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In a nutshell, Allan Robert Border epitomized the "never say die" Australian cricketing spirit better than anyone known to the game. Inducted into the national team during the 1978 home Ashes series at the height of the fiasco surrounding World Series Cricket, Border set his credentials in the first year of his career itself scoring 60 and 45 in just his second test on a turning Sydney wicket, his maiden test hundred chasing a fourth innings target of 380 against the monstrous reverse swing of Pakistan's Sarfraz Nawaz at the MCG followed by accumulating over 500 runs on a tough tour of India. Bearing in mind these inputs, it was unsurprising Border was one of the fortunate few to retain their place in regular squad once the rebels from the WSC returned to the fold. What was surprising though that Border emerged as the fulcrum of Australia's middle order in demanding situations ahead of his own idol Greg Chappell, as exemplified by his knocks in an otherwise disastrous "Botham's Ashes" and being the top scorer of the Frank Worrell Trophy at home. However, things were about to change for both worse but later good, altering the course of Australia's cricketing history once and for all post the retirements of it's most dominant superstars Dennis Lillee, the then world record holder for most test wickets, Greg Chappell, Australia's highest run scorer in either formats till then and wicketkeeper Rodney Marsh, world record holder for most dismissals effected by a gloveman.
Deputised for his former skipper Kim Hughes for a team in complete disarray and lacking any experience, the 1984 tour of the Caribbean bought further misery as failure to evade defeat at the hands of the world champions led to Hughes tearfully resigning on live TV and Border reluctantly taking on the role of the helmsman. It was at this stage Border produced his greatest ever innings, unbeaten knocks of 98 and 100 on a green Trinidad wicket under glooming light against the juggernaut of Joel Garner and Malcolm Marshall, snatching a miraculous draw in the face of certain defeat.
The following couple of years went with the same pattern with Border continuing to remain the world's best batsman but his team refusing to follow his lead. Faced with Border's threats of resigning from the captaincy if performances by the rest didn't improve, the ACB appointed veteran batsman Bob Simpson as Australia's first professional coach. From there on, there was no looking back. Coupled with Simpson's guidance and Border's lead by example attitude, Australians won the 1987 World Cup, retained the Ashes both at home and overseas by margins which held no argument, won series' against India and Pakistan and best of all, came within a run of accomplishing the impossible till Courtney Walsh's dismissal of Craig McDermott crushed Border's hopes of securing a 2-0 series lead during the '92-93 Frank Worrell Trophy. It was however during this closely fought battle that Border became only second batsman in cricket history after his Indian rival and good friend Sunil Gavaskar to score over 10000 test runs.
Border retired the following year with a host of records on his shelf, prominent amongst them being his final tally of 11174 runs in 156 tests at a champion's average of more than 50, a world record which stood for over a decade. Most of them might have been surpassed, but never have exactly been bettered.
Starting from 1998, the ACB recognised the best performing annual cricketer of the year with the Allan Border Medal, proving that despite the advent of Ricky Ponting, Matthew Hayden, Steve Waugh and Adam Gilchrist amongst others, Border continues to remain arguably the most eminent Australian cricketer post World War 2. After all, some borders can or should never be crossed.
