Chris Cairns: One-dayers will bring us closer to Australia

Opinion

Arriving in Melbourne on Wednesday I was keen to catch up with the guys and observe the mood after their comprehensive defeat during the test series.

It's fair to say they were rather sombre, which is a good thing. If they had been upbeat, then I would have been really worried.

When you have been defeated it hurts. A lot. The way international cricket is structured today, there is little time to reorganise, regroup and face the next challenge.

It will be very important in the first one dayer at the Telstra Dome today to gain some early ascendancy over Australia.

Even though we have been dominated for so long in the test series, ascendancy can still be obtained by a small happening. It's as simple as an early wicket or having them 20 for two; it's about reaching 50 for no wicket when we bat.

The green machine will no doubt be very confident but teams in this frame of mind can overlook the basics and provide openings for the opposition.

This Australian team is not of this ilk. They are ruthless in their application of the basics. Their talent is not in question but they perform the simple tasks excellently. Here, in the basics, is where we need to compete the most.

When we bowl, we have to produce disciplined lines, precision end-of-innings bowling and good changes of pace. When we bat, we have to put their bad balls to the boundary, be not afraid to go over the top of the infield and our top five batsmen need to contribute heavily.

In the field, and this is the area that must have the biggest contribution, we need to take every chance offered, ground fielding has to be slick and we need to work as a unit.

Another thing to remember is that the nature of one day cricket will bring us closer to the Australians.

In a match that lasts 100 overs compared to a test of 450 overs, there is room for individual brilliance to clinch a match. Within our team we do have that individual brilliance. It's been displayed by many during this last year, contributing to our excellent one-day record. There's no disputing that and our guys have that knowledge tucked away in the back of their minds.

Reading a few of the Australian papers over here, there have been some arrogant comments relating to the state of cricket here.

They're saying the game is in danger of becoming boring and the Aussies should really take on the big brother role and help the rest of the world. How short are their memories? Just last season they nearly lost a test series to India who haven't won overseas since Gandhi was a lad.

The Aussies have been gifted with two great bowlers in Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne, neither of whom was playing for them last season. When they lose these two, and some of the others around them, and inevitably have a down cycle they will find things very different.

And when they do, maybe all of us in the cricket world will be able to help Australia.

Having been involved in close to 200 one-dayers this will be my first taste of playing under cover. I'm not sure how it will affect conditions, but I do know I won't be bowling into the wind.

That is always a good thing.