Damien Martyn’s fruitful Indian connection by Partab Ramchand

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Player:

DR Martyn

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DateLine: 9th December 2006

 

It was just the other day that Ravi Shastri wrote in his column that for Ponting to be considered a true great, he has to perform better on the subcontinent. The Australian captain is in the midst of a purple patch that has seen score ten hundreds in his last 13 Tests and raise his career average over 107 Tests to 60 – a phenomenal record. But Ponting’s abysmal showing during three tours of India will certainly rankle him. In seven Tests in India he has scored just 145 runs at an average of just over 12.

 

Playing on Indian pitches has always been considered a supreme test of a batsman’s skill. One can come across almost any type of pitch and even someone as technically sound as Ian Chappell reckoned that the tour of India in 1969-70 was the last word in his cricketing education as he had to tackle some of the world’s leading spin bowlers at their peak on helpful tracks. It is here that someone like Damien Martyn succeeded where Ponting has failed.

 

In the days following his retirement that he announced today, Martyn will no doubt carry happy memories of his Indian sojourn in 2004. And the Indian cricket fan too will carry fond memories of the elegant right-handed middle order batsman for a long time. It is not just that he scored 444 runs in the four Tests at an average of 55.50 even though the figures are impressive. It is the attractive manner of compiling all those runs that endeared Martyn to Indian cricket followers. He made batting look so pretty, so easy on the eye. Many stylish stroke players have come to India from all over the world and on the basis of his ethereally charming batsmanship two years ago the handsome West Australian takes his place among the finest of them.

 

Martyn’s batting was indeed the last word in elegance and artistry, in superb timing and deft placements. Not too many batsmen have achieved back-to-back hundreds in Tests in India. One can only think of greats like Gary Sobers, Ken Barrington and John Reid besides of course Everton Weekes who got four in a row almost 60 years ago. Martyn joined the ranks of these outstanding cricketers by scoring 104 (at Chennai) and 114 (at Nagpur). For good measure he got 97 in the second innings at Nagpur thus missing by three runs a third hundred in successive innings a feat last performed for Australia by Don Bradman.

 

Dignified strokes were certainly Damien Martyn’s hallmark but his value to the side was not restricted to style; he provided plenty of substance too. At Chennai Australia, 141 runs behind were 121 for three when Martyn entered shortly before close on the third day. A fourth wicket fell at 145 and Australia faced defeat. Martyn settled down displaying the traditional qualities of dedication, determination and concentration and shared a long fifth wicket partnership with an unlikely partner Jason Gillespie. As only to be expected Martyn dominated the strike and the run rate and the stand had added 139 invaluable runs before Martyn was out for 104. Australia ultimately totaled 369 and the match was honourably saved.

 

At Nagpur he got a handsome 114 to pave the way for Australia’s dominance. Again he was playing the chief role in a rescue act adding 148 runs for the fourth wicket with Darren Lehmann after three wickets had gone for 86. He figured in another century stand for the fourth wicket in the second innings this time with a new partner Michael Clark with whom he put on, interestingly enough, 148 runs. Australia won the match and continuing his excellent form Martyn top scored with 55 on a minefield of a pitch in the final Test at Mumbai.

 

Indeed when it comes to batting on sub continental wickets few batsmen can have a better record than Martyn. In his golden year of 2004 he got six Test hundreds – all against sub continental sides, five in winning causes and four on the sub continent itself. The remarkable run told the tale of a man in the form of his life and it would have been eight hundreds but for a pair of 97s. Only Justin Langer scored more Test runs that Martyn’s 1,353 a sequence that brought his career average to 50. But Martyn should not be measured on figures alone. As Ray Robinson once wrote famously about Alan Kippax the gilt edged quality of his batting should have been weighed in carats, not runs. The same can be said of Damien Martyn. We in India were fortunate to see the supreme stylist at his peak.

(Article: Copyright © 2006 CricketArchive)