Six things we have learnt from the second season of The Test documentary on Australia’s cricket team

The advent of Pat Cummins’ reign as Australia Test captain and Justin Langer’s controversial departure are the focus of the second season of The Test, Amazon’s behind-the-scenes documentary about the Australian cricket team.

Launched worldwide on Friday, the four-part series covers a 4-0 thrashing of England to the cinders and the fallout from Tim Paine’s resignation and Langer’s departure.

The duo figured prominently in the first series of The Test, but are conspicuous by their absence in season two when the former coach quit midway through filming for the documentary.

From Cummins’ captaincy and the team’s desire to move in a different direction after Langer to Australia’s first Test series in Pakistan in 24 years, there is much to discover in the second season of The Test, as the saying goes.

Here, sports mail Take a look at what we learned from the documentary.

Players felt Justin Langer did a great job

Justin Langer featured prominently during the first season, but quit under acrimonious circumstances midway through filming for the four-part sequel.

While the former Australian starter may be conspicuous by his absence, his shadow lingers throughout the show and the players made it clear that they felt the time was right for a managerial change.

Dig a little deeper, though, and his genuine admiration and gratitude for Langer is apparent.

“He was brilliant when we needed him in those early years,” Pat Cummins says of the former coach at the start of Episode 3, while Steve Smith notes that Langer “left the team in a better place than when he started.”

Meanwhile, Usman Khawaja and Mitchell Marsh credit the 51-year-old with reinvigorating the Australian team following the Sandpapergate scandal in South Africa in 2018.

“Where Team Australia is at right now is a byproduct of what JL brought to the group,” says Khawaja, who in the opening episode credits Langer for bringing “humility back to Australia’s cricket team.” Australia”.

Marsh takes a similar tone, noting that Langer rebuilt Australia’s profile after the Cape Town scandal.

“After South Africa, it turned around and we became a team that the Australian fans wanted to support again,” he says.

EPISODE 3 – 03:08-03:15

Pat Cummins had doubts about becoming captain

Pat Cummins may have been a near-unanimous choice to replace Tim Paine, but the man himself wasn’t too keen on the captaincy.

In the series opener, the Australian is quick to reveal that he felt he had ‘enough’ even without the added responsibilities of becoming captain, as he simply ‘loves to go out and bowl’.

Tellingly, Cummins admits that he made his decision after considering that he would captain some “really good mates” if he took the job.

“I love them to death and I feel like I could do a really good job,” he explains.

EPISODE 1 – 11:58-12:14

Usman Khawaja emerges as leader

Usman Khawaja is one of the most prominent voices on The Test, revealing that he thought his Test career was over after he was dropped after the third Test of the 2019 Ashes series in England.

Batting at No3, Khawaja made 13 and 40 in the opening Test at Edgbaston, followed by 36 and 2 at Lord’s and 8 and 23 at Leeds and felt he would not be able to add to his 45 Tests.

‘That [being dropped] it was a knife in my heart,’ he admits in the opening scenes of episode 3.

I had admitted that this was my last test. He was feeling very dark right now.

As it happens, Khawaja was back in the squad for the New Year’s Day test at the SCG 18 months later when he replaced Travis Head and cashed in on his chance by scoring a ton in both innings.

The 35-year-old hasn’t looked back since and moved up the order to partner David Warner, scoring two centuries in the series win in Pakistan, which he finished as the top run-scorer.

And it becomes clear throughout the series that Khawaja has also established himself as one of Australia’s leaders off the pitch.

He discusses his faith, revealing that he was hurt by discrimination growing up as the son of Pakistani immigrants in Sydney with ‘no Australian Muslim role models’ to look to, before educating his teammates on the cultural aspects of his homeland before of the tour to Pakistan.

EPISODE 2: 1:08-1:16

Glenn Maxwell talks about depression

Arguably the documentary’s most moving moment comes in Episode 4, where Glenn Maxwell opens up about suffering from depression in 2019 and reveals his mental health struggles.

‘I tried to fake everything I did. I went through a depression and that was after 18 long months of trying to do everything right for others,” says the versatile Australian.

“I put my hand up when I was fighting, if I hadn’t let go… a couple of weeks later, who knows where I would have been.” That could have been the end.

“He just wouldn’t have had anything else to aim for and that could have been it.”

Reflecting on his struggles, Maxwell explains that in the last four years he often tried to talk to his teammates and coaches whenever “I had something bothering me or worrying me.”

The 34-year-old is brutally honest about his struggles, and his words will no doubt resonate with many.

“As soon as you say those words and don’t hold them back, it can be a relief.” [to have that weight] off your shoulders,’ he says.

“I think having a lot more guys on the team that I feel probably more open to talking to has helped with that.”

The moment Pat Cummins became self-aware

Cummins may have needed some convincing to assume the captaincy, but he wasted no time in shaping the team as his own when he shielded his teammates from criticism following the departure of Justin Langer.

In Episode 3, the Australian captain reads the statement he issued in response to criticism from some former players, who accused the team of orchestrating Langer’s abrupt ouster.

Cummins thanked Langer for his support, but made it clear that “they’ve always stood up for their teammates, I’ll stand up for mine.”

Ashton Agar and Nathan Lyon identified the response as Cummins’s becoming captain.

It was incredible. He was eloquent, considerate and supported his players,” says the former, while the star commentator describes Cummins’ statement as “the sign of a very strong captain.

EPISODE 1 – 05:17-05:29

The baffling silence of Cricket Australia

Given the emphasis that season two of The Test places on Australia’s new course following Justin Langer’s resignation, Cricket Australia’s silence throughout the show is disconcerting.

New manager Andrew McDonald appears throughout the documentary but is never directly interviewed and so are Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley and chief selector George Bailey.

As understandable as it is to allow the team to shape their own narrative, the cricket executive’s lack of knowledge on such a crucial issue feels like a missed opportunity.