Australia ne phir se apni team mein badlav kiya hai, aur is baar unka nishana hai West Indies ke khilaaf June 25 se shuru hone wali teen Test matchon ki series. Brendan Doggett, jo World Test Championship (WTC) final ke liye travelling reserve the, ek chhoti si hip injury ki wajah se team se bahar ho gaye hain. Unki jagah team mein shamil kiya gaya hai Sean Abbott ko, jo abhi tak Test cricket mein debut nahi kar paye hain. Ye sunke thodi si hasi toh aati hai – Australia jaise powerhouse team ko abhi bhi apne bowling attack ke liye naye chehron par bharosa karna pad raha hai. Kya ye sach mein ek mazboot strategy hai ya bas ek aur majboori?
Doggett ka bahar hona Australia ke liye ek jhatka toh hai, kyunki unhone 2024-25 Sheffield Shield season mein South Australia ke liye shandaar pradarshan kiya tha. Unka 11-140 ka figure Sheffield Shield final ke itihas ka sabse behtar match figure tha, jisme unhone 33 wickets liye the 24.15 ke average se. Ye performance unhe Test debut ke liye ek majboot daavedar bana raha tha, lekin ab unka Caribbean sapna toot gaya hai. Waise, ye cricket hai – yahan injuries aur disappointments ki kahaniyaan nayi nahi hain. Yaad hai na 2018 mein jab Steve Smith aur David Warner ke ball-tampering scandal ne Australia ko hila diya tha? Us waqt bhi team ko naye khiladiyon ke saath apni strategy badalni padi thi.
Ab baat karte hain Sean Abbott ki, jo is mauke ko apne Test career ka pehla kadam bana sakte hain. Abbott ke paas limited-overs cricket ka kaafi tajurba hai – 28 ODIs mein 29 wickets aur 20 T20Is mein 26 wickets. Unka red-ball record bhi bura nahi hai; March 2025 mein New South Wales ke liye unhone 6-99 ka shandaar spell diya tha Sheffield Shield mein. Iske alawa, wo all-rounder bhi hain, jo 30 aur 28 run banakar batting mein bhi yogdaan de sakte hain. Ye sab sunke thodi si ummeed jagti hai. Shayad Abbott West Indies ke khilaaf kuch kamaal kar dikhayein, jaisa Shamar Joseph ne January 2024 mein The Gabba mein kiya tha. Yaad hai wo match? West Indies ne Australia ko unke hi ghar mein 8 runs se hara diya tha – ek aisa jeet jo Caribbean cricket ke liye ek nayi roshni leke aayi thi.
West Indies ki team bhi is series ke liye kaafi taiyaar dikhai de rahi hai. Roston Chase ke captaincy mein unke paas Kraigg Brathwaite, Shai Hope, aur Alzarri Joseph jaise khiladi hain. Ye team bhale hi Australia jaisi badi team ke muqable chhoti dikhe, lekin unke paas dil hai aur kuch bada karne ka jazba bhi. 2024 ke usi Gabba Test mein Shamar Joseph ne 7 wickets lekar sabko hairan kar diya tha, aur wo is baar bhi Australia ke liye khatra ban sakte hain. Australia ke paas Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, aur Mitchell Starc jaise world-class bowlers hain, lekin West Indies ke batsmen agar unke din par honge, toh ye series itni aasaan nahi hogi.
Australia ke liye ye series 2025-27 WTC cycle ki shuruaat hai, aur wo isme apna dabdaba banana chahte hain. Lekin unhe thodi si chinta bhi hai – Steve Smith ka dislocated finger unke liye ek aur headache ban sakta hai. Smith, jo WTC final mein slip mein fielding karte hue chotil ho gaye the, shayad pehle Test ke liye fit na ho. Agar aisa hua, toh Australia ka batting line-up thoda kamzor ho sakta hai. West Indies ke liye ye ek mauka hai – ek aisi team ke khilaaf jeetne ka, jo paper par unhe bhaari padti hai. Yaad karo 2003 ka World Cup, jab West Indies ne apne golden days ke baad bhi kabhi-kabhi badi teams ko hara diya tha. Aisa hi kuch is series mein bhi ho sakta hai.
Abbott ke liye ye series ek bada mauka hai. Agar wo apna dum dikha sake, toh shayad wo Australia ke liye ek nayi khoj ban jayein, jaisa Jason Holder West Indies ke liye bana tha jab unhone 2015 mein apna mark chhoda tha. Lekin cricket mein kuch bhi guarantee nahi hai. Australia ke pace attack ke saath Nathan Lyon ek akela spinner hain, aur Caribbean ke pitches par spin kaafi kaamyaab ho sakta hai. West Indies ke Jomel Warrican aur Roston Chase bhi apne spin ke saath Australia ke batsmen ko pareshan kar sakte hain.
Lekin chalo, sach bolte hain – Australia ke paas itna talent hai ki West Indies ke liye jeetna asaan nahi hoga. Pat Cummins ki captaincy, Marnus Labuschagne aur Travis Head ka batting, aur Starc-Hazlewood ka bowling attack – ye sab milke West Indies ke liye ek bada challenge hain. Aur phir Abbott, jo shayad apna Test debut karein, un par bhi pressure hoga ki wo apne aap ko sabit karein. Agar wo fail hue, toh shayad log phir se bolna shuru kar denge ki Australia ko apne bench strength par aur kaam karna chahiye. Waise bhi, WTC final mein South Africa ke haathon 5-wicket se harkar Australia ka morale thoda neeche hoga. Kya pata, ye series bhi unke liye ek aur badhiya sapna ban ke reh jaye, jaisa ke aksar hota hai jab badi teams overconfidence mein chali jati hain.
Australia Test squad: Pat Cummins (c), Sean Abbott, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Matt Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster
West Indies Test squad: Roston Chase (c), Jomel Warrican (vc), Kevlon Anderson, Kraigg Brathwaite, John Campbell, Keacy Carty, Justin Greaves, Shai Hope, Tevin Imlach, Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, Brandon King, Johann Layne, Mikyle Louis, Anderson Phillip, Jayden Seales
Series Schedule:
- First Test: June 25-29, Bridgetown, Barbados
- Second Test: July 3-7, St George’s, Grenada
- Third Test: July 12-16, Kingston, Jamaica (Day-Night Test)
