. . World News – AU – Sean Abbott has been described as a player for the future for years. That future is now

When Sean Abbott played his first spell at Manuka Oval on Wednesday afternoon, he broke India’s opening stand after five balls. Three overs, 1 for 14.

When Abbott played his last spell in India’s innings, Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja headed for town. Three overs, none for 49.

When Abbott played his first One-Day International for Australia, it was in October 2014 in the Emirati city of Sharjah.

When he played his second one-day it was the last month of a long 2020 in Canberra on Wednesday of this week.

In the six years in between, he set up some squads with white balls, watched from the bench, injured himself in bad times and played three T20s for Australia.

He’s also put together one of the most consistent résumés in domestic cricket, in both Sheffield Shield and Big Bash.

This season, Abbott broke into a test roster for the first time after a shield streak of three games with 14 wickets and a breakthrough century, earning another run on the white ball roster.

When Australia’s one-day streak against India began last Friday, it happened to be the sixth anniversary of the day Phillip Hughes died, injured by the ball while striking in a shield game at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Abbott was the bowler for New South Wales that day, and this time of year must always be difficult for him.

Preparing for an Australian series this year could have been a welcome distraction or a stronger reminder as well.

He was unlikely to play with Australia’s top three bowlers available in the first ODI, but even if it hadn’t, team management might have thought twice about choosing him.

Playing at the same SCG at 4:08 pm, at the time of day when the crowd were paying their respects to Hughes by his 408 test cap number, would have been a big question.

He started playing again shortly after the accident, and while he has described moments when his excitement has waned, he has mostly stuck to his job of playing and improving.

Last season he helped New South Wales win the Shield and the Sydney Sixers the Big Bash.

This season, his performances helped his state win against a strong side from Western Australia before being the batsman in the chase to claim a win over Queensland with a wicket before adding to a notable rebound over Tasmania after knocking out for 64 on day one.

After many years of being there, being described as a player for the future or a player with potential, Abbott made the statement that the future was now and national selectors tended to listen.

So here it was, back in 50-over Australian green and gold, and ended that long, long wait.

India’s Shikhar Dhawan is an extremely skilled opener, an off-pace attacker who has played one-day cricket for 17 centuries.

He likes to approach bowlers and hit the ball over the outside. When he tried, Abbott jumped and foxed him to splice a hook to cover it.

Following his early success, Abbott came back for three short breakouts in the middle of innings of an overs apiece or two and returned decent numbers. It was right at the far end of the innings when the wheels came off.

Pandya is a striker of tremendous strength who retires to play six cut shots over cover.

Jadeja’s forte is the speed at his feet, and he used it to move around his crease and create the line he wanted.

Jadeja correctly assessed that Abbott’s boundaries on either side of the wicket behind the square were exposed and that the line would be very far from the stump, and found ways to divert these supplies finely enough to reach the rope.

He slipped in several full throws and too often went to his short ball, which Jadeja punished.

What had been seven overs, 1 for 37, was 10 overs, 1 for 84. It would have stung.

Much later that night, Abbott also came in with the bat when Australia’s chase of 303 slipped away. You needed 35 with five overs and three wickets in hand.

He had a chance to steal the match back for Australia but handled a hook shot and was out for four. The romantic ending shouldn’t be.

But given the way Abbott has approached his cricket for so long, it gives the impression that that ending won’t throw him. It was an end, but also a second beginning, so long after the first.

And in those years he needs to understand the ups and downs of the game better than most.

Abbott worked harder. To return here, even to be able to return here. Long summers of state cricket, late nights of big bash cricket, wicket after wicket, match after match.

He worked harder than a couple of bad overs on a December afternoon. The next moment will come soon and the next. This is how it works.

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