Michael Bevan, "The Finisher"

Over the past couple of decades, a number of players have been labelled as one-day international specialists, a term used to describe someone who performs reasonably well in the ODI version of the game but fails to do so in the longer version. No man has lived up to the tag of “ODI specialist” as well as an Australia left-handed batsman by the name of Michael Gwyl Bevan. For about a decade, Bevan established himself as the best finisher in world cricket, an attribute that led to his nickname “The Finisher”. He represented Australia in three World Cup finals, in 1996, 1999 and 2003, winning the final two. Bevan’s test career ended even before it could take off, but that didn’t stop him from going on to become one of the greatest ODI players of all-time. In December 2002, Bevan was ranked by Wisden as the fifth greatest ODI batsman of all-time behind Sir Vivian Richards, Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara and Dean Jones.

Bevan didn’t have the greatest test career. He got his first test cap after the retirement of Allan Border in 1994. Bevan’s test career got off to a pretty good start. He made 82 in his first test against Pakistan at Karachi and followed it up with two more half centuries in the next two tests of that tour. However, he was dropped after failing in his next three tests. He made a comeback to the test side 21 months later. A couple of tests later he again scored half-centuries in three consecutive tests. But things started falling apart after that. The pressure to score big and do that on a consistent basis got the better of him. The emergence of youngsters like Ricky Ponting, Greg Blewett and Damien Martyn further increased the pressure. Bevan couldn’t do the needful and hence he played the last test of his career in early 1998. He kept on scoring heavily in the domestic circuit but Australia’s successes in test cricket in every part of the world meant that the selectors never felt the need to recall Bevan and thus his test career was limited to just 18 tests. Many experts believe that Bevan failed to make it big in tests because he didn’t play the short ball too well, a claim that Bevan doesn’t agree to. A first class average of 57.32 also contradicts that view. Bevan feels that his problems at the test level were purely psychological, rather than anything physical or technical.

Michael Bevan: The Finisher

In ODIs, Bevan was a completely different batsman. He looked to be in charge right from the word go and pressure seemed to bring out the best in him. Besides being a dangerous batsman, Bevan was also a pretty handy bowler and his slow left-arm wrist spinners too proved useful on a number of occasions. Bevan made his ODI debut against Sri Lanka in Sharjah in 1994. He didn’t have to bat in his debut match. He held on to his spot in the team and came up with a number of important cameos in the next few matches. His first major contribution came in the tour of Pakistan in which he made his test debut. In the final of the Wills triangular series, also involving South Africa, against the hosts, Bevan finished off Australia’s innings in style with an unbeaten 42-ball 53, his first ODI fifty. Australia reached 269 at the end of their 50 overs and the hosts fell short by 64 runs. Within a year and a half of his debut, Bevan had become a regular in the ODI side, finishing the innings with stroke-filled cameos on a consistent basis.

Bevan’s unbeaten 78 against West Indies at Brisbane on the 1^st of January 1996 is considered by many as his finest knock. Needing 173 to win off 43 overs, the Aussies were in deep trouble at 32 for 4 when Bevan made his way out. Wickets kept falling at the other and soon it was 38 for 6. At 74 for 7, Paul Reiffel walked in to join Bevan. The duo put together 79 runs before Reiffel departed. The match went down to the very last ball. Australia needed four to win with one wicket in hand and Bevan was on strike. He lofted the final ball to the straight boundary to complete a remarkable recovery for the hosts. In this way, Bevan kept on making important contributions in the death overs. He was extremely quick between the wickets and had the ability to deal with yorkers without any trouble. Bevan, along with Stuart Law, was responsible for another memorable rescue act in the semi-final of the 1996 World Cup against West Indies. Curtly Ambrose and Ian Bishop had removed the Aussie top four for just 15 runs when Law and Bevan came together. They put together 138 runs before Law departed for 72. Bevan too was dismissed soon after for 69 but the job was more or less complete. Australia reached a total of 207 and the Windies eventually fell short by 5 runs.

Bevan’s first ODI century came against South Africa at Centurion in April 1997. Chasing a formidable total of 285, the Aussies were in a spot of bother at 58 for 3 when Bevan walked in. He went on play a wonderful knock, remaining unbeaten on 103 off just 95 deliveries, and took Australia home with an over to spare. About 45 days later, he scored his second ODI century, a 129-ball 108 against England but unfortunately for Bevan, it wasn’t good enough to secure victory for his team. By now Bevan had comfortably established himself as one of the most dangerous ODI players. His average was above 50 and to add on to his batting he was also contributing with the ball.

Bevan (left), Adam Gilchrist (middle) and Steve Waugh with the 1999 World Cup trophy

1999 was the year of the cricket World Cup and the Aussies were among the favourites. The year started well for Bevan as he played an important role in Australia’s success in the Carlton and United series in Australia involving England and Sri Lanka, scoring three half centuries in seven innings’, including a match-winning 69 in the first final against England. On 5^th February 1999, Bevan was dismissed for a duck for the first time in his ODI career in his 84^th match. His good form continued in the subsequent tour of West Indies and he went into the world cup as the number one ODI batsman. The World Cup started well for Bevan, as he got a 21 and a 61 in the first two matches against New Zealand and Pakistan respectively. However, he couldn’t contribute more than 20s and 30s in the following matches but that too was good enough to take the Aussies to the semi-finals. In the semis against South Africa, the Aussie top four fell within the first 17 overs. Bevan once again walked in at a difficult situation and along with skipper Steve Waugh, he helped repair the innings with a patient 65. The importance of this knock can be judged by the fact that the match ended in a tie and Australia progressed as they had finished above the Proteas in the super-six stage. Bevan wasn’t needed to do much in the final and Australia went on to clinch their second World Cup comfortably by 8 wickets.

Bevan pumps the air after cinching victory against New Zealand at Melbourne in January 2002

The team management felt that Bevan, their premier ODI batsman, needed to play a more deliveriess to impact games in a bigger way on a more regular basis. This resulted in his promotion to number 4 in the batting order. He had been tried at that position couple of times earlier too and he previously had 6 half centuries and a century in 14 innings’ at number 4. But despite that, he wasn’t made a permanent fixture at number 4. From early 2000 onwards, he was given an extended run at that position. And as expected, hedelivered. He scored his fourth and fifth ODI centuries within a span of six months, both of which resulted in victory for Australia. In April 2001, he played another memorable knock of 87 against India in the final ODI to clinch the five-match ODI series that was tied at 2 games a piece after the first four matches. The greatest virtue of Bevan’s batting was that he believed that the job is not over till you cross the finishing line and thus more often than not he remained out in the middle to see his team through.

By January 2002, Bevan was back to the number six spot as the Aussies were struggling to find a strong finisher. On the 29^th of January, Bevan played an astonishing knock which he himself rates as the best of his career. Chasing 246 to win against New Zealand at Melbourne, the hosts looked to be down and out at 65 for 5 in 17.1 overs. It soon became 82 for 6 in 21.3 overs but Bevan held on. He led an amazing recovery, putting together 61 and 81 with Shane Warne and Brett Lee for the 7^th and 8^th wicket respectively. He added another 14 with Andy Bichel to bring down the required runs to 8 off the last over. Bichel struck two boundaries in the first three deliveries to culminate a breathtaking chase. Bevan remained unbeaten on 102 off just 95 deliveries and won his tenth man of the match award in ODIs.

Bevan(left) and Bichel leave after securing victory for Australia against England in the 2003 World Cup

Bevan had a relatively quiet 12 months following that brilliant knock. He did chip in with a few useful runs here and there but was unable to make big contributions. Australia went into the 2003 World Cup as defending champions and overwhelming favourites to lift the title yet again. Bevan missed the opening match and the champions were hardly challenged in their next four matches. But the going got tougher in the final league game. Chasing 205 against England, Australia were at one stage 4 down for 48. Bevan and Darren Lehmann staged a small recovery but England fought back with a few quick wickets to make it 135 for 8. Bevan still managed to hang on and he now had Bichel for company. The duo put together 73 for the ninth wicket to secure an improbable victory for Australia with just two balls to spare. Bevan remained unbeaten on 74. He had to do a rescue act yet again in the super-six match against New Zealand. The Aussie top-order crumbled once again and Bevan strode in at 47 for 4. Wickets kept falling at the other end but Bevan stayed firm. He once again found support from Bichel, who came in at 84 for 7, and the duo put on 97 for the eighth wicket to help Australia to a respectabletotal of 208. Bevan’s contribution was 56 and Australia won the match by 96 runs. Bevan didn’t have a lot to do after that and Australia retained the first team to win three World Cups.

Bevan had been playing cricket at the topmost level for around 9 years and his reflexes were starting to slow down. His consistency was staring to fall and the pressure to perform to keep his place kept on increasing. He still played the occasional gem to rescue Australia from problematic positions, like the unbeaten 84 against New Zealand in Guwahati after the Aussies had been reduced to 61 for 4. But his form was on the way down and hence in 2004-05, he was dropped rather unceremoniously from the list of centrally contracted players by the Australian Cricket Board. Two months earlier, Bevan had played his last ODI on the 29^th of February 2004 against Sri Lanka. He signed for Tasmania and continued playing in the domestic circuit, scoring a record 1497 runs in the Pura Cup in his first season. But soon after, injuries started to hamper his career. He made brief appearances for Tasmania in the 2005-06 and 2006-07 season before finally calling it a day in January 2007.

Bevan ended his ODI career with an astonishing average of 53.58. He is one among only two players with an average of above 50 in ODIs among those who have played at least 30 innings’ (the other being Hashim Amla). He is also one of only three players whose average never dropped below 40 among those who have played at least 30 ODI innings’ (the other two being Michael Hussey and Kevin Pietersen). As a matter of fact, Bevan’s average never dropped below 50 after he recorded his maiden one-day half-century in 1994-95, an unbeaten match winning 53 against Pakistan in the final of the Wills Triangular series. Critics claim that his high average is a result of the large number of not outs (67 in 232 matches). But from another point of view, that shows that when Bevan set about doing a job, he remained there till it was complete. He had this ability to come up with his best when his team needed him the most. He played a number of match-winning knocks with only the tail enders to support him at the other end. He was quick between the wickets and could pick gaps with precision. He had this knack of finding a boundary when needed the most and could handle the yorker, a common weapon adopted by bowlers in the death overs, with ease. World cricket has seen a number of talented finishers over the past decade or so. The likes of Michael Hussey, Andrew Symonds and Yuvraj Singh are among those who have become famous for finishing off innings’ with a flourish but Bevan will always be the man who revolutionised the way ODI innings’ were being finished. He was, is and will always remain the original “Finisher”.