In a much-hyped series, one man has gone about his business quietly, stealing the most crucial moments from India and still not demanding any attention.
In the last few weeks, Simon Katich walked out for Australia when they were in trouble, batted with grit and calm, put the team in a comfortable position and then retired into the shadows of his more famous teammates.
"I haven't given an interview because no one has asked me for one," he said, with an introverted smile, when asked about his reserve towards the media.
"Yes, I am the quiet sort," he agreed.
For two series now, India has been done in by the silent resolve of Katich. He did that in Sydney, this year, scoring 125 in the first innings and a solid 77 not out in the second, as Australia battled for a draw. On the current India tour, he has scored 268 runs in three matches, the 81 in Bangalore and 99 in Nagpur being the stand-out scores. In between, he flattered with 39 and 36 not out that, however, added stability to a dashing Australian middle order.
Katich made his Test debut in 2001 against England, but was ignored for three years as there was no place for him in a star-studded batting line-up. He made a comeback to the team during the home series against Zimbabwe last year, and after three ordinary games against Sri Lanka [one away and two at home] the success in India has been worth the wait.
Cricket Correspondent Deepti Patwardhan spoke with the 29-year-old Western Australia left-hander on Monday.
How has the experience of playing in India been?
It has been enjoyable, especially because we've won here. We have played some amazing cricket here. It is a big thrill being a part of such a historic win. It is great playing in front of noisy crowds; the passion for the game in this country is unbelievable.
I have grown to appreciate the love for cricket in India. It made me realise what this game means to so many in the country.
Is the crowd a distraction?
Not really. You get used to it after a while. The crowd is just amazing, when India scores a run they just erupt, even if it is just a single.
You took over the responsibility of batting at number three very well
Yes, I had a chance to bat at number three because Ricky Ponting was injured. I generally bat at number six. But I played at number three in state cricket for a while so I knew how to bat at there.
How different is it from batting at number five or six?
When I started playing cricket I used to bat at five. But there isn't really a very big difference. You have to bat well at any position. Whether you bat at three, five or six you have to do the same things. Being decisive is a very important aspect of batting.
The only difference that really matters is that you have to hang around in the dressing room a little longer. The excitement eats you up at times. Sometimes you just want to get out there and start batting. Watching the game from the dressing room can make you a little nervous at times.
The Australian openers haven't been able to give the team big starts. Has that put pressure on the middle order?
That's been only a couple of times. In the first Test [in Bangalore] we lost a couple of wickets quickly and that put us under pressure. But I scored 80 or so and Michael Clarke and Adam Gilchrist carried on from there. So it helps to hold on to the innings in difficult situations and make sure we don't lose wickets.
In India you tend to lose wickets in a hurry. We saw that in the first innings at Chennai. In India it is tough work coming in straight away and facing the spinners. It takes a while since you are not sure of the bounce and spin in the track. So you have to make sure you stay in there and the team doesn't lose too many wickets.
I think we've been playing well. The batsmen have fortunately been in good form.
Do you agree that the conditions in Nagpur suited the Australians better?
It did. But we also played good cricket. We batted far better than India and it suited the balance of our team. The bowlers did an excellent job. The wicket was dry on the first day. It was still good to bat on the second day. But all that doesn't matter because we played good cricket at the end of the day.
How disappointed were you after being out on 99?
I was very sad. I didn't want to speak to anyone that day. It was great to have been there and scoring those 99 runs. Sad I couldn't score that one extra run. Yeah, it was disappointing, but if you see the larger picture we won the game, easily, and the series. So it was good to play a part in such a huge victory.
In Bangalore, you and Michael Clarke played a very crucial role? How was it starting against the Indian spinners with very little experience at both ends?
It was good to bat with him. He said he was nervous when he came in but when you looked at him and the kind of shots he played he didn't seem nervous at all. It was a great innings from him. It is fortunate that we have batted a lot for New South Wales. Luckily, both of us have played a lot at Sydney, which is a spinner-friendly track.
Has India's opening bowling been lacklustre?
Not really. Zaheer [Khan] bowled brilliantly in the last Test in Nagpur, where he got a lot of assistance from the pitch. The wicket in Bangalore was a little easy to score of, but the Indian bowlers reverse swung the ball a lot.
As I said, it is difficult to start against spinners in India. We saw in Chennai how Kumble changed everything in one session. It was just one of those spells. He got the ball to bounce a lot and we were bat-padding them. Once the bowler has the momentum it is difficult to get back.
Although it was a good performance by Australia, India was unlucky not to win the toss. It may not have made a big difference, but in Test cricket you'd always like to put the runs on the board first.
What was your preparation for the series?
I performed well in the Australian state championship. I had got five hundreds in the last season and it always helps to perform well. You have to continue the good form. I had also been to Hampshire before the series. I played a full county season with them last year, but this time I was there for a month or so. It was good match preparation.
You have done very well in the series so far. What will you take back from this Indian tour?
It is a great sense of satisfaction to be a part of the team that won in India so convincingly. That would about sum up the feeling. It is great to know that five or six Australian teams came here and had to return without success. To be able to do it on your very first tour in the country is a great feeling.
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