Australia ka cricket, jahan har tour se pehle koi na koi drama zaroori hai! Brendan Doggett, jo World Test Championship (WTC) 2025 final mein Australia ke travelling reserve the, ab West Indies ke khilaaf teeno Test match miss karenge. Haan, ek choti si hip injury ne unka Caribbean sapna tod diya. Australia ke pace attack ka yeh “backup hero” ab ghar wapas laut raha hai, aur unki jagah team mein aaye hain Sean Abbott. Yeh toh wahi kahani hai jo hum bar-bar sunte hain – ek khiladi gira, doosra utha. Lekin is baar kahani mein thodi si ummeed bhi hai, aur shayad thodi si Caribbean magic bhi!
Doggett ka yeh chot lagna koi naya drama nahi hai. Australian pace bowlers ka yeh alag hi curse hai – ya toh chot lagegi, ya workload manage karne ke chakkar mein koi bahar hoga. Yaad hai jab Josh Hazlewood November 2024 mein India ke khilaaf Adelaide Test se bahar hue the? Wahi kahani, wahi dukh! Doggett ne toh 2024-25 Sheffield Shield final mein South Australia ke liye 11 wickets (11 for 140) lekar sabko chauka diya tha. Unki yeh performance unhe Test debut ke kareeb le aayi thi, lekin ab yeh mauka haath se fisal gaya. Cricket ke is khel mein, jahan luck aur fitness dono barabar chalte hain, Doggett ka yeh setback dil todne wala hai.
Lekin ruko, yahan kahani mein ek twist hai! Sean Abbott, jo 33 saal ke hain aur ab tak Test cricket mein debut nahi kar paye, unhe ek aur mauka mila hai. Yeh wahi Abbott hain jinhone March 2025 mein New South Wales ke liye ek Sheffield Shield match mein 6 for 99 liye the. Unka yeh form, aur 28 ODIs aur 20 T20Is ka experience, unhe ek solid replacement banata hai. Australia ke pace attack mein Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc aur Josh Hazlewood jaise bade naam hain, toh Abbott ke liye playing XI mein jagah banana asaan nahi hoga. Lekin agar Steve Smith ka dislocated finger (jo unhone WTC final mein chot ke baad bhi khela) unhe pehle Test se rokta hai, toh shayad Abbott ko ek chance mil bhi sakta hai. Yeh mauka unke liye ek golden ticket ho sakta hai, jise woh dono haathon se pakadna chahenge.
Ab thodi baat West Indies ki bhi kar lete hain. Yeh team, jo kabhi world cricket ka badshah hua karti thi, ab underdog ke roop mein ladti hai. Unka Test record Australia ke khilaaf kuch khas nahi raha, lekin yaad hai January 2024 ka woh Brisbane Test? West Indies ne Australia ko The Gabba mein hara kar sabko hairan kar diya tha. Shai Hope, jo ab Test team mein wapas aaye hain, aur Alzarri Joseph jaise bowlers ke saath, West Indies ke paas ghar mein Australia ko pareshaan karne ka dum hai. Unke coach Daren Sammy bhi naye WTC cycle mein ek jordaar shuruaat ke liye betab hain. Yeh series, jo 25 June se Barbados ke Kensington Oval mein shuru ho rahi hai, West Indies ke liye ek mauka hai apne purane jalwe dikhaane ka.
Abbott ke liye yeh tour ek sapne jaisa ho sakta hai. Ek aisa khiladi, jo limited-overs cricket mein apna naam bana chuka hai, ab Test cricket mein apni pehchaan banane ke liye taiyaar hai. Unki bowling mein woh accuracy aur pace hai jo West Indies ke batsmen ke liye mushkil khadi kar sakti hai. Aur agar batting mein bhi thodi si chamak dikhayi, toh shayad woh all-rounder ke roop mein team ke liye aur bhi keemti ho sakte hain. West Indies ke batsmen, jaise Kraigg Brathwaite aur Roston Chase, ko apne ghar ke pitches par khelne ka fayda milega, lekin Abbott ka experience unke liye ek nayi chunauti ho sakta hai.
Lekin yeh cricket hai, aur yahan kuch bhi guarantee nahi. Australia ka pace attack bhale hi duniya ke sabse strong attacks mein se ek ho, lekin injuries aur form ka khel unhe bhi nahi chhodta. Steve Smith ke finger injury ka kya hoga, yeh abhi bhi sawaal hai. Agar woh pehla Test miss karte hain, toh Australia ka batting order thoda weak ho sakta hai. West Indies ke paas yeh mauka hai ki woh is kamzori ka fayda uthaye. Lekin phir bhi, Australia ke paas Cummins, Starc aur Hazlewood jaise match-winners hain, jo kabhi bhi game palat sakte hain.
Toh yeh hai cricket ka woh khel, jahan ek din aap hero hote hain, aur doosre din chot ke saath sideline. Doggett ke liye yeh ek setback hai, lekin Abbott ke liye yeh ek nayi shuruaat ho sakti hai. West Indies ke liye yeh series ek mauka hai apne ghar mein Australia jaise bade team ko shock dene ka. Lekin akhir mein, cricket ke is unpredictable duniya mein, kaun jaanta hai ki agla googly kaun sa team phenk dega? Bas yeh yaad rakho, jab Australia aur West Indies aamne-saamne hote hain, toh Caribbean ka mausam bhi kabhi-kabhi palat jata hai!
Sources:
- sportscafe.in
- sportstar.thehindu.com
- www.indiatoday.in
- www.icc-cricket.com
- www.thehansindia.com
- www.news18.com
- @Cricketracker on X
- @BenHorne8 on X
