Twenty20 Success: Australia on the Right Path to Victory

The Australian teams performance in Melbourne on Sunday night, gave hope to millions that all is not lost for the reigning world champions heading in 2009.

Whilst the game did not take on any real importance in terms of rankings, the confidence the Australian team must have gained will be invaluable going into a busy year, with the Ashes, a tour to South Africa and the Twenty20 world championship all forthcoming.

Players like David Hussey and Dave Warner burst onto the stage and gave the team a much needed buzz after a disappointing test series against the Proteas. Warner's 89 of only 43 balls was especially deadly and just confirmed the thoughts of the selectors, who picked him on whim after some explosive performances for NSW in the Ford Ranger Cup and the KFC big bash.

David Hussey's performance cannot be underestimated either, with a couple of strong blows of his newly contracted bat, and three crucial wickets with his highly underrated off spinners. His ability to jump straight into Twenty20 cricket make him an almost certain pick for the Twenty20 world championship in June this year, to be held in England.

Why some countries will read this article and wonder why one game means so much, for Australians this game was not only the changing of the guard but the beginning of a new era. Their invincibility, there since their all conquering tour to the West Indies in 1995, had disappeared in the test series against the Proteas, where they were beaten soundly in the first two tests and only managed to win the third in the last hour, on a dubious wicket at the SCG.

This twenty20 win then helped the Australians to remember something that is so crucial in sport, the belief of being able to win.

For the first time in a long time, the Australian team forgot how to win and this victory over a strong South African team, albeit without their inspirational captain Graeme Smith, in front of a large crowd at the MCG, may just have helped Australia to rediscover its cutting edge, so missing over the last few months.