Allan Border : Part 2

When he stepped into the captain's shoes the events preceeding it were not at all amiable. Kim Hughes was facing turbulent times in his career. Captaincy was just one of his worries, his inexperienced team and his inconsistent form made him finally quit.

The Australian media and sports fans were expecting a miracle when Border strode on to the stage, but Border knew that Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither could his team be.

The 38'th captain of Australia took over the reins in 84-85 against the West Indies, when the Windes were Down Under.

Although Australia took the final test the team still did not look good. Border was often shown on cameras as scratching his beard and waving his hand at his players. It seemed obvious he wasn't enjoying his job.

But the task of gelling a depleted side together was an enormous one. Border pulled up his socks and made sure everybody knew who called the shots. Even though the team did not fare well he still blossomed in his personal batting form.

His heroic efforts were rarely on the winning side but he was the only one who would put up a fight. He was someone who had mastered the trick that Sobers and Gavaskar had perfected : sticking to the wicket. He would make it a point not play expansive shots until he had 25 runs or more on the board and when he finally got his feet in, he would make the move.

He always knew wher he could pick up a single. He picked up the gaps pretty well, and garnished them well with some boundaries, and now he sits on top of the run scorer's list.

When Australia entered the World Cup in 87 not many people would have expected a victory. But they gobbled up England in front of 80,000 fans at Eden Gardens.

Border always stood tall. He knew when to be quiet he knew when to vent out.

Allan Border truly a man without borders.

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