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December 26, 2011Posted by Jarrod Kimber on 12/26/2011 in Australia
An emotional, bowel-churning day
The shot he should not have played
©Associated PressI’m friends with Eddie Cowan. This seems like a ridiculous thing to actually read, now I’ve written it, but I think I am. We haven’t exchanged bodily fluids, or said out loud we are friends, but I think at our age semi-frequent exchanges where we happily abuse each other are what constitute a friendship. I know we own each other’s books, and since I never buy cricket books, that’s a big thing for me. We’re not besties, I don’t know whether he was 7 or 8 when he first got his beard, and he has no idea what I swear word I used on Triple J, but we know each other in a non-biblical way.
That meant Boxing Day, and the lead up, was different for me. I’ve had friends who were cricketers before; it’s an occupational hazard. Some of them have even played Test cricket while I’ve known them. But this was more than that. This was my home Test, my favourite place in the world, and my friend was about to walk out and face the new ball. I can’t explain why it did weird things to me more than that, but it did.
Eddie handled the whole trip to Narnia (as he calls it) very well. When I frequently (probably too frequently) asked how he was doing, he said he was relaxed, and did, at the very least, a passable impression of this. He had the air of a man who was thinking about something else, but not fixating on it in a bad way. Like a nerd waiting for a new Star Wars film.
In my head I knew that with any luck, he would get a start in his first innings. Because regardless of our friendship, as a cricket writer I trust he knows his game, is in the form of his life, has overcome this opposition recently in a tour game and couldn’t be picked at a more perfect time in his career.
As a friend, apparently all that meant little.
I am reliably told that when he faced the first ball I looked like I was going to vomit. Which is weird, because I felt like I couldn’t breathe, and was actually vomiting from both ends at once. From then, until he scored his first run, I felt short of breath. When he scored all I could do was take a short breath, and tweet something swear-y and incomprehensible.
At the start of the day all I wanted was him not to go out first ball. Then it was him scoring at all. Making it to drinks. Outlasting Warner. Surviving till lunch. Getting 30. Then 38.
I thought after he reached each target it would get more bearable, that I wouldn’t ride each moment, that every leading edge, close leave, or play and miss wouldn’t make my whole body twitch in a uncontrollable way, but it didn’t. It didn’t matter what milestones he got to, I couldn’t handle looking at him, and if I couldn’t see a ball, I panicked.
Through all this, Eddie looked calm. I mean, Eddie was calm. Chloe Saltau tweeted “Cowan looks so relaxed he might nod off at the non-striker's end”. I saw her tweet, and saw him. But even though she was clearly right, and he was slightly nodding off, I couldn’t relax.
When Eddie was in his 40s, I had to leave my desk and film an interview with Virginia Lette, Eddie’s wife. When I saw Virginia, it was clear that she was also far calmer than me. These Cowettes (her term, not mine, I liked Veddie as a moniker though) are clearly built for the stress of international sport far more than I am. Virginia was so calm that while Eddie probed and pushed behind her, she was deep into interview mode talking about Eddie giving her a muffin he cooked after their first date.
I, on the other hand was a nervous wreck, and found it hard to focus on a single word she said.
She only paused the interview when Eddie was within a single of his 50, probably knowing him well enough that a firm struck boundary was unlikely on 47, and a gentle single on 49 was odds on.
When that single came, and right now I couldn’t tell you much more about it other than it was a single, I think Virginia calmly clapped. I’m not sure because I was lost in my own moment, which included shouting, standing, cheering and clapping, in that way that drunks do, even though I was sober. I do know that when I finally sat down, and someone asked Virginia how she felt, she said she was ok, but that she may need to give me a hug. At this stage I was tearing up and trying unsuccessfully to look in any way shape or form like I was in control of my emotions.
Later on his wicket should have provided the sort of rage that makes me throw other journalists around the press box, but instead I was just disappointed. I didn’t even have the energy to complain about DRS. I just sort of sat quietly and sulked. I didn’t really care if he was abducted by aliens, or bowled by a heat-seeking Yorker, I just didn’t want him to go out.
At the press conference afterwards, the line to shake Eddie’s hand seemed as long as any I’ve seen from jaded journalists. Perhaps it’s not just me, it could be that everyone thinks they’re friends with Eddie Cowan. Maybe he’s the cricket writer’s cricketer. Or, we just love when fellow nerds do well. It’s even possible he’s a top bloke, I suppose.
In the future, my job and Eddie’s job will probably test our friendship, or even possibly end it. I’m bound to write something that he hates. The good news is, Eddie already thinks I’m too negative about him, so in his eyes, I probably can’t get any worse. Even if our friendship ends, I’ll always have today, that hugely emotional, bowel-churning and embarrassing day where Eddie was given out missing a loose cut shot he shouldn’t have been playing.
Posted by: GANESH at December 26, 2011 4:11 PM
He was beaten a few times by all the bowlers- just that he had that little bit of luck even when it took the edge it eithewr went past the stumps or fell short of gully! As a batsman you always need that extra little bit luck for which the stars should be in your favour. Hussey just didnt have it today as you saw what happened.. and the bowler had it when he appealed.. So a lot depends on how lucky you are at that moment.. But he played well I agree and he is here to stay a worthy replacement for Katich!
Posted by: jogesh99 at December 26, 2011 4:28 PM
so you finally vaguely approximated how half a billion indians feel each time tendulkar bats.
Posted by: Navneet at December 26, 2011 4:45 PM
what a crap article..not the stuff i would want to pay a cent for if i was your manager..a sheer waste of time..both yours and mine
Posted by: Fan of God at December 26, 2011 4:48 PM
Now you know how 1 billion + fans have been feeling for the past 20years when SRT goes out to bat.
He is indeed the GOC (god of cricket).
As for cowan, i dont care much for nudgers/probers like him. I would always cheer for shot-makers like lara/GOD/ponting/de villiers/sehwag/laxman over nudgers like langer/dravid/kallis/chanderpaul.
nevertheless, good luck to cowan. he's what the doc ordered for the aussie team.
Posted by: Mandar at December 26, 2011 6:15 PM
Woderfully written piece,Jarrod! Emotional and funny :)
How do you know he missed though? The way I see it, DRS was wrong - thin edge for mine..
Posted by: Suresh Nair at December 26, 2011 6:19 PM
Really well-written and evocative, Jarrod. I enjoyed reading it a lot, thank you for that.
As an India fan I have to say that while Hussey's dismissal was blatantly an umpiring error compounded by the lack of DRS - from what I saw your friend did nick the ball very very slightly.
I hope we can still be friends. Well, we aren't friends, are we? So I hope my opinion will not stand in the way of the (admittedly unlikely) event of us being friends some day. At the very least I'd like to buy you a beer and talk about cricket :-)
Posted by: Harrnder Jadwani at December 26, 2011 8:55 PM
Let's remember a couple of things:
1. DRS is new and most of cricket history is a record of bad decisions from time to time.
2. The technology is not infallible - lot's of times it fails.
3. Haddin would likely have been given out LBW to Zaheer if DRS had been there in this Test.
Posted by: Mj at December 26, 2011 9:20 PM
Cowan played really well on debut, like his style. Was a real shame that the BCCI has blocked the review system, or he may well have got his century.
Posted by: Dave Law at December 26, 2011 11:00 PM
Jarrod,
Ed is a cry baby and so too you and most of the Aussies. You lose some and win some that is the beauty of Cricket. I feel for Ed that happen in his debut but get over it will ya...
Posted by: Henry at December 26, 2011 11:40 PM
Perhaps the bowel churning was more to do with the press box catering than the upset of visceral emotion, however, the final sentence is telling. Why the hell would a man who bases his cricket life around survival, patience and shot making discipline be playing THAT stroke??
Posted by: Keith Spicer at December 27, 2011 1:21 AM
Yep, I felt the same. I read In The Firing Line recently and felt Ed was my sort of batsman - one on whom I could have modelled myself. My nickname is Boycs for my 'must stay in' mentality and I stayed in through the night watching the Test yesterday until Ed was out. Normally if a Test match doesn't include England, I am about as likely to stay up and watch more than 5 minutes as I am to smash the opening bowler over his head for six. There is something about Ed that is immensely likeable and I hope he is in the side for some time.
Posted by: Abi at December 27, 2011 5:14 AM
Turn of events : Wake up; Fresh-n-up; See Indian scorecard n get kicked up; Open cricinfo; Read the whole of "An emotional, bowel-churning day" by Jarrod Kimber for no apparent reason; *YAWN* ; Zzzzzz ............
Posted by: Rajesh sd at December 27, 2011 7:34 AM
Good one..
Posted by: Vikas at December 27, 2011 8:07 AM
Dear Mr. Kimber,
Do you so vividly remember Steve Buckners mistakes which he c ommited in the last series?
I think you should now remember it, along with it, all the statements made by Aussies on "How to get on with it".
I am appalled by the hue and cry made by aussies on a debudent given wrongly out. Even more nauseating is the debudent himself crying over it.
Posted by: Nitin Aggarwal at December 27, 2011 8:09 AM
Very well written Sir. Unfortunately or fortunately, I and a Million or so other Indians, feel the exact same way whenever a certain Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar walks out to bat. Eddie Cowan may or may not be a legend of Australian cricket folklore, but he is definitely a very good test batsman in my humble opinion.
Posted by: moBlue at December 27, 2011 9:53 AM
you are what "a good friend" is all about!!! so - despite my quibble with you about whether or not your friend *objectively* nicked the ball - i appreciate your loyalty to him and empathize with the way that you felt!!!
your friend owes you a beer... and a word of thanks for that last phrase in your article where you give him thoughtful advice that he *should* heed in his future innings! ...whether he nicked this one this time or not!
i've read that your friend comes from humble beginnings and has had his fair share of toil in the FC cricket world - which means that, since i love the underdog, i shall root for your friend, though i would want IND to beat AUS this time around, of course...
...because *this* is the last chance tendulkar has to achieve a feat he has attempted since nearly 2 decades ago... and your article reminded me of how i have felt as long as sachin is batting for all of those years...
...each and every time!!! :)
Posted by: Bob at December 27, 2011 11:21 AM
Cowan robbed by the umpires, If they can't see a no ball in front of them how can the see up the other end of the pitch?
Shame on India for not using DRS. I suppose as long as it goes their way they won't care.
Here's hoping Tenducker gets out for 99 due to a bad decision.
Posted by: brunswick1075 at December 27, 2011 11:50 AM
@FanofGod... The GOC is and will always be D.G Bradman. SRT might be the Jesus of cricket but he is so far short of the batting prowess of Bradman they should never be talked about in the same sentence
Posted by: KayKay at December 27, 2011 1:34 PM
This is what Warren Brennan, CEO of BBG Sports had said. Please read for yourself and make an opinion about DRS and Ed Cowan decision.
"BBG Sports is disappointed at how the Hot Spot performed in the UK during the England vs India series.
"We still have issues of blurring, when the batsman is playing pull or sweep shot"
"Things off the glove can be a bit hit and miss... "
I do not trust any Australian player,especially after what was demonstrated by the then captain, Punter in the 2007 SCG game. DO NOT FORGET, it is the current Captain Clarke who was the culprit of feigning the catch off Sourav Ganguly..... Aussies will do anything to win...
Posted by: Ss at December 27, 2011 1:56 PM
J-rod - This is very similar to what we Indians feel when Sachin bats..well, I never watch Sachin bat.I listen to commentary and then when I know he is not out, I go back to see replay. I just can't see him bat.
Posted by: Pablo Mukherjee at December 28, 2011 10:19 AM
Its always harder to watch than to play. Thanks for the funny and touching column - @Fan of God above, anyone who thinks Kallis and Dravid are 'nudgers' should go back to learning the basics about cricket.
Posted by: braingain at December 28, 2011 1:46 PM
After seeing the comments, I'm glad I didn't read the article. Always read the comments first.
But if we all did that, there would be no comments to read.
Posted by: tim at December 30, 2011 12:26 AM
Vikar
I do indeed remember Bucknor's mistakes. One howler was not giving Tendulkar out when he was plumb lbw to Michael Clarke of all people. The simple thing people seem to forget in their frustration at the lack of perfection in the DRS system is the number of howlers it has eliminated. For instance I would happily have seen Symonds sent on his way in Sydney when he nicked behind. But also would have welcomed Tendulkar's demise on referral. Cricketers just want the right decision. We know it won't happen every time, but more is better.
Jarrod Kimber On the field Kimber was a legspinning allrounder, and his major skills in cricket revolved around fielding, sledging and captaining, which didn't help in selection. He once saw a player try to stab another with a stump. His proudest moments are accidentally waking up Adam Gilchrist on a plane and a documentary where you can see inside a guy's butt.
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