Bharat Raj, has this to say on Mark Waugh, one of the finest batsman that Australia has ever produced. He covers the deeds of this great cricketer in two parts. Here is the Part one for the visitors of crickick.com

The player that I am going to talking about made cricket look so easy that when he played it looked like poetry was written on cricket field, one felt like a Mozart symphony making you forget all your worries, just all ease and grace. Of course I am talking about Mark Waugh the elegance personified batsman form Australia who made everything look so easy of my era

To describe about Mark’s early career in domestic cricket one has to look at what sometimes his biggest admirer and sometimes his biggest critic and former Australian coach Bob Simpson had to say about the classy Australian player.

“When I first saw him he was a real tear away with quite a lot of pace. In fact, in his first season in first class cricket, in 1985-86, I had him opening the bowling for New South Wales and he could send them down as quickly as anyone in the side”.

“Mark loved to bowl bouncers and would take on any batsman regardless of his reputation”.

It is very interesting to note that at the start of his career Mark was reasonably quick as a bowler and Simpson even said that he wanted Mark to develop as a batsman in Sheffield Shield cricket as he thought that he was too much of a leg side player. His elder twin Steve got selected to play test cricket and Mark had to be content with playing the odd one dayer for Australia and had to bide his chance to make his test debut. It finally arrived in 1990 against England when he replaced his twin brother Steve in the team. It must have been really tough for Steve to be replaced by his younger twin. Anyhow Mark made his debut and what a debut it was!. He made a classy 138 against England at Adelaide in Jan 91. Australia had lost half of its side for 125 runs and then ensured a sixth wicket stand of 171 runs between the debutant Mark Waugh and GRJ Matthews which ensured a decent total of 386.

When one sees highlights of Mark Waugh’s debut innings of 138, one could clearly see those trademark flicks, drive, cuts that made Mark such a graceful player. He continued to show his grace he made his second test hundred – 139 not out against West Indies which contained the pace bowlers of the likes of Marshall, Ambrose, Walsh, and Patterson at Antigua in May 91. He forged a fifth wicket partnership with Dean Jones which realized 184 runs and saw Australia posting a first innings total of 403. Mark’s hundred came at a stage when Australia were in a none-too-comfortable position of having lost its four wickets for 158 runs

The main factor to consider in those two knocks of Mark was his ability to come good when the team was in trouble as both these two centuries came when the Aussies were in some sort of trouble and this trend of playing good knocks to bail his team out from a spot of bother continued to be the hallmark of his entire career!

Mark did not live upto the reputation and promise he had shown in early part of his career. He could not do much with the willow as it failed to talk during the home series against India in 1991-92 and away series against Sri Lanka in 1992. He aggregated a mere 83 runs from four tests and six innings against India at home and his poor form with the willow continued against Sri Lanka when he totaled 61 runs from three test and six innings. He failed to open his account in both innings of the test at Colombo-RPS and Moratuwa, bagging a “Pair of Spectacles” in consecutive tests.

In these two series, his highest score was 56 – which was the only half century – against Sri Lanka at in the second innings at Col-SSC.

There was immense pressure on him to perform when the West Indies met the Australia in 1992/93 to score runs and he kept up the faith that the selectors has reposed on him by scoring a 39 and 60 in the first test at Brisbane in Nov 92 and followed up his form with 112 in the first innings at Melbourne in Dec 92, He aggregated 340 runs from five tests and nine innings. He scored a century and two half centuries in this series.

Mark’s next destination was England for the 1993 Ashes series. By this time, more or less, he had established himself as a player in the team. He had a successful tour and made his willow to talk as he amassed 550 runs in the series. Consistency did not desert him on this tour. He scored a century and five half centuries. His six fifties – 64 in the second innings at Manchester in Jun 93, 99 in the only innings at Lord’s in Jun 93, 52 in the second innings at Leeds in Jul 93 and twin fifties – 137 and 62 not out at Birmingham in Aug 93 – ensured Mark Waugh to aggregate his first five hundred plus runs in a series. Australia won the 1993 Ashes series by 4-1 margin.

He missed the coveted hundred by a single run at Lord’s. Had he got his hundred in this innings, a unique statistical highlight would have come at Lord’s – Mecca of Cricket – the first ever occasion of the first four batsmen scoring hundreds in a test innings. The first three batsmen in Australian innings had made hundreds – MA Taylor {111}, MJ Slater {152} and DC Boon {164*}.

Through out this series he was consistent as a batsman and who can forget his sublime knock of 137 at Birmingham which again came when the Aussies were in spot of bother having lost its four wickets for a meager 80 runs on the board. Mark Waugh was at rescue act again and ensured a partnership with Steve Waugh which realized 153 runs for the fifth wicket. Austrlia’s innings folded at 408. Mark Waugh’s innings was embellished with his trademark flicks, drives, pulls, and cuts. He was at the crease for 240 minutes. His 137 came in 219 deliveries and contained 18 boundary fours. Australia were set a target of 120 for a win in the fourth innings of this test and it was ensured through another unfinished three figure partnership for the third wicket between DC Boon and ME Waugh which realized 108 runs

During the Paksitan tour of 1994-95, there is an interesting incident involving Mark Waugh. He was asked to bowl at Rawalpindi, the second test of the series when the new ball was fairly new in the Pakistan’s second innings. Pakistan were asked to follow on in this test. Opening pair of Saeed Anwar and Aamer Sohail held no terrors to Aussie pacemen CJ McDermott and DW Fleming and also to one change bowler J Angel. It was then Mark Waugh was introduced into attack and one of his bouncers felled Aamer Sohail when the score was 65 for no loss and he was force to retire. Aamer Sohail did return to the crease at the fall of second wicket with his face bandaged and scored a fine 72. This incident reminded me of what Simpson said about Mark Waugh’s bowling ability during his early days!.

Reports say that Mark Waugh resorted to hurling bouncers as he was frustrated by the flatness of the wickets in Pakistan and the number of catches that were dropped by Australia in that series.

When the Aussies toured Caribbean in 1995-96, there was huge expectations form Waugh brothers. It was good to see that both of them responded in a great fashion in that unforgettable test match at Kingston. The four test series was leveled at 1-1 with Australia and West Indies winning a test each.

At Kingston, West Indies batted first and made a none-too-comfortable 265 in the first innings thanks to fine hundred – exact 100 – by skipper RB Richardson who chose to open the innings. Austalia found Walsh and Ambrose too hot to handle and soon the score board read 80 for 3 with Walsh accounting for MA Taylor {8} and MJ Slater {27}, while Ambrose accounted for DC Boon {17}. Waugh brothers scored hundreds – ME Waugh {126} and SR Waugh {200} and forged a 230 runs partnership for the fourth wicket and ensured that Australia reach a match winning total of 531. The partnership blossomed quietly in a sedate fashion and both the brothers acquitted themselves and showed that Walsh and Amborse held no terrors.

Here is what Paul Reifell, a team member of Aussies, wrote in Cricinfo – “Our strategy was for the batsmen to stick around and build as big a score as possible, because we knew that if we had to bat last on a pitch that was definitely wearing, we would have the worst of it. When Steve walked in at 73 for 3, we were in a position where things could have gone either way. But both Steve and Mark [Waugh] batted magnificently and built a fortress strong enough to keep West Indies at bay. Mark nonchalantly scored a beautiful century before getting out, but by then he had helped Steve build a solid platform”

Steve had made up his mind to bat and bat, to stay out there and anchor the proceedings. In the process he copped a lot of blows on his arms, chest and ribs. When he came back to the dressing room at the end of day two, we could see the spots and bruises on his body, but as long as he was out there in the middle he just kept going at them.

Justin Langer, another member of Australian team quoted in Cricinfo on this match – “On the field, Steve treated each ball on its merits – defending the good ones, wearing the odd one on the body. In the end he ran four to get his 200, off a fast one from Carl Hooper which he pushed towards fine leg. He was last man out. It was one of the greatest feats of batting I ever witnessed.

Paul Reifell continued to say “Inspired by his innings and making good use of the conditions and the mental state of the West Indies top order, I grabbed three quick wickets late in the evening. After a day’s rest we returned to complete the formalities and claimed the Frank Worrell Trophy.

We celebrated the win with a few drinks that night, and Steve slept in his whites with his socks and baggy green cap on. That showed how much he enjoyed the victory. It was the start of a new chapter in Australian cricket, and you could say that Steve’s legacy gained a lot of momentum from his efforts at Jamaica..

CEL Ambrose {1 for 76}, CA Walsh {3 for 103}, KCG Benjamin {3 for 105}, WKM Benjamin {1 for 80} and CL Hooper {1 for 94} were the bowlers who leaked most runs in Aussies match winning total of 531. Australia coasted to a innings and 53 runs as they bundled West Indies for 213 in the second innings. P Reifell {4 for 47} and SK Warne {4 for 70} were the wreckers-in-chief

During the 1996 Word Cup, Mark Waugh opened the batting. He scored consecutive hundreds – 130 vs Kenya at Vizag on 23.02.96 and followed it up with 126 vs India at Mumbai on 27.02.96. He also scored another hundred – 110 vs New Zealand at Chennai on 11.03.96. He aggregated 484 runs from seven matches with the help of three centuries and one half century.

I still remember that classy knock of 126 aginst India at Chennai when he looked completely at ease. I can never forget that pull of Javagal Srinath with effortless ease which sailed over the boundary. His slog sweep of Venkatapathy Raju was a delight to watch. He lured SR Tendulkar when he was on 90 out of the crease, by bowling a clever delivery outside the off stump, only to ensure that the master batsman was stumped by ever persevering Healy. It was the very first occasion that SR Tendulkar was dismissed stumped in one day games and that credit goes to ME Waugh-IA Healy – bowler-wicket keeper combination.

Please watch out for the second part of this article within the next few days