'The Test: A New Era for Australia's Team' Episode 2 sheds light on what it means to wear the baggy green
Spoiler alert for 'The Test: A New Era for Australia's Team' Episode 2 'Trust in the Plan'
The episode sees Justin Langer and the team head to UAE to face the Pakistan challenge and what follows is a heroic draw in the first Test. Pakistan may have taken the series 1-0, but the episode shows Australia's test of character. Also in the spotlight is Usman Khawaja who was touted to be their star in the subcontinent.
It also sees Langer and Khawaja share their thoughts about each other. Khawaja describes himself as the sort of guy who pushes back and he isn't the sort of a bloke who takes orders, but he is and will always be a team man. 'Trust in the Plan' also explores the relationship Nathan Lyon and Travis Head share.
Earning the baggy green is more than an achievement. It's a symbol of hope for the Australian cricketers. Marnus Labuschagne, Travis Head and Aaron Finch make their Test debuts during the tour. Head gets the message from Lyon, who hands him his cap, loud and clear: "One thing I will ask when you wear this, always compete no matter what. Stay humble, the way you are, but also never forget the reason why you fell in love with the game." All that before we see him sob quietly.
It's also clear this team had the fight in them. That they bounced back to salvage a draw spoke volumes about the grit and determination the team took into the field. Head and Khawaja chip in with positive knocks, the latter getting to a well-deserved ton while Head crafted a patient half-century. Tim Paine's fighting knock has the teammates appreciate the skipper as well. The Tasmanian keeper played an undeterred knock that eventually saw Australia lift their heads with pride after the 5-0 whitewash against England.
After all the first Test heroics, the team folds rather meekly in the second Test with Pakistan taking the win and the trophy. After conceding a massive 374-run loss, Langer's parting message is to see the team play like Ricky Ponting, but also admits they have got some mileage to see. "You've got to be really patient, you have to keep looking at the bigger picture," he says.
'The Test: A New Era for Australia's Team' is available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video.