav aane wale hain. Lekin sach kahu, yeh drama toh Australian cricket ka purana naksha hai – jab bhi badi haar hoti hai, kisi na kisi ko bakra banaya jata hai.
Chaliye, pehle thodi si khurafat karte hain. Labuschagne, jisko ek zamanon mein Steve Smith ka chhota bhai kaha jata tha, aaj kal apne run banane ke liye taras rahe hain. WTC final mein South Africa ke khilaf unhone khuli batting ki, lekin kya fayda? Pehli innings mein 17 run aur doosri mein 22 run. Yeh koi T20 ka score nahi, bhai, yeh Test cricket hai! Is WTC cycle mein unka average sirf 27.82 raha, jo kisi bhi star batsman ke liye sharmindagi ki baat hai. X par fans toh unhe troll karte hue thak nahi rahe – koi unhe drop karne ki baat kar raha hai, toh koi unhe Shield cricket mein wapas bhejna chahta hai. Ek user ne toh yahan tak likh diya ki Labuschagne ko apni jagah ke liye ladna hoga, varna Sam Konstas jaise naye chehre unki kursi chheen lenge.
Ab thodi si daya bhi dikhate hain. Labuschagne ke liye yeh mushkil waqt hai, lekin kaun cricket mein aise daur se nahi guzra? Yaad hai na, jab Steve Smith 2014 mein apni form ke liye struggle kar rahe the, lekin phir unhone Ashes 2017-18 mein 687 runs thok kar sabka muh band kar diya tha? Ya phir Ricky Ponting, jinhone 2005 Ashes ke baad apne career ka doosra shikhar chhua. Labuschagne bhi toh 30 saal ke hain, aur unka Test average abhi bhi 45 ke aaspaas hai. McDonald ne bhi kaha hai ki woh team ka ek aham hissa hain. To shayad yeh waqt hai jab Labuschagne ko thodi si himmat aur thodi si kismat ki zarurat hai. Ek bada score, ek shandaar sau, aur shayad woh phir se wahi Marnus ban jayen jo 2019 Ashes mein England ke bowlers ke liye kaal tha.
Aur Khawaja ki baat karen toh, 38 saal ki umar mein bhi woh apni jagah ke liye lad rahe hain. WTC final mein unhone bhi kuch khaas nahi kiya – pehli innings mein zero aur doosri mein sirf 6 run. Lekin McDonald aur captain Pat Cummins dono unke pichhe khade hain, keh rahe hain ki Khawaja mein abhi bhi dher sari runs baki hain. Yeh wahi Khawaja hain jinhone 2023 mein Sri Lanka ke khilaf 232 runs ki marathon innings kheli thi, toh unki capability par shak karna bewakoofi hogi. Lekin sawal yeh hai – kya woh Ashes tak apni form wapas pa lenge, ya phir unka career bhi David Warner ki tarah ek lambi vidai ke sath khatam hoga?
Ab thodi si South Africa ki tarif bhi kar lete hain, kyunki woh is jeet ke asli haqdaar hain. Temba Bavuma ki captaincy, Aiden Markram ka shandaar shatak, aur Kagiso Rabada ki teekhi bowling ne Australia ko charo khane chitt kar diya. Yeh wahi South Africa hai jise aksar badi tournaments mein chokers kaha jata tha, lekin is baar unhone Lord’s ke maidan par itihas racha. 282 runs ka target chase karna, woh bhi Lord’s jaisi pitch par, koi mamuli baat nahi. Yaad hai jab West Indies ne 1984 mein 342 runs chase kiye the? South Africa ka yeh chase uske barabar hi hai.
Lekin chaliye, wapas Australia ke dukh par aate hain. Top-order ka yeh sankat ab coach McDonald ke liye sar dard ban chuka hai. Sam Konstas jaise naye khiladi darwaza khatkha rahe hain, aur Josh Inglis bhi apni batting se selectors ka dhyan kheench rahe hain. Agar Labuschagne aur Khawaja jaldi form mein nahi laute, toh West Indies tour par unki jagah khatre mein pad sakti hai. Aur phir Ashes bhi door nahi – England ke bowlers toh bas moqa talash rahe honge Australia ke is kamzor top-order ko nichodne ka. Kya yeh dono khiladi apne aap ko bacha payenge, ya phir Australian cricket ek naye daur ki shuruaat karega? Waqt hi batayega, lekin abhi toh bas yahi lagta hai ki Lord’s ka yeh haar Australia ke liye ek aur chhati peetne wala pal ban jayega.
