“It's pretty odd for me to comment on how I played this innings and how I felt about it,” said the right-hander after playing the series-clinching innings in the sixth one-dayer at Nagpur. But give a bat in his hands and he almost every time makes it talk and talk loudly.

There have been quite a few men in this Australian side that have made difference in them clinching the Future Cup series. Be it left-arm unorthodox bowler Brad Hogg or pacer Mitchell Johnson and to an extent Brad Haddin and Matthew Hayden. But no one has influenced the outcome of the series more than Symonds. Having stacked up a whopping 365 runs in five innings — with three half-centuries and an unbeaten century — at an average in the upwards of 90 and a strike-rate of over 100, Symonds has been the scourge of Indians through the series. That he was the targeted batsman by the Indian bowlers only seems to have rubbed salt into hosts' injury.
There's so much you don't like about Symonds. Whether it is his unwarranted criticism of Indian players being cocky or the way they have been treated back home after the World Twenty20 triumph or his take on T20 champions behaving like princes and being showered with gifts ranging from imported cars to pieces of land.

Audacity
It almost seems to border on the jealousy. The Queenslander also had the audacity to defend what he said about Indian cricketers. “

I think I have been fair (in criticising Indians in an Australian paper). I have been honest, that's what I feel. This tour hasn't been hard for me, but it's been a well contested series in the middle,” he felt.

Be that as it may, the big all-rounder hasn't, however, given any chance to comment anything negative on his game. He has been the crisis man for the Australians in this series, building partnerships and gathering runs at crucial junctures. His skipper Ricky Ponting emphatically acknowledged the fact.

Ponting’s pat
“That's the difference between Andrew now and the cricketer he was probably six years ago. He has just become a lot more consistent with his performances. He is well protected in the side as anyone else. He knows his game and knows what he has to do every time he goes out to the middle.

“It's a very good comeback from him, the way he has adapted himself to certain situations. He has got what it takes to be successful in the Australian side,” said Ponting.

Ponting couldn't have been closer to truth. Symonds, born to parents of West Indian descent, despite an obvious wealth of talent, could never cement his place in the side for reasons varying from inconsistency to reckless behaviour off the field.

The 2003 World Cup in South Africa was the turning point of his career. Australian selectors had made the toughest decision to drop Steve Waugh from the squad and Symonds had the onerous task of filling the big shoes of a player who is easily one of the greatest cricketers to have graced the game of cricket.
As destiny would have it, the 32-year-old was provided with an opportunity to prove that he indeed deserved the place in the side even if it came at the expense of the senior Waugh. Australia were struggling at 86 for four against Pakistan when Symonds walked into the middle. By the time he was back he had 143 (not out) runs against his name off 125 balls.

Last Sunday's game at Nagpur presented Symonds another such opportunity to wriggle the Australians out of a deep hole. The Birmingham-born player took to the field with Australia tottering at 129 for four. Once again the burly cricketer stood up to the occasion slamming an unbeaten ton and batting India out of the series.

“I would say this is one of my better knocks. We were losing wickets regularly during our innings. Wickets fell at times when ideally we didn't want them to fall, and this meant I had to knuckle down a bit and that helped me build a big total. I feel special and I am really proud about it,” said Symonds of the innings.  

Prior to the match against Pakistan, Symonds had a modest record of 762 runs from 54 appearances. Since then the hard-hitting batsman has collected 3,829 runs in 122 matches. He also has 126 victims to his slow mediums and off-spinners. And add to it his excellent fielding skills in the ring, Symonds presence in the side can't be compromised.

No wonder then the Australians carried the all-rounder to this year's World Cup in the Caribbean even though he was not expected to play till the first half of the tournament.