Langer the new breed of No. 3
Article from The Age newspaper 13/03/00
Langer the strong man of Australia's batting
By
PETER ROEBUCK
Justin Langer is rapidly emerging as a strong man at first wicket down. Notoriously, this is the hardest place to bat and numerous players of reputation steer clear of it. To occupy this position a man must have the defence of an opener and the dash commonly accredited to those batting further down, a breed no opener worth his salt has ever taken seriously.
Most batsmen are either stickers or goers. Previously, Langer has seemed to belong to the band of unsung competitors whose deeds are easily forgotten once the stylists take over. Worse, his trenchant displays seemed to hold the innings back. At times he poked around like a man looking for his keys in a muddy pool.
Unsurprisingly, his critics were quick to pounce. Langer wasn't so much a man out of place as out of his time. He was a craftsman working at his game, wearing down the bowlers with sweat and skill, a throwback unusual in these hurrying days. Certainly, he did not seem to belong to the Australian tradition of Ian Chappell and David Boon, fellows who regarded bumpers, opponents and milk with similar disdain.
In this match Langer has shown powers hitherto missing from his game. Twice he has taken guard after an early wicket has fallen and both times he has taken charge. It hasn't been so much his willingness to attack that has surprised as his presence at the crease. He has not suddenly changed his game for he lost his wicket to attacking strokes in Colombo and Brisbane. Rather, he has a permanence about him, a sturdiness needed in a somewhat light batting list.
In the first innings, Langer drove conclusively against the pace bowlers and did not hesitate to sweep Daniel Vettori upon the spinner's early appearance. Perhaps he regarded the tweaker as a dangerman. He dealt with him summarily. He had calculated the risks and put his ideas into practice. Like his captain, he is a mixture of idealism and dirt. Inside can be found diamonds and lumps of coal.
Unfortunately, Langer was not as shrewd against the off-spinner and lost his wicket as he moved down the pitch against a ball turning sharply away. Still, he had scored 46 in 47balls and showed it was possible to score runs on this pitch. It's been a matter of smothering the spin and choosing the right shot for the right ball. Some things cannot be learnt in books or on the hard pitches of Perth. Some exams can only be passed in the middle.
Langer's second effort further advanced his case. He seemed a well-organised and intelligent batsman. Again he swept Vettori and the spinner could not hold him. Indeed, Vettori was so severely punished that he cursed the batsman upon Langer eventually losing his wicket. Needless to say, the Western Australian responded for he, too, has a temper.
This time Langer played a craftier game against Paul Wiseman's off-breaks, hitting him square of the wicket and staying in his crease, a sensible approach on this surface. Again he was the mainstay of the top order as the Australians tried to put important runs on the board.
Obviously, Langer has his weak points. Generally speaking, first wicket down men do not bother much about the niceties. Langer is seldom convinced he is out. He is not the only Australian left-hander about whom this remark has been made.
Upon seeing his stumps spreadeagled, he generally says something about the wind. Upon being caught at cover he asks the umpires: "Bumped ball, don't you reckon?" If he has left the crease without shaking his head this correspondent has not seen it. Correction. He did depart with a mere shrug after his match-winning partnership with Adam Gilchrist in Hobart. Later he maintained that the overheard snick had been the sound of his bat handle breaking. And he said it with a straight face. He should go into politics.
Suddenly, Langer is averaging 40 in Test cricket. It isn't a bad effort for a stout-hearted cricketer whose first spell in this team did not last long. But Langer kept trying and improving and now appears in his element. Here he fell in the 40s again, playing his favorite sweep. It wasn't a bad dismissal, because this stroke had served him well.
He left with a curse and a shake of the head. His reputation is rising and he has the air of a man likely to be around for a long time.
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