Any notion that tour matches should be glorified net sessions has been emphatically wiped by Darren Lehmann, the new coach determined to instil an immediate winning culture in the Australian dressing room.
If Lehmann’s attitude wasn’t clear enough at his opening press conference when he announced his three main priorities as coach were to “win, win, win”, his point was made clear when Australia declared the first innings of their game against Somerset with Phil Hughes stranded on 76 not out.
Hughes was a man under pressure, desperate for time in the middle.
A confidence player who would have thrived on making a pre-Ashes hundred.
But Lehmann’s philosophy for the individual game wrapped in a team sport is simple.
The best kind of confidence should come from the team doing well.
“If we look at winning, the individual performances will take care of themselves,” said fast bowler James Pattinson of the Australians’ six-wicket win over Somerset.
“The big thing for me personally and as a team, is to back ourselves a lot. Don’t doubt anything and play aggressively because we’ve got the talent in the room.
“Even in games like this we’ve got to build a winning culture. That’s the best way to learn.”
Even though it seems common sense for teams to want to win every game they play, in the weird world of cricket, international teams often look at practice matches as a chance for batsmen to spend time in the middle and bowlers to increase their work rates.
Lehmann showed with his recent influence on the Australia A team that he has no time for selective winning.
In Australia A’s game against Gloucestershire, the side declared with Ashes hopeful Usman Khawaja 29no and dying for runs.
But Ashes fast bowlers Ryan Harris and Jackson Bird were put under pressure to win a tight match in three days – which they did.
Despite the importance of numbers in cricket, Hughes knows what he would choose between victory and a hundred.
“To win,” Hughes said.
“The one-day series didn’t go to plan and to get the win today in convincing style and everyone doing their bit through the four days has been outstanding.
“It’s a good thing going into Worcester (the next tour game) and hopefully into the first Test.”