Steve Waugh’s final Test series was a memorable one. (Source: Express Archive)India’s tour of Australia in 2003-’04 was a memorable one for many reasons. While on one hand Sourav Ganguly and his boys gave Australia a run for their money at their own turf. On the other hand was the emotional retirement of legendary batsman Steve Waugh. Ahead of India’s latest Test series against Australia, Waugh recalled some of the key moments in the epic Border-Gavaskar series. From the banter with Parthiv Patel to getting out hit wicket for the first time in his career, Waugh spoke at length on his last summer with cricket.com.au.
In the first Test of the series, Waugh was out hit wicket. Reflecting on it the 52-year-old said, “The first Test wasn’t the best Test – I trod on my stumps and was involved in a run-out, and of course the cheerleaders against me were celebrating and licking their lips up in the commentary box, but you can’t do much about that. There’s always people going to be for and against you, all I could say was I was trying 100 percent.”
The series got tougher for Australia, as India beat Australia in Adelaide for the first time since 1981. Rahul Dravid was the star of the show with a match-winning 233. “The pitch in Adelaide seemed to get better, and it was like we were playing in their (India’s) conditions,” Waugh recalled of the first home defeat in a ‘live’ Test match of his captaincy. And while it was frustrating not winning a Test match, when you see batting artistry of that calibre you think ‘I don’t mind watching this – but I’d rather it not be me as a captain’, ” Waugh recalled.
However, Australia pulled one back with a win in Melbourne and in the final Test the two teams locked horns at Waugh’s home ground at the SCG. It was here in his final innings that a young 18-year-old Parthiv Patel decided to slegde Waugh. “Let’s see if you can play one of those famous slog-sweeps, and miss one,” Parthiv said. “Show a bit of respect, You were in nappies when I played my first Test match,” Waugh countered.
“It’s not sledging,” he said of the tête-à-tête with the rival keeper. “People say there’s too much sledging in the game, I think you can do it in a different way and have a bit of a laugh and a bit of fun. “While people say that was a sledge, to me that was banter,” Waugh concluded.
