Meet Australia's unsung hero

As the rest of Australia's men's team metamorphosed around him, one man has not only survived but thrived in his new surroundings.

Tasmanian Michael Di Venuto, who represented Australia in nine one-day internationals in 1997 and played over 300 first-class games, was this week re-signed by Cricket Australia as they target a fifth ICC World Cup in 2015.

Di Venuto was hired by former Australia coach Mickey Arthur prior to the disastrous Test series in India, replacing fellow left-handed opening batsman Justin Langer, who took the head role at Western Australia. 

Poor results and fallout with senior players led Arthur to be axed on the eve of the 2013 UK Ashes, replaced by then Queensland coach Darren Lehmann after guiding the Bulls to a RYOBI One-Day Cup title and two Bupa Sheffield Shield final appearances, winning one.

Lehmann, known for his no-nonsense team approach, couldn’t avoid his team slipping to a three-nil series defeat to England in his first series as coach, but has since then gone 7-1 in his next two Test series, whitewashing England 5-0 before toppling South Africa away to become the No.1 Test-ranked team in the world.

And with Lehmann at the helm, Australia's support staff also underwent change; a natural consequence of a head coach appointment in a large sporting body these days. 

Bowling coach Ali de Winter, who has just re-signed with Cricket Australia, will continue to work closely with alongside 71-Test veteran Craig McDermott, who moved into the national assistant coach position in May last year, while Lehmann’s ex-Queensland colleague, former Australian high jumper Damian Mednis, joined the ranks as strength and conditioning coach.

Performance analyst Dene Hills, like Di Venuto a former first-class batsman with Tasmania, is another to have just re-signed with Cricket Australia, where he remains a vital cog in the wheel alongside his former team-mate. 

Amid all this, Di Venuto remains, building relationships with Australia's blossoming batting unit that has reaped due reward.

"I guess there's been a bit of change but it all hasn't happened at once," Di Venuto told cricket.com.au. 

"It's been a gradual change in support staff. A lot of guys are still around but in different roles. 

"From that Ashes tour I’d only just started in the job, so I was building relationships with the players at the time and getting to know them and they were getting to know me. 

"Over time we've worked quite well together. 

"The players have been brilliant. There's been some outstanding performances in the last year-and-a-half and I'm really enjoying what they're doing. 

"It's good fun working with these guys and helping them become the best possible cricketers they can be."

While Arthur had no international playing experience, and didn't actively participate in any of the training drills during his reign, Lehmann came into the job as one of the most respected and successful first-class batsmen in the game's history. 

And when the new coach steps in with such a revered reputation, you might expect Di Venuto's role to diminish to designated throwdown dispenser.

But the pair have combined to reignite Australia's flickering batting line-up, which produced 10 centuries during the home Ashes and transformed dynamic batsmen David Warner and Steve Smith to consistent Test match performers.

"I guess we work well because we've got similar philosophies on batting," Di Venuto said of his relationship with Lehmann.

"The head coach has a massive role where he covers the whole lot. I think we work really well off each other. 

"We can almost be the good cop, bad cop at some stage. He can get stuck into the batters and I can go around and put my arm around them and head to the nets and work on their game. 

"That way it works really well. I've loved working under him and I watch and learn all the time off him as a coach and off the other coaches as well. 

"It's a terrific environment to be working in – great head coach, some excellent support staff and then the players performing and performing really well. 

"There's lots of hard work to go to continue what we're all working towards."

Di Venuto will coach Australia A against India A and South Africa A in July and August before the men's side heads to Zimbabwe for an ODI tri-series, further enhancing his credentials as a top-level coach should the opportunity arise.

The 40-year-old is content under Lehmann, but don't be surprised if you see the Tasmanian become head honcho of his own side at some stage.

"Down the track a head coaching role in a state system first of all, then who knows what's going to happen," he said.

"When you enter into the career of coaching you really don't know where you could end up being.

"At that moment I'm loving my role as the batting coach in the Australian team."