All language subtitles for The Test A New Era For Australias Team S01E04 (The Test A New Era For Australias Team S01E04) (ENGLISH)

Boxing Day is the biggest test cricket
day on the calendar, anywhere in the world.

As a kid, Boxing Day was probably the only
time I'd ever get nervous for the players.

All international players
want to play on that day in

front of 90,000 Australians
baying for their blood.

Australians love the
Australian cricket team,

but if we mess it up,
they'll let us know.

Alright, Merry
Christmas everyone.

Boxing Day Test Match,
you bloody beauties.

Everyone's dream to be
here for this Test Match,

so I'm all excited and
I'm sure you are too.

I just wanted to show
you this little card I

noticed in the paper on
the way home the other day.

There's Payne, it's about right.

And then if I move it
down a little, and the goat.

Alright, the other day,
I showed you a little

graph about where we
are with our sessions.

The greens, the ones
we've won during this series.

The reds, the ones we've lost.

And the orange is the one
that I've sort of evened out.

That halfway through the
series, we're seeing a lot of green.

So that's a really good thing.

India, away from home, had
an average of 247 in their first

innings, and we know how
important first innings runs are.

They're at currently
267, and we're actually

out batting them at
281 at this point in time.

Okay, we're winning that war.

We don't know what these wickets are
going to be like Sydney and Melbourne,

so this is where 100s are going to
be really important, Big partnerships,

big, individual efforts
from a batting perspective.

I think we're doing
some really good things.

I think the challenge for us for from me
to all of us for this test match is quite

simply, we've just got to keep doing what
we are doing for longer periods of time.

I think our best cricket we've shown
that we can break them open with the ball.

We can put them under
pressure with the bat.

I think if we keep
doing it for longer,

we're going to have
some really good results.

Mr Brandon Wierda
Study Grounds 1-0-7.

Match the series level at 1-1.

Rather perfectly, Australia had set
Boxing Day up as the main event.

It was 1-1.

But I didn't quite buy into the
idea that suddenly Australia

had won and everybody
regarded all the problems as solved.

OK, gents, let's play.

There were very specific
circumstances in Perth that suited

Australia which were not going
to be replicated in Melbourne.

The pitch, as it has been for a
number of years, was perfect for India.

That's rolled on
Tim Payne there.

It'll go down as buys.

I think it was the second or third
over, the ball bounced about this high.

And it was like you could just feel
the energy in the whole coach's box.

Just go, oh, no.

Goal!

It is the flattest
wicket in the world.

Goal!

It looks like it's going to be
very hard work for the bowlers.

As a bowler, you want
either swing, seam, pace,

bounce, hopefully some
spin for the spinners.

And a flat wicket basically
has none of those things.

So, Chiteshwar Pujara.

When we talk about how
important Virat Kohli is to the Indian

team, I think this guy here
is almost just as important.

He's someone that can
occupy the crease for

long periods of time,
wear the bowlers down.

Pujara's old school.

He's a classic.

Tests, match, batsmen.

Pujara, to a younger
generation, is almost a curiosity.

As the game moves more and more towards
T20, which is the modern saviour of our

game, the word resilience starts to go out
because there is no time for resilience.

And runs for Pujara.

There's just no ego
about his batting.

He doesn't care how he looks
and how long it takes to get his runs.

He just gets on with the job.

As soon as he's
faced that ball, it's OK.

The next ball, the
next ball, the next ball.

He doesn't look a session ahead or a
day ahead, he just focuses on the now.

And you can tell by the
way he plays it, he's not

worried about anything
else besides just batting.

And that's all he does,
and that's what he did.

Oh, he gets it through the gap.

He's just got the feel about him
batting a long time in this Test match.

He already has.

He was happy to bat
for five days if he had to.

The mighty MCG Day 2 of the
third Test match for the Indians.

Two for 215 after a tough
day of Test cricket yesterday.

The partnership between
Pajara and Coley is already at 92.

And if the Australians don't break it
early, it could grow and grow and grow.

We respect it was a
tough day yesterday.

We've talked about it's
going to be an arm wrestle.

The pitch, there is
nothing we can do about it.

And we've got to
deal with it, OK?

But it's out of our control.

Nothing we can do about it.

They showed great patience,
but we showed great patience.

Who's going to break first?

That's my question to you.

It's going to be hype.

It's going to be flat.

Who's going to break first?

Is it going to be us or
is it going to be them?

There's nothing
wrong with the bowling.

The bowling was going to
keep Australia in the game.

Pajara was like
kryptonite to these blokes.

This partnership now is
really starting to hurt Australia.

He was just wearing
down the bowlers.

Wearing them down.

So they were exhausted.

Drives down the ground.

100 runs for Jiteshwar Pajara.

And India will realign.

The enormous value
he brings to this side.

The way Pajara batted,
that was just brilliant.

I always thought as an opener,
you're the marathon man.

You're not Usain Bolt.

Great dispatch batting.

Virat Kohli is declaring.

A declaration normally means
you're in front of the game.

They're confident they can
win the game if they declare it.

Good day for the Indians.

They've got themselves
in a strong position.

4.43 on the board.

170 overs in the field.

I mean, there's a few tired bodies
there, especially the big quicks.

The criticism of the MCG pitch.

Is it all fair in your opinion?

I think it's not an easy
pitch to score quickly on.

So, you know, that's going
to be Australia's problem.

Even if they bat
really well, it's going to

take them a long time
to get level with India.

And, you know, they really
would then need to build up a team.

They've got a decent lead
to have a hope of putting

some pressure on them
in the second innings.

Only thing for me, boy, a
couple of things actually.

One, nothing changes.

It's a test match career, but I
need more time than you think.

All that sort of stuff.

Now it's a matter of absorbing
the early pressure with the new ball.

And then grinding
the shit out of them.

What is it about your bowlers?

Give them one day off,
they'll win your game.

That's right, yeah.

It's actually true.

Give them a day off.

We'll probably give them
more than a day off if we can.

But for all of us as a group,
this is where we get tested.

At two tough days on the field.

This is where we're
going to stick together.

Whether in the corner talking
to each other or up there.

This is where we're
going to stick together.

Every one of us.

Every one of us.

When it gets tough.

This is what great teams do.

They stick together.

I'm going to do that.

Out in the middle.

Off the field.

Keep sticking together.

If we start coming
apart, then we're fucked.

By the time we were batting, a few
footholds opened up, 450-run lead,

and they set the game up and
we just weren't good enough.

And he is gone!

Vinch goes!

Oh, catch, it's the call, Ishan
Sharma settles and takes the catch!

Yes!

That counts!

Khawaja goes for 21,
Australia 3 for 53 and in trouble.

Bowlers win you
series, not batsmen.

Australia's batsmen are not giving the
bowlers enough time off between innings.

It's not a happy change
room for the Australians.

They are under siege.

Oh, they like it,
it's all in Gibbon!

Australia 7 for 138.

Kloft, and Payne goes.

Hazlewood.

I'll bowl him, he's got 6!

Australia for 151.

Nick Traill by 292.

Merritt Coley decides to grind Australia
down and bring the Australians out again.

How much of a
psychological blow is that?

When the batting
couldn't get its act together,

suddenly the bowlers
were called out there again.

You know, they barely
treated the blisters from the first

bowling innings and they'd
have the second bowling innings.

Well, they've got to be
shell-shocked, the Australians.

After basically two
days in The Field.

There is the opening runs.

A lovely drive
through the cupboards.

Down the ground, connects
well, it's one bats four.

Exciting, Pedi Cummins gets
ready to swing into the attack.

As a kid, I never really
understood how taxing bowling is.

The thing is, every time we run into a
bowl, it's 10 to 12 times our body weight

going through our legs.

You go out there, you bowl 20 overs in
a day, you cover 20 or K, and then they

expect you to wake up and
do it all again the next day.

It's super exhausting.

Pat Cummins, I think
he could be the man.

He's taken the big wickets in this
series, but he still hasn't got a big bag.

Maybe today is his day.

Pat Cummins has been the player
Australia identified as a teenager.

He had essentially five
years taken out of his career.

He got injured all the time.

People were going, oh, he doesn't play
any games, he's always in the rehab centre.

He always had a smile on his
face, kept smiling, kept training.

Right, is there a wicket here?

There is.

Yeah, that's a big
blow for the Australians.

Pat Cummins,
tireless in his effort.

My first test was in 2011,
Johannesburg, South Africa.

I was out of school six months.

Bowled day one.

I remember walking off
and just had a sore heel.

By the end of day
three, I couldn't walk.

Six, seven months out of
the game because of that

injury and from there it was
almost one after the other.

I tore a side on my next tour.

Then I did my back and missed
about six or seven months

and then did my back again
another seven or eight months.

Cummins looks threatening.

He looks dangerous.

Getting back and playing test cricket
and backing up day after day, that was

something I definitely questioned
because I felt so far away from the game.

I didn't want to
do that at times.

We always knew how good he was,
but I think now he's in that real sweet

spot where he's got
confidence in his body.

He's got confidence
in his skill.

Fine

fielding position that is.

Last seven boards,
three for none.

What a spell this has been for
Australia and for Pat Cummins

on the field for pretty much
the whole of this match.

He's got four for two.

He's on a hat trick.

Well, will it be a hat
trick for Pat Cummins?

You wouldn't write
him off at this stage.

He's got four for two.

He's on a roll.

On

four is just wide
of the leg, Gully.

Pat Cummins, he's bowled over
a hundred overs in this series.

He's battled away with the ball, with
the bat in his hands, in the searing heat.

He's still fighting
on for Australia.

I'm privileged to have bloody
Sir Garfield Cummins behind us.

Is there anything
that man can't do?

He is.

I know he's got a little
sponsorship deal with Gillette.

But is there a more
appropriate slogan for a man?

The best a man can get.

You're looking at it.

Look at him.

Thanks, Panty.

And

Virat Kohli has declared
with a lead of 300.

398.

Mountainous chase
ahead for Australia.

399 to win.

Can they find a way to survive?

Can they find a way to score?

Marcus Harris.

At the moment,
batsmen are falling down.

It seems to be that we've got a long,
long way to go to right the Romans.

Oh, played on.

Just so symbolic of what's
happening with Australia.

You know, we just
weren't able to bat.

For long periods of time.

I think that they need to go
away and have a really good

think about what they do
when they're under pressure.

Oh, there's an
edge there, I think.

Up goes the finger.

Another batsman
who's in goes out.

Melbourne wasn't ideal.

We didn't play all that well.

They came out and put us
on the back foot straight away.

Yeah, that was a really
disappointing test match.

It's gone!

Is that...

137 runs.

They go 2-1 up in the series.

And they retain the
Board of Gavaska trophy.

From Perth to then Melbourne
was... You know, it's the same players.

It's the same game, playing
against the same team.

And there's not much different things
going on, but the result is so different.

I hate losing.

And my body language shows that.

I don't like losing.

Like, I suppose, all
people, but all coaches.

And I just... And that's something, an
area I've got to keep getting better at.

You know, that was a very, very
flat change room after that test match.

You know, I noticed things.

You know, I noticed that a
lot of guys would sit down.

There'd be little groups
sitting together, not watching.

They weren't up
in the viewing area.

You know, it just
seemed to be... We just...

Even though we had a great
win in Perth, it just... I don't know.

Just, we weren't...

Just wasn't feeling well.

It wasn't just the result.

Yeah, there was just a lot
of frustration that had built up.

And it was a very
flat change room.

I've got Payne to
lead the players.

They can have a chat to see
how they're going to help us

go 2-2 in the series and
what they make from the game.

And I said to Payne, if there's any
honest feedback, very happy to take it.

But I would just like to see
them take a bit of ownership.

That's all.

We had a team meeting.

More about getting some feedback
from the players, how we won

and that the players went off
and spoke and got some feedback.

They're happy with
what we're getting.

They're saying they
can't... follow the prep.

They just spoke a bit more about just
taking a bit of ownership themselves.

That's what they reckon.

It's just under
pressure in the middle.

Shit in the bed.

And then they also spoke
about the fact that there is...

that guys have felt a little
bit of the noise from outside.

I mean, there's no doubt guys
are listening to what's being said.

And again, I know you
won't agree, but I think they

feel that they want just
a little bit more positivity.

They think they know now what
they're doing wrong, but at times they feel

they're going out in the middle,
worrying too much about that.

Yeah, just a slightly more positive
message around that all the time.

Right.

But still being honest.

Yeah, whatever.

I can't do anything else.

It's always a fine line, actually,
as a coach or with all of us.

When you're emotional, I
think it's best to just take a

breath and, you know, and
maybe analyse things in real time.

And reflect on things.

On that day, we probably
did, but we probably

could have left it a
bit longer, I reckon.

Right.

Come out in five minutes.

Thanks, mate.

I think at that stage, you know,
JL was still fairly new to the role.

It was his first home summer.

His head selector, his head coach,
he's basically in charge of finding our

culture, our set-up,
all these kind of things.

So I think the hardest
challenge is everyone in

the team has different
things that make them tick.

So when you think of JL
batting, he likes to get in the fight.

You know, almost the faster bowling or
the more he gets hit, the more he loves it.

Other batters are the
opposite, you know.

They just want to relax,
be totally chilled out.

So you throw that all together, I
think, especially the batsmen at times

found it hard to just relax
and just concentrate on batting.

The players gave back some honest
feedback and the coaches did the same.

And then it was all done
not as an attack towards

anyone, but just for the
betterment of the team.

And I think once you start those

conversations, then the
team can move forward.

You can't always
control the result.

So if you get better at it as an
individual, players start everyone,

being better at controlling their
emotions, being more level-headed,

without trying to make
it too complicated.

I think that's where you
draw the time to start.

If that makes sense,
it does make sense.

Does that come in
from specific people?

I think the boys are
intimidated by that.

I think there's a bit of walking
on eggshells sort of thing.

I think, you know, you're going
to... So you're specific about that?

I feel like I think the
boys are afraid to say it.

Let me totally clear this up.

This is no way us saying
we are losing because of this.

The boys are saying
things that we can't prove.

We didn't play
like shit this game.

That's not saying that this is going to
make us score under a different story.

Aussie was like the
spokesperson of the team.

He was just an honest dude.

He'll tell you what he thinks, and
it always comes from a good place.

And that's why I
respect him so much.

One of the main feedbacks I got from the
playing group was that you have talked to

all of us about white noise,
and it's all white noise.

And you say, you know,
don't let it affect you.

That's mental toughness,
but you've let it affect you.

The reality is that I think Warner
and Smith covered over the cracks.

They're going to help when they come
back, but there is still a real dearth of

quality long-form batting below them
in Australian cricket at the moment.

The media scrutiny on an Australian
cricket team is always intense.

At the moment, I defy anybody to
pick who the best six batsmen are.

You've got 50
commentators or something.

All with differing opinions.

All with throwaway lines.

I mean, there's so much talk about
the batting, but the bowlers, for an attack

that's meant to be one of the best in
the world, the numbers don't stack up.

I struggled blocking out the noise when
I first came in to the Australian side.

I did relatively well to start, and
then all of a sudden, you know,

without changing anything,
my technique had gone from

being unique to this is
terrible, should never be done.

And I made the big mistake
of reading all that stuff.

It was a perfect storm
of media scrutiny, this.

This summer.

Because of what's
happened in South Africa.

Australian cricket, I think,
need to stop worrying about

being liked and start worrying
about being respected.

We might be even the
most liked team in the world.

We're not going to win shit.

Everyone's wondering
how will they go about it.

But on top of that, you've
got a new media rights deal.

So you've got two
networks covering the game.

This summer was different
and there was a lot of

people on the ground and
there was a lot of cameras.

You notice when you're warming up,
before the start of each day, you get a

little 10 by 10 metre bit of
grass to warm up on because

there's cameras and leads
and cameras going everywhere.

They forget there's a
cricket game about to start.

At some stage, it felt
like you were in a fishnet.

You couldn't go anywhere.

It was so claustrophobic.

I've always gone mad, Doc.

The media stuff is unbelievable.

You're getting out of the car and there's
a camera in your face and then you get to

the ground and what was most fascinating
this year, which I've never seen before,

every time you walk into a change room,
there's a big whiteboard and it's got,

in 15-minute increments,
everyone's media commitment.

And it was a whole whiteboard.

Like, usually you walk into a cricket
change room, it might say, watch the ball,

catchers win matches.

This is a whole timetable of
everyone's media commitments.

I could not believe it.

The scrutiny on the Australian
cricket team is unique.

It's unique in a way that there's not a
footy team in the country that endures the

same level of speculation
and debate about should

this player bat at number
five in the test side.

Glenn is crystal clear
from me and the select is

what he needs to do to
get back in the test team.

And all the conjecture about
it, that's all part of the noise.

So, Brent knows
exactly what he has to do.

To be completely honest, it got to me this
year, and I've been in the business a long

time and I've preached for years, I
say, white noise, don't worry about it.

Are you certain
that's what happened?

I'm asking.

Are you certain
that's what happened?

I'm asking, Justin.

What are you asking?

I'm asking who gave the director, Trevor
Honset, he wasn't aware of such a director.

I'm asking who on the selection
panel did say that to Glenn.

Did it happen?

That's my question.

Well, you're telling
me it did happen.

I'm asking you, did it happen?

I had the press conference.

And I blew up a bit.

I'm asking... You're asking me.

I'm asking, did it happen?

I didn't blow up.

I actually stared at one of the
journos who was asking about

Glenn Maxwell's selection
and I sort of got a bit grumpy.

No, I've got zero
knowledge of that.

No worries.

Um, in terms of...
Careless whispers, eh?

Turn up the next day, and
there's Langer management.

And there's talking about how I'm losing
it, Langer's losing it, he's getting angry.

He got angry to the players,
which never happened.

Now he's getting
angry to the journalists.

And it was like, oh, and
that was where it started.

That's where my
wife started going.

Mate, I didn't realise that
this was going to happen.

Morning.

Morning.

Hey, Daniel.

Hey.

How's it going?

Good.

We're rolling.

What's the overall
feeling after yesterday?

I think everyone's
tired, actually.

It was a really
tough test match.

It's been a
really... It's been...

I've said from day one,
it's going to be a real

arm-wrestle of a test
series, and it feels like that.

Disappointing, tired, now ready to
refresh and get ready for the fourth one.

I don't think players would have known
how I was feeling or how a lot of us...

Well, I think we're all feeling pretty
flat for a long period of that last year.

Hey, Mitch.

The other man.

How are you going, mate?

Hello.

Welcome, everybody.

It's wonderful to have
you here at Kirribilli House.

This is a great tradition, having both
of the teams, the Indian team and the

Australian national team,
here together at Kirribilli House.

There's a lot to
play for in this test.

If the Indians can secure
this test series, it'll be

their first win on Australian
soil, so no pressure.

No pressure.

But also, it's a great thing for the
Australians to defend that record.

And I'm reliably informed that in the
Borda Gavaskar series, going back now over

20 years, India has won 19, Australia
has won 18, and there are nine draws.

So, looking forward, Justin
and Tim, to seeing that

levelled off as we wrap up
the test series here in Sydney.

Hello.

Hello, Grant.

Hello.

Hello, Justin.

Go, go.

It's not the sun
and the big screen.

That's all I want to say.

It's what?

It's not the sun, and
it's not on the big screen.

I get it.

A star is born.

Yeah, I knew you said that.

Not the same, mate.

Look.

Just a little damp.

It'll be good if
we get to battle.

We knew from day one it
was going to be an arm wrestle.

We knew it was
going to be tough.

They're the best
team in the world.

They've got some conditions
that are suiting them.

All that.

We knew it.

We knew it from day one.

But we also knew
what our game plan was.

And you know what?

We've been bloody close.

The only thing is
Finchie knows this.

Finchie's not playing
this test match.

We've had a good
talk about it, mate.

It's time to recharge your
batteries to get ready for

the one-dayers now and to
help us win the World Cup.

The only thing for me, boys, is
there's been a lot of distractions.

There's that old saying, you're never
as good or as bad as people say you are.

Two weeks ago, we had a
brilliant test win against India.

We're all celebrating.

We're singing the song.

One week later, it's like we're the
worst cricket team in the world again.

Winning can paper
over some stuff.

Losing all of a sudden, you know,
we've got a bad vibe in the team.

We've got, you
know, cultural rivalry.

The selectors have got
no idea what we're doing.

Da-da-da-da-da-da-da.

All that noise.

And we've said from
day one, it is all noise.

Australia needed to
win the toss in Sydney.

I've been at a couple
of overseas venues.

At the toss where Australia
desperately needed to win and choose.

And when they have, there's
this great sense of relief.

All right, we're
in the test match.

When that coin fell India's
way, there was a sigh.

So the news from the
middle is that India have

won the toss and
have elected to bat first.

I reckon there was
a sigh in the middle.

There was definitely
a sigh in the stands.

And here in Sydney,
when you lose the toss,

you've got to make
inroads with that new ball.

What you want against a
sub-continent team is a bit of pace.

A bit of pace and bounce.

And, you know, they
were quite slow wickets.

Melbourne was
bouncing that high.

This was probably
bouncing that high.

Danger signs for the
Australians, I think.

And then Pajara battered us.

Just battered us into oblivion.

That is a magnifying glass.

Magnificent hundred from Pajara.

His third of the series.

This man just bats
and bats and bats.

India, well and
truly in control.

I hate the word comfortable.

Cos if you're comfortable, that
means it can be taken away like that.

So I was trying to make
him feel comfortable.

Oh, are you bored yet?

Like, come on, like...
All he said was, no, bro.

Which drove me nuts.

And India in total control.

Stumps on day one.

Four for 303.

Right, how was that?

I felt like we were pretty flat.

For a Test match
playing for your country, I

thought we were pretty
flat and pretty poor.

We got some decent
spells together.

And we looked
like getting wickets.

But we weren't
aggressive hitters.

We weren't hitting
that wicket long enough.

And we usually are.

Aren't we?

Where was that?

Why?

Playing fucking Test
match, that matters.

Something really fucking
matters because it could be too all.

And we're going,
we're fucking flat.

We can't be flat.

And we can't be not aggressive.

Where's that aggression laid?

It's gotta come tomorrow.

It's got to.

There's no fucking
flatness from anybody.

The start of day two.

India on the verge of making history
here at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

For the Australians, they
need to make early inroads.

India are going to keep batting.

And it will be tough going.

Pajara broke them.

He ground them down.

And they just run out of puff.

You can see the fatigue in
the Australians bowling attack.

They're just getting the
life sucked out of them.

The pain is getting...

And there's the
sign from Virat Kohli.

He's decided that 622 on the
board is absolutely fine for him.

You can't fault your effort.

No doubt about it.

You cannot fault your effort.

Those guys are very sobering.

Conditions certainly are as
tough as they get for bowling.

Which is disappointing
from our point of view.

But we've seen in the last two days,
probably the first two days in Melbourne,

we're still a fair way off being
the best team in the world.

We're in day two.

The best thing about it is you all
get the chance to have a crack at it.

As we've said for nine months,
is make Australians proud of us.

Make each other proud of us.

And bat our ass off.

That's what Australians
want to see from you.

This is probably the flattest
wicket we've had of the summer.

If you're ever going to make
some runs, this is the time.

This is the time to do it.

Chopped it on.

And it's all over for Harris.

It's taken.

All falling apart again
for the Australians.

Bowled in.

Beautiful bowling.

And it is crumbling
before your very eyes.

Last time Australia was asked to
follow on was 150 tests ago for Australia.

Amazing.

There was a sense that
Australia had lost its way again.

That there'd been
some false dawns.

They were tired.

They were worn down.

A pivotal moment for me
was that we were at breakfast

on day three of the Sydney
Test match against India.

And I've known my wife
since I was 14 years old.

So we've known
each other a long time.

And we're sitting at breakfast.

And she starts crying.

I said, what are
you crying about?

My wife doesn't cry, mate.

I don't...

She's sort of been
in this game of...

And she got really upset.

She goes, I just don't
like what it's doing to you.

I don't like what it's doing.

I just... You're not smiling.

I just... And she was really...

She was crying, mate.

And that was a massive
wake-up call for me.

It was really tough.

It really got to me.

Very light rain falling at
the SCG at the moment.

They're held up
by this rain delay.

But you sense, you know,
that Australia's cause is gone.

Cheers, boys.

All the best.

Cheers, mate.

What a fizzer of
a way to finish.

India deserved its 3-1 result.

It deserves something more than the
umpires walking into the change rooms and

saying, congratulations,
we're calling the game.

You've drawn this
and won the series.

They outplayed us.

You know, they had guys scoring
hundreds and big hundreds and we didn't.

It was disappointing.

And India winning, I think, the first
time in Australia to be a part of that.

Yeah, it stings a bit.

I think especially when it's
on Australian soil, that's only

the second series that I've
lost, I think, in Test cricket.

You're meant to win
Test series in Australia.

Playing as an
Australian cricket team.

To be honest,
India outplayed us.

They were hungry.

I've never seen an Indian
team fight like that before.

In 1993, I got dropped from
the Australian cricket team

for the first time and I
was shattered in 93, mate.

It was a dark time.

But I look back on the darkest periods
of my career and they're the best periods.

They're the best periods of my
cricket career because I had to learn.

I had to get better.

And I am absolutely certain in 10 years'
time, I'll look back on Christmas and New

Year of this year and think
that was a really dark time.

But I'm so glad
I went through it.

That'll be the catalyst for me
being a much better coach.

Thanks, everyone,
for being here.

No doubt it's been a tough
couple of weeks for everybody.

We've now found it necessary
to revamp our Test squad

for the series against Sri
Lanka coming up very soon.

Obviously, we're looking now after the
Indian series to shore up our top order.

So Joe Burns has a
record in Test cricket.

He's scored hundreds.

There's no doubt about that.

And he has been in good form.

We also have Jai Richardson.

He's seen as a
very bright prospect.

So these guys have got the
opportunity to cement a place or

at least make it difficult for
us to leave them out there.

Thanks very much, everyone.

Thank you.

Thank you, guys.

The thing that struck me most
about coming back in the Australian

cricket team is how it is so
much about just the individuals.

I can't believe it.

I'm shocked.

I'm shocked.

We needed to make changes.

We'd lost a big series.

We hadn't batted well enough.

Joe Burns came in.

Jai Richardson
came in to the side.

How would it be received if we brought
Curtis Patterson into the Test squad?

If we honestly and honestly select the
thing in your gut, he's in our best six,

you're in.

He's got runs.

Like, if he's in there, we
can't lose this Test match.

The very first session when I got
into Brisbane on that Monday morning,

JL sat everyone down and made a big
point that for this series, it's we, not I.

We have to all get better.

As a whole business, but as a
team, it's got to be more about we.

We are going to come
to the ground together

and we are going to
leave the ground together.

Now, that's going to bugger
the shit out of a lot of you.

That's OK.

I remember having a
heated discussion here.

You know, that's not
how we usually do it.

Exactly.

Exactly.

And I remember saying to Gav, our
manager, you're going to trust me on this.

You're going to trust me.

Yeah, no worries.

No worries, mate.

So we started
doing little things.

Little behaviours.

So we are doing it together.

I'll never forget this.

We turned up to Gabba for
the first test against Sri Lanka

and we drove into the Gabba
and we drove under the grandstand.

And I thought to myself,
imagine if we lose to Sri Lanka.

But I also remember it clear as
day one going, how good's this?

We'd have to bowl to Pajara.

We'd have to bowl to Coley.

Boomer is not playing.

Ladies and gentlemen,
a very good afternoon.

Welcome to the Gabba for the first domain
test between Australia and Sri Lanka.

It felt to me like
Australia was on a hiding

to nothing going into
the Sri Lankan series.

But what changed that dynamic was
the selection of the next generation.

When I got told I was going to play, all
these things start going through your head.

What if I play?

I don't perform so well.

What happens next?

I don't take a wicket.

I don't have a test wicket.

But when you get your first
wicket, it puts all of that to rest.

First test wicket
for Jai Richardson.

All of the relief has just come out
and now I can just enjoy it and go,

wow, how good was that?

Richardson, his second
wicket in Test cricket.

He's one of the new generation.

He loves the PlayStation.

He actually carries
his monitor around.

He carries a TV monitor.

People think, you know,
as a parent, you don't

want to spend too much
time on the PlayStation.

But I actually love it because
he's playing games all the time.

So he actually loves playing
games and cricket's a game.

Edged away.

Beautiful bowling.

And for Richardson,
that's number three.

And Sri Lanka all out for 144 into
the third session of play on day one.

No matter how dark a place you
think you've come from and things are,

whether they're working or they're not
working and we're trying new different

things, you also can't
get away from the

excitement of someone
making their test debut.

Richard, how many messages
did you have on your phone?

Um, I had 92 text messages.

Did you?

How many Instagram
follows did you get?

Any new ones?

I'll tell you in a sec.

I haven't looked
at Instagram yet.

No, not many.

Not many?

No.

Oh, no, a few.

800?

700?

800?

800?

It's we, not me.

It's we, not me.

There's a big difference there.

If you start concentrating on the
Australian team and your mates,

it's amazing the
pressure it takes off.

A number of the guys that
came in did a fantastic job and

showed that they've got a
huge future in test cricket.

And another guy, Will Bukowski,
who didn't play but was in around our

group as a 21-year-old,
it's exciting for an older guy

because I then try and keep
up with him and challenge him.

You know, whether
we're training or running

or in the gym, it brings
the best out of you.

That's one!

What a strike!

I told you he'd catch up.

How good is that?

There's the test match.

There is the test
victory for Australia.

An innings and 40-run victory.

Magnificent performance
by the Aussies.

I think you can start
seeing it through the TV set.

How many people said, jeez, it
looks like the boys get on well together.

It's like they're
playing together.

Well, yeah, no surprise because
the focus is about the team.

We talk about, we
did really good stuff.

Awesome win.

Camera's going
to be a bit different.

It's going to be tough work.

Just make sure you do
everything you're ready

to take on and go 2-0
up in the series, OK?

And it just felt like
a more settled unit.

The only thing that hadn't really
been done was win a series.

And for some batsmen
to make some hundreds.

An opportunity is
a wonderful thing.

To get the call to say that I was in the
Sri Lankan Test Squad, maybe when you get

the chance to pull in the bag of green and
you go out on the field, you'd do anything

just to make everyone proud
and to put in a good performance.

He wants the quicksand goal.

He goes and he gets it.

The first Test 100
of the summer.

And it goes for the Reds.

To Joe Burns.

You know, it's days like that that
are really special that you never forget.

And when you're playing a game that
you love and representing your country,

there's nothing
better in this game.

A magnificent
innings by Joe Burns.

180.

I went through a stage in
my first-class career where

I think I got five 90s
before I got a first-class 100.

And I literally thought that it
was never going to happen.

On the drive,
gets the full toss.

The magical moment
arrives with the boundary.

Trevor's hit.

He's made it 100 for Australia.

Yes, it was great.

But I guess that sense of feeling of
relief and how amazing it was probably

won't stink until after the Test
match because I'm there to get 100.

That's my job.

It's through.

Curtis Paterson, the magical
moment for the elegant left-hander.

He's made it 100.

It's a big moment for him but
also for the parents and the family.

Throughout my entire
schooling life, I just

love cricket and I love
going down to the nets.

Dad never asked
me to go for a hit.

But any time I asked
him, he never said no.

He just made it all about enjoyment
and that was always the main focus.

And that's something that I
can look back on with a lot of

gratitude because it really just
fuelled my love for the game.

Thanks, coach.

Thanks, man.

Usman Khawaja, the celebration.

Eighth Test century.

Sixth in Australia.

Well done, Usman.

It was just a really
tough time, the summer.

A lot of stuff happening back home
with family and I knew I could do it.

But JL, he had the confidence in me to
tell me that he thought he could do it too

and he backed me the whole
way and that was massive.

I owe him a lot because he actually,
you know, whether it's off the field or on

the field, he always
feels like he's got my back.

We've got Test centurions.

We've got Jaya
Richardson taking wickets.

Mitchell Stark, who'd
been under massive scrutiny

all summer, takes ten
wickets for the game.

And publicly, we've been
backing him the whole time.

So you go, oh, awesome.

There's a bit of hope here.

Straight through him.

Knocks him over.

Stark gets five innings,
ten for the match.

And Australia
wrap up the series.

Two tests to zero.

Difficult summer in
Test match cricket.

Comes to a very nice end.

Australia needed a glimmer of
hope at the end of the summer.

And out of those Sri
Lankan tests, it came.

We're going to India with a bit of hope and
a bit of light at the end of the tunnel.

Nice feeling.

On a serious note, and I bet you
no-one else in this circle will know this,

this is disappointing.

We've had a security
breach this week.

It was the evening of day one.

We actually had a look-a-like
come into the changing room.

I could not believe it.

One, I thought it was the coach.

And I know there was a
couple of other staff members

and a few players who
thought it was the coach.

But he had a smile on his face.

CHEERING

There's a lot of staff and there's a lot
of players and there's a lot of families

that put in a lot of time and a lot of
work into the Australian cricket team.

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen,
and welcome to Jetstar Friday.

You sacrifice a lot, no doubt.

But, you know, I think for
us who are actually doing

it, it's not that bad
because we love doing it.

I think it's, you know, a lot of the
sacrifice is back on your families.

And, you know, I know
my wife, for instance, was at

home for a lot of the time
with two kids under two.

She sent me a text and said...

..told them Dad's
on his way home.

Tears of joy.

Tears of joy.

It's felt really quick for
me the last 12 months.

I'm honoured to be
Test captain of Australia.

You know, it's absolutely massive
for me and my family and my friends.

As I've said before,
I'm just the captain of a

cricket team and I want to
make sure I'm enjoying it.

Hey!

Who's that?

I've missed you.

Next on The Test.

I love playing in India.

It heightens all your senses.

Who dealt that?

Camaraderie is great.

By the end of the day,
we've still got to win games.

I'd wake up in the middle of the
night thinking about getting out.

You don't have
to be the captain.

You don't have to
be anything else.

Be Finchie, mate.

I've played one game for Australia and
I've got no bloody idea what's going on.

Yeah!