Birthday Special: Justin Langer – One of Australia’s best openers

Few cricketers can ace the job of representing their country and thereafter guiding them to become one of the best teams in the world. A certain Australian by the name of Justin Langer not only served his country well as a player but also nailed his job as the head coach.

A vital cog of the Australian batting line-up during his playing days, Langer made his first appearance in international cricket in 1993. Batting at number three in his debut game, he was able to score just 20 runs in his 79-ball long stay. It may not seem much but that knock was crucial in his team’s run. In the second innings when Langer came in to bat, he showed much more determination and smashed 54. Australia, in one of the closest Test matches, lost by 1 run but the world knew what metal Langer was made of.

An ODI followed for Langer the very next year. On the 14th April 1994, he made his first appearance for Australia in limited-overs cricket in a match against Sri Lanka. He did not get a chance to bat in that match. And did not play much ODI cricket later as well.

Test heroics

It was like Langer was meant to be a formidable Test opener. In his initial days with the team, he played either as an opener or as the number 3 batsman, depending upon the requirement of the team. But it was Mathew Hayden’s arrival and pairing up with Langer at the top that he truly came into his own. Since then, there was no looking back for Langer as he fought his way through various ups and downs, suffered injuries even in the latter stages of his career. But in true Aussie fashion, Langer fought through it and played as many as 105 Test matches, scoring 7696 runs in the process.

Batting alongside the legendary Hayden, Langer stitched numerous memorable partnerships and went off the sport after cementing his spot right up in the list of the best openers of the world. He played his last Test match in 2007. What a fitting farewell for him that match was. The match that started on the 2nd of January 2007, ended with Australia winning the game by 10 wickets. Langer, in his final innings, was batting alongside his trusted partner Hayden and it was the two who led Australia home with a win and the Ashes trophy that year.

The coaching stint

But it was not long before the Australian cricket team would need his services again. Langer had been involved in coaching duties with regional teams. But when he was called to take up the duty with the Australian cricket team in May 2018, the challenge was tough and Langer did not disappoint. Replacing the outgoing Darren Lehmann after one of the darkest phases in the history of Australian cricket, he was tasked with bringing the team back on track. And he did.

Since day one, he infused his own tough and true Australian DNA into the team and ensured damage control was done in the best way possible. Under his coaching regime, Australia has had a few hiccups but the way he has handled the team has been commendable. The team has travelled across the world and won matches, all thanks to the guidance of Langer.

Wishing Justin Langer a very happy birthday!