After he agrees for a chit-chat, Michael Bevan lowers the volume on his television set. The third day's play in the India-Australia Bangalore Test is poised interestingly and Bevan can't miss a ball. "I never thought the Indian batsmen would fall so cheap," he says, even as he gets a call from one of the Chennai Superstars players, asking for some inputs ahead of the team practice: "Interesting, isn't it? Here I am, coaching Chennai in the Indian Cricket League but I am completely hooked on about what is going on in the Test series."
He puts his money on Australia, even as he watches Cameron White bowl his leg spin, acknowledging the absence of a world-class spinner is a worry in Australian cricket. "I agree we in Australia are worried over how to replace the greats like Shane Warne. But a quality spinner grows with international exposure and we should remember that even Warne did not have a good outing against India on his Test debut at Sydney. So, one can never form an opinion about a cricketer's abilities without him having played for a while Jason Krejza has the ability to deliver and McGain has at least two years left in him," he says.
The left-handed batsman believes that though this Australian team might lack the charisma comparing to previous teams, at present there are enough iconic players in the making. "Keeping in mind the performances given by Michael Clarke, Mike Hussey and Mitchell Johnson over a period of time one can say that they are the future of Australian cricket and have the ability to fit into the 'big names' category."
Bevan insists that despite concerns, Australia will remain the undisputed world champions. "Perhaps, the present Australian side is not as strong as it was five years ago. They will face challenges from teams like India, England and South Africa but with the bench strength being competitive, Australia will remain the world champions, barring a few hiccups here and there," he signs off with a big smile.
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