Justin Langer is one of the most successful openers in Australian cricket. With 19 centuries and 22 half-centuries in 79 Tests to his name, he is a key player in helping Australia reach the pinnacle of world cricket.
Langer, who also writes an exclusive column for rediff.com, took some time off from cricket to chat to his fans.
The transcript of Langer's chat on rediff.com on Monday.
vivek : Hi Justine ...I would like to see ur Double Century Partnership with Hayden in Mumbai...will u guys try to do that for me ....
Justin Langer : We always try and score as many runs as we can but we will do our best this week
rahul chitgopkar : which indian bowler would you like to face,agarkar
Justin Langer : I think Zaheer Khan is a very good bowler as are Ajit and Pathan but overall I feel Anil Kumble is the hardest Indian bowler to face
ankit jain : Hi Justin..Congrats for all the hard work. can you let all of us know what is the mantra for success.?
Justin Langer : I love the saying the pain of discipline is nothing like the pain of disappointment. Discipline, courage, passion, belief, hardwork and respect are all crucial parts of success
naveen : hi langer dont u think that haden overshadow u
Justin Langer : Only in height I think. We are great friends and enjoy watching each other succeed there is no competition between us
KRISHNA : I see a definite glitch in your technique. You are shuffling too much and hence you become a prime candidate for a LBW decision. R u working on it?
Justin Langer : Yes I am always looking to improve my game have you any advice or are you just making an observation?
Ravi : Hi Justin, Congratulations for the series win..How do you rate the present Indian team? Is it the attitude?
Justin Langer : I don't think it is the attutude but rather the pressure we have been able to apply on india in all facets of the game. Perhaps India are a little low on confidence at the moment but they are always tough to play against - probably our toughest opposition
melbournite : hey justing how r ya its kartik from melbourne, unfortunatley channel nine wasnt showing any of the series and since i dont have foxtel i had to do to a mates place to catch as much of the cricket as possible just wanted to wish u the best of luck with the next test though i hope india wins to redeem some pride i know that you guys will play superbly no matter what
Justin Langer : Thanks for the support we have had a great time here in India and look forward to finishing the series strongly in Mumbai
Shrikant : Hi Justin, Who is your idol before you chosen cricket as your profession?
Justin Langer : Defiantely Muhammad Ali as I am loverof boxing as well as cricket. also Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Theresa and Nelson Mandela have been my heroes
Kamaljeet : From your point of view....what exactly is wrong with Indian cricket?
Justin Langer : I am not sure there is anyhting wrong with Indian cricket accept that theyt are playing us at our peak. Maybe it is just that we have played great cricket. It seems every time we play a opposition the same question comes up about what is wrong with their cricket. As I keep saying we are putting India under massive pressure and I am not sure they are doing anything wrong.
skd9999 : how do you feel INDIA, Indian Food, and Good Cricket ?
Justin Langer : I absolutely love india. The food is brilliant although I have to watch not to put on too much weight when enjoying the food here. I love the colours of India, the hospitality of the people, the passion for the game of cricket. All in all this tour has been one of the best of my career. I have really enjoyed everything about it.
ASHOK, BANGALORE : HAI JL, CONGRATS TO EVERYONE IN YOUR TEAM FOR THE SPLENDID PERFORMANCE,HOW MUCH DOES IT HELP TO HAVE A BREAK BETWEEN TWO TEST MATCHES
Justin Langer : Yes I think the break was important in this series. Back to back Tests aer very hard work so it was nice to refresh and regroup before these last two tests. I wish we had that sort of break more often as it seemed to help our performance in the third Test
just-in : Any reason why you dont play in ODIs? U arent slow by any standards :)
Justin Langer : Basically Adam Gilchrist opens in the one day game so one specialist batting position is automatically gone. I would love to play ODIs but it is not the end of the world that I am not
shivk_cool : hey justin....how would you rate the pressure you faced against india during this tour.?? and what would you have tried to focus on to solve the performance crisis that the indian team is facing right now.?
Justin Langer : The pressure has been huge. It always is in Test cricket especially when we play against India. We have a lot of respect for India but I think we have planned and prepared very well for this series and as a result we ahve kept them out of the contest. One of our strengths is the way we keep our opponent under enormous pressure in every facet of the game. India have felt that pressure in this series so far which is a credit to our planning and execution of uor skills
SantoshMoure : Hi Justin, How as a team are u able to perform extremely well so consistently?
Justin Langer : I think the main reason is our work ethic, the enormous talent within the team, our respect for each other and the baggy green cap and the tough way we play our cricket as a unit
supercoolest : Hi Justin! Which is your favourite Hollywood Movie?
LANGER : Probably Braveheart or Gladiator and the Shawshank Redemption
sub_10 : The bowling in Nagpur by McGrath and Gillespie is the best i have seen them bowling. Do you agree with me?
LANGER : I think it is incredible that we have a bolwing attack of McGrath, Gilliespie, Kasproxicz and Warne - It is hard to find a better attack it is no wonder the Indian batsmen have been under so mmuch pressure
adith84 : how do australian cricketers get better with age ??
LANGER : Experience is a crucial aspect of success amd I think we train very hard physically these days so we are fit both mentally and physically
vikasc : Hi Justin : Do you think Michael Clarke is the next Ricky Ponting of Aussie cricket?
LANGER : Possibly, he is a tremendous talent who looks to have a very bright future - he is also a very nice young man who is hungry to do well
Rainmaker : MR. LANGER, who do you think is the best indian bowler and best indian batsman? :) please dont be diplomatic!
LANGER : Kumble and Sachin is the best batsman I have ever had the privilege of playing against
Zameer : Hi justin,how long do u see the asutralian team dominating world cricket ? According to u, is this golden period better than the one enjoyed by windies in 70 and early 80?
LANGER : It is difficult for me to judge and in the end of the day everyone has an opinion of which team is the best. all IO can say is that now that we have won the series in India we have achieved everything that can possibly be achieved by a cricket team.. It is a big honor for me to ahve been a part of this team for so long and I hope the succcess can continue for an long time to come.
vaibhao : any specific reason to say"Anil Kumble is the hardest Indian bowler to face"???
LANGER : I just think he is a proven superstar of the game. L:ike all great bowlers he is very accurate and he works out his opposition batsmen very quickly. He is a smart bowler and a gentleman to go with it.
RajaSekhar : Hey Justin Langer try to learn some manners. Do not always think that you never getout. Some times you need to understand your limitations. So respect the umpire's decision.
LANGER : Thanks for the advice
jig : Hi Justin this is jigar what do u think is the secret between you and haydos doing gr8 toghether
LANGER : We enjoy each others company and know each other like best friends so we can help each other out when it is required. Our friendship on and off the field is a big factor
neelesh : hi justin, what special preperations had the aussies done for countering the spinners in india
LANGER : I think it is just that we have played in teh sub continent a lot more over the last few years so we are getting better by experincing the spinning pitches, Never underestimate the power of experience
san77 : justin as an opener you face the toughest period of play.How do you cope with the seaming balls.Do you try to come behind the ball and play or just going through the line.I think indian players mosly play through the line.
LANGER : I just try and stay as still as possible and watch teh ball as closely as I possibly can. Hopefully then the hours of practice I have put in will take over
truman1 : Justin, you have played in India before but not with the kind of success you have been enjoying now. On a personal front, what changes have you undergone to taste this success?
LANGER : I think we have planned better this time and spent more time studying our opposition. Y+This preparation has been teh catalyst behind the success in this series
chimp2 : letters from JL are quite insightful mate... keep them coming
LANGER : Thank you and I am glad you enjoy my articles as much as I enjoy writing them.....Sorry I have to go now but I hope you all enjoy the rest of this series and don't be too hard on your Indian heroes as they are great players who will play great cricket in the near future. They need your support not your criticism.
Have fun and thanks for the support!
Best wishes,
JL
