Ponting was not wrong, but Sachin was right!

Something that began way back in 2003 when Adam Gilchrist walked in the semi finals in Sri Lanka, the spirit of the game has come into question especially since two of the generation’s greatest cricketers went their own ways in what they believed to be right.

But has this always been the case?

Indubitably with Ponting, the Australian captain was never the one to walk, it was the umpire’s decision that set him moving. Ponting was pretty candid in admitting the same too. He said “There were no doubts about the nick, I knew I hit it, but as always I wait for the umpire to give me out. That’s the way I’ve always played the game.”

However, the conundrum here is with Sachin. Sachin has not been the alter form of God, all the time, at least when it comes to walking. In the decisive Commonwealth bank first final down under in 07-08 season, Sachin nicked one straight through to Adam Gilchrist. Replays confirmed Sachin had indeed got a nick.

Another instance of the same, was the IPL final. Sachin nicked one through to Dhoni and despite the latter’s regressive appealing, Tendulkar looked the other way playing down the incident. Once again, replays suggested that Sachin had hit the cover of the ball, yet, stay put. It is hard to lay forth anything in the great man’s defense, despite this, his act against the West Indies was indeed laudable.

He is human after all, the best the world will ever see. Never showcase out one’s weakness by comparisons, for statistics don’t add up equivalently to the titles won. That’s something that truly does lie by Ponting’s side.

Group A has panned out as expected, the International teams have decimated the Associates. Canada, Zimbabwe and Kenya have only ratified the ICC’s decision of streaming down the number of teams for the next world cup down under. Kenya have been the most impressive of the Associate teams as far as Group A is concerned, improving considerably with every game.

Here is a look at how the top 4 teams have gone (Group A) and what lies ahead:

Australia

- The defending champions came into the tournament on the back of a drubbing that they offered the Poms after an embarrassing defeat in the Ashes. Australia have a lot of things going for them this tournament, decent batting order, potent attack and fabulous fielders.

- However, a few obvious gaping holes do lie in between. Their batting has been suspect this tournament, despite the 320 odd that they scored against the Kenyans. Both the openers have looked sublime but the middle order has not been able to keep the score board ticking. Michael Clarke was an exception today, but, Ricky Ponting and Cameron White have been in woeful touch with the bat. Ponting has still snuck through but White’s form has been real cause for concern.

- On the positive note, Michael Hussey has returned to the Australian side giving the batting much needed potency in the middle order. Hussey always seems to have a calming influence about himself that invariably rubs of on his peers.

- All the talk about the Australian bowling being the best in the tournament, the three pronged pace attack looked ordinary against Kenya and could be exposed against better oppositions in the quarter finals if they fail to hit their lengths. Having said this, I personally do believe that if the bowlers hit their straps soon, the oppositions may be in for some contest. Add to this, their bowling has the best strike rate across all teams this world cup. Australia’s bowling should improve over the next week.

Sri Lanka

- The last time the World cup was staged in the sub continent, it was the Lankan tigers who walked away with the trophy. Arjuna Ranatunga inspired the Rest of the World as he enabled Sri Lanka announce themselves on the World stage.

- 15 years later, the World cup is back in the sub continent and you would not bet against the Lankans, they are wily at home and looked determined like never before. Muttiah Muralidaran is sure to hang his boots up with the closure of this tournament and would look to bring home the cup after 15 elusive years.

- The Lankan top order looks solid, with Tillakaratne Dilshan taking them of to blazing starts on a regular basis. Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene provide the perfect foil in the middle order. It is their lower order batting that is a little questionable, Angelo Mathews does not look good enough to provide the impetus at the fag end of the innings on a consistent basis. They rely on other bits and pieces cricketers in Thisara Perera and co to do the job.

- Nevertheless, you cannot discount them. Just a reminder, Sanath Jayasuriya was an unknown commodity too in 1996, so you never know with the Lankans.

- Their bowling seems very steady with Lasith Malinga and Muralidaran leading the pack. Sri Lanka should make the semi finals and stand a very good chance this tournament if they can sort out their late order batting.

Pakistan

- The only consistent thing with Pakistan is inconsistency. On paper they look a very balanced unit, one that opposition teams must really take seriously. But which Pakistan you get on the day, can never be told. It is a well documented fact, Pakistan on their day can beat the chickens out of their opponents.

- They have looked impressive this tournament barring the outing against New Zealand where they threw away their position of strength and ended up being battered like one of the minnows.

- A steady top order lead by Younis Khan and Misbah ul Haq is followed by a flamboyant middle order in Umar Akmal and Shahid Afridi with Abdul Razzaq providing the finishing touch. Perhaps the most efficient lower middle order across all teams, Pakistan is sure a team to watch out for.

- The bowling complements their batting perfectly, 2 front line seamers backed by a steady Razzaq and useful spinners in Afridi and Rehman to do the job. However, Pakistan’s biggest issue for many years now, has been their fielding. The fielding fails to give teeth to the bowling and they tend to put down a couple of catches, least, every match.

- Contenders this year, if only they can shave of the slack and unprofessionalism, Pakistan may just do what they did in 1992.

New Zealand

- New Zealand, workman like, have been very industrious in the way they have gone about things. Nothing flashy in their cricket, steady and stable.

- One feels for New Zealand, with a population under 50 lacs, it must be hard to find full time professional cricketers.

- It has to be Brendon McCullum and Ross Taylor who have got to do the bulk of the job with the bat, if New Zealand stand any chance this world cup. Daniel Vettori, by far is their most proficient and experienced player.

- A lot of things have to go wrong for other teams and a lot right for NZ if they have to proceed any further than the quarters this World cup.

- The lack of a game changers with both bat and ball is a huge problem for the Kiwis. They will have to make do without them or hope young guns in Martin Guptill and Kane Williamson come to the fort.
- A good side in decent form but may find it difficult to proceed ahead of the quarter finals.

Nevertheless, a player of Ricky Ponting’s stature cannot blame luck for the lack of runs. So far, so good for Australia with both Hussey and Haddin providing consistent performances in the middle order. Perhaps, the pressure of captaining an inexperienced side facing losses, something that Ricky himself never saw before is having its toll on the great man. A loss in the Ashes could mean Ponting could be the first Australian captain to lose the Ashes thrice.

But obviously, having said this, Australia seem to have got out of jail, as Mitchell Johnson, another of Australia’s struggling bowlers getting into the perth test ripped through the heart of the English batting order. Johnson got the in swinger going, reminiscent of perth 2008 where he got 8 for 61 including a spell of 5 for 2.

Either way Johnson’s performance has given Ponting another lease of life. Australia played the cricket we come to expect of them in the back end of the test. Fortunately, for them, they have got the momentum going for them.

If Ricky Ponting has to be replaced as captain the Australians must reconsider long standing vice captain Michael Clarke. The English have managed to get the better of him thus far. Shane Watson might be an option but the hard hitting all rounder may lack the temperament for captaincy. Watson has come a long way as player ever since he took over as opener in the 2009 version of the Ashes. Having said this, Australian board would not want to pressurize the Watto who already has his all round duties and more importantly fitness to worry about.

The only option remaining would be a stop gap captain in Bradley Haddin. Not only is Haddin playing his best cricket but also he has had the experience of captaining his state side, something which Watson lacks. Haddin also has the respect of his players and opponents. Looking at it, a stop gap captain would be better for Australia rather than taking a chance with an inexperienced skipper.

However, all this only comes into the fray if Australia lose the Ashes. The Australian cricket team still need Ricky Ponting the batsman. The last thing they could ill afford is to lose Ponting the player, they still need him for another couple of years to guide the younger players before he decides to call it a day. Nevertheless, 2 crucial tests still remain before this is decided and every Australian member would have nothing on their mind but the tests to come.

The stakes were high, the Australian fans just hoped their home team could draw the series, winning being far from their thoughts. After an innings defeat, the Australians had to bounce back and well to create any sort of impact. A lot of chaos was seen around the Australian side, changes, uncapped spinner into the ranks, a sight all to common but usually in the English dressing room. However, times have changed. The once laudable bench strength is hard to see across the country.
Nevertheless, the changes were rung in, Johnson, Hilfenhaus and uncapped spinner in Michael beer were called up. Bollinger, North and Doherty were given the axe after some toothless performances in the 2nd test.
Australia decided to go in with the 4 fast bowlers with Steven Smith at number 6 filling in for North and as the spinner’s role.
All the talks about the old WACA wicket eventually came true. The pitch on the day before the test looked very similar to that of the square. It was green, outfield like. Perhaps, that is the reason why the Australians decided to keep young Michael Beer out of the fray. Although the pitch would favour the tall English seamers, a green wicket was also Australia’s best chance of leveling the series and so it was!
Having won the toss, Andrew Strauss took the decision of bowling in the hope of getting a few early wickets on a lively pitch.

The two forceful changes for both sides were Philip Hughes coming in for the injured Simon Katich and Chris Tremlett coming in for Stuart Broad who was ruled out of the series with an abdominal strain. Both series debutants were in the thick of things right from the word go as Hughes was the first to go bowled of tremlett in an attempt to flick across the line. Australian skipper Ponting looked pretty good in his brief stay of 12 before he pushed at one outside the off stump of Anderson with Collingwood collecting a beauty at 2nd slip. Michael Clarke was next to go caught Prior and the Australians once again found themselves reeling at 28-3. Just when one thought it could not get worse for Australia, it did, watson was caught in front of the wicket of Finn. Hussey and Steven Smith strung something together as they tottered to lunch with 4 back in the hut and not much on the board.
The English struck back immediately after lunch and all of a sudden it was back to Hussey and Haddin to do the job and so they did. The duo continued their good form and put together a 68 run partnership. Haddin’s coming of age and Hussey’s resurgence to form has come at the right time for Australia. However, they could not pull off a gabba once again and hussey was dismissed by Swann of Prior.
Mitchell Johnson who made a return to the national team after being dropped at the Adelaide Oval walked in with the crowd backing him. Johnson really needed to make some runs to get his confidence going. Fortunately for Australia, he did. Haddin and Johnson went into one day mode and flayed away all around the wickets. They put on 52 runs before Haddin went for one shot too many and perished to a brilliant catch of Swann. Mitchell Johnson continued to swing and got some quick runs with the tail before Steven Finn did for him. The last wicket pair added an invaluable 35 runs in quick time taking the total to 268. Once again it was Hussey and Haddin who resurrected the innings. Johnson played his part too with a fluent 62. Australia may feel they are unable to get the 20 wickets to win a test match, well, th fact of the matter is their top order needs to score too for them to win a test.
The English bowlers were comprehensive once again with all four of them chipping in with the wickets. Anderson was the pick of the bowlers, Tremlett was pretty impressive too in his come back test.
A lot going right for the English.
The batsmen needed to survive a tricky hour or so before the end of day one and so they did; ending up on 29 for no loss.

Australia came to the ground next day knowing that, it was the biggest moment of the Ashes. If Australia had to claw a comeback into the series, that was the day, that was the time. But nothing seem to have changed as Australia failed to grab on to another chance. Strauss edged one of harris and the ball flew between keeper and first slip, none of them even moving a tad. Australia thought to themselves, they had let it go.
England cruised along to 78 for no loss before Ponting handed the ball to Mitchell Johnson. The left armer continued his good form at the WACA as he, in retrospect, bowled one of the most inspiring spell of the 2010 Ashes. Johnson got his in swing (to the right hander) going which made him the bowler that he is known to be.
The left armer bounced back in style as he got rid of the in form Alastair Cook with one that just left the south paw and was sniffled by Michael Hussey who took a brilliant low catch at gully. Australia were on the board.

Jonathan Trott was next to go as he was trapped right in front in an attempt to work one across the line. Mitch got the shape back into the right hander and sent Australia’s two biggest worries back to the pavillion without much damage (in comparison to the first two tests of the series). Flamboyant Kevin Pietersen walked in with a hundred behind him and confidence pumping. Johnson got it spot on immediately and the English had a mini collapse, Johnson was really living up to his WACA reputation and soon the wickets kept falling as the Australians started dominating proceedings. Strauss was given no second chance after the morning blip and was collected neatly by Haddin of Harris. Paul Collingwood was the next of Johnson’s 6 victims and was again done in by the late movement at high speed. The Australians were back at their best and ruling the roost with the English reeling at 98 for 5. Bell, Prior and Swann put together a bit of a resistance before the Australian bowlers did for them. Siddle started his barrage of bouncers to Prior who had the ball go of his arm onto the stumps. Siddle did not hold anything back and gave Prior a mouth full which lead to the English wicket keeper asking his counterpart to meet him outside the ground. The incident was played down as a string of events followed soon after as the Poms were bundled out for a poultry 187. Johnson ended up with 6 for 38 with Ryan Harris being the other major contributor with 3 wickets. The Australians had got their tail up with a very valuable lead of 81.
The Australians came into bat and were in trouble immediately as Hughes was set up by Steven Finn and fell to a catch at third slip, gleefully accepted by Collingwood. Ricky Ponting’s dreadful Ashes campaign seemed to continue as the Australian captain gloved one down the leg side of Steven Finn. Michael Clarke looked in a bit of a hurry in his brief stay at the wicket before Chris Tremlett accounted for him. All of a sudden, the Australians were 3 down with not much on the board and the English could sniff a chance but once again to their undoing was their series nemesis, Mr. Cricket, Michael Hussey.
Watson and Hussey flayed away all around the wicket as the duo joined forces together in a 113 run stand for the 4th wicket. This partnership took the match away from the English and the Australians were once again back in the driver’s seat. Shane Watson look flawless in his innings and one thought he was en route to his 3rd test match hundred but that was not to be as the blonde bombshell from Queensland had departed once again after making a 50. Watson is probably the worst as far as conversion rate is concerned or is soon getting there. Tremlett got one to jag back in to trap Watto in front of the 3 pegs. Watson in despair decided to refer it but the decision would stay and he had to go after a well made 95. Hussey stayed on and along with Ashes debutant, Steven Smith put together a quick few runs before he did a Ponting and was caught down the leg side. Unlike the Australian first innings, the lower order did not have much to say this time around the last 5 failed to reach double figures. The Aussies had bit of a mini collapse but that would not hurt them as Michael Hussey had done the damage with another brilliant hundred.

The Australians finally folded for 309 with a lead of 81 runs, basically implying that England needed 391 to win on a track which still had some pace and bounce in it. Chris Tremlett was the pick of England’s bowlers. He ended up with impressive figures in his comeback trail of 5 for 87. It was up to the English batsman now to pull off something extraordinary and seal the deal as far as the series is concerned. It was not impossible with 2 days to go but was going to be an uphill task with a fiery Australian attack and some aid with the conditions being in their favour.

The Poms had 11 sessions to make their runs and sometimes that could work against you as batsman tend to go into their shell instead of playing their natural game and that is what seemed to happen with England. The Aussies hit the ground running and drew first blood almost immediately with Ryan Harris getting on to straighten, cook missed and was trapped plum in front of the wicket. From then on in the English wickets fell like nine pins. There was no substantial partnership and the Australian bowlers rattled the English. This time round it was Johnson who played second fiddle and Ryan Harris assumed the strike bowler’s role. He snuck out 6 of the 10 wickets to fall and dominated proceedings to come. The English ended their day with the score board reading 78 for 5. The last ball of the day summed up the entire test match as Collingwood fished at one outside the off stump of Harris and was caught at slip by Steven Smith.

Australia made quick work of the English next morning, wrapping up the lower middle order under 50 runs. Ryan Harris and Mitchell Johnson lead the Australians off the field and rightly so. It was Mitchell Johnson who bagged the man of the match award. He bowled one of the best spells bowled in Ashes history on the 2nd afternoon more so after a horrid time of it and being dropped for the first time in his career. Johnson also chipped in with the bat at the tail end of the first innings with a useful 60 odd, which helped the Australians reach a respectable albeit modest total of 268. In retrospect, the Australians still found themselves reeling when the English had reached 78 for no loss. It was Mitch Johnson who was the perpetuator and he changed the course of the match.
In the skippers words, his spell was the defining moment of the Ashes and could change things to come in the next two tests. However, one must not forget that Australia still have things to worry about. Harris and Johnson are not going to get another Perth like wicket and the freemantle breeze would be missing too. The dry, slow surface at the MCG would aid Graeme Swann’s off spin. Australia may not be able to go in with the same attack with Smith playing as the spinner. But again one would not one to change a winning combination. Australia’s batting with the exception of Watson, Hussey and Haddin has left a lot to be desired. The rest must find their feet soon enough as it would be highly unlikely that a single man would drive the series in Australia’s favour.

Having said this, the momentum is with the Australians and the English have worries of their own, they find themselves carrying Paul Collingwood.

What one can be sure of is, the standard of cricket will just rise and as a neutral this sure is what Test cricket is loved for.

Ashes - 2010 - Peter Siddle lead the Australian's off the field after leaving the English in dire straits.

With the Ashes underway, the Australians and Englishmen have nothing more important and rightly so. As the teams began training early in the morning one wondered would happen once the English team walked down the dressing room to defend the urn and look to win it after nearly two decades in Australia. As far as the home team is concerned, the Australian’s had a lot more at stake.
When I say that I mean, a loss for the English would account for far lesser repercussions in comparison to what stick the Australians would be offered. Ricky Ponting has a lot to look forward to as the Australian cricket team is about to set foot into perhaps the toughest phase the team has come across in the last 20 years.

After the national teams had their preverbial national anthem done with, it was all set for the action to begin. Andrew Strauss won the toss and the English decided to bat first in what looked to be a belter of a wicket. As it turned out, the wicket was slow with some spungy bounce up at offer. Australia had what they could describe as a perfect start as Strauss cut straight to gully of the 3rd ball of the test match leaving Trott who was playing his first test down under, to face the music. Trott was naturally aggressive throughout his brief knock before Shane Watson did for him in his first over. Trott was fortunate earlier as he edged one to Haddin with no one really appealing. The Umpiring Decision Review System was used for the first time in an Ashes series and Jonathan Trott was the first under the scanner.

Kevin Pietersen was greeted with a huge round of boos as he walked in. He looked pretty comfortable against the seamers and unexpectedly against the left arm orthodox of debutant Xavier Doherty as well.

It was pretty much even-stevens at lunch with the Poms having fought back after the Australians dismissed Strauss and Trott earlier. Ponting came up with a master class after lunch as he unleashed Peter Siddle who was playing a test match after 10 months. Siddle struck immediately with 2 huge wickets of Kevin Pietersen and Paul Collingwood in quick succession. Alistair Cook and Ian bell looked to steady the ship and took England to a steady position of 172-4 at the tea break. The Australians had missed their chance with Doherty having dropped Cook at point or so at least the English thought. However, that was not to be and the Australians came back stronger in the last session of the day with Peter Siddle ripping the heart out of the lower middle order with a Hat trick leaving the visitors in dire straits. This was only the eleventh hat trick by an Australian in test match history. Siddle first got Cook edging then Prior bowled and Broad trapped right in front of the wickets. The visitors were soon bundled out for a mere 260 with the Australians ending at 25 for no loss at the end of the day’s play.

The Ashes result could determine Ricky Ponting’s future as captain of Australia. Ponting by his own admission hasn’t been in the best of form. Things need to turn around and the Gabba is the place for him to do it.

Peter Siddle stole the limelight but one must not forget the inform Andrew Strauss was dismissed by Hilfenhaus. Doherty had a decent debut and the Australians looked a professional outfit like always. Looking ahead, having put in the hard yards, Australia must see of the new ball and ensure they get a huge lead in order to have their noses in front. How the home side plays Graeme Swann will be the key as his counterpart, inexperienced Doherty seemed to extract a lot from the wicket. Ricky Ponting would have to set the trend as he has done on so many previous occasions getting into the series. There’s a fair few things been said about Ponting and his play against the short ball and the off spinners. The visitors are sure to try both and you wouldn’t put it past Ponting to come up on top.

Nevertheless, an enthralling day lies ahead and one wouldn’t be surprised if the match sways towards the Poms tomorrow knowing what these two teams are capable of.

India Vs Australia First Test Match Highlights

Whenever there is talk of Test cricket dying, India and Australia must face each other in a Test series. And be rest assured that at least for the duration when the two teams are battling it out, all such chatter will be put to rest. Keeping apart the 2008 series played in India, all the other contests between the two nations, starting with the epic of 2001, have been exhilarating. A number of memorable performances have been delivered by players from both sides over the last decade, be it VVS Laxman oft-mentioned 281 or Harbhajan Singh’s hat-trick at Kolkata, Steve Waugh’s match-saving final Test knock or Michael Clarke’s sensational century on debut, each holds a special place in Test cricket. And so, not surprisingly, the latest encounter between the two sides also kicked off on a nail-biting note.

There were plenty of unforgettable memories from Mohali, none better than that man VVS Laxman guiding India home yet again with an injured back. But then, whilst Laxman achieved what seemed immortal for the others, it has something he has done in the past as well. And so, no one was surprised that he came up with the goods again. However, it was extremely heartening to see the way Ishant Sharma came back after taking a battering in the first innings. Bowling no balls at will and having to leave the field owing to an injury gave one the impression that he was in for another torrid time. However, he turned things around, and how.

The lanky fast bowler needed a little bit of luck, and that came when the in-form Shane Watson dragged one from Ishant onto his stumps. From thereon, Ishant was a changed bowler. Finding his rhythm of old, at least for that innings, he claimed two more quick to get India back into the game. Surprisingly, and yet deservedly, it will be his dogged effort with the bat that would be talked about when discussions over this Test come about in the future. When he went into bat, all seemed lost for India, and one got the feeling that Laxman would be left stranded at one end. However, wasn’t ready to give up so easily.

Despite having lost skipper Dhoni and Harbhajan Singh in quick succession, Ishant was prepared to slug it out and give Laxman, the other injured warrior in the team, some much-needed company. It wasn’t out there with the pressure building each minute. But Ishant responded superbly and in a highly responsible manner, so much so that he Laxman was prepared to give him more of the strike. The straight bat defence worked well against both the pacers and spinners. Further, the fact that he was leaving deliveries outside off demonstrated the confidence he possessed. On a couple of occasions when he had a waft at away going deliveries, he reprimanded himself like a genuine batsman would do. He may have been unfortunate not be there when the winning runs were registered, but he would be all the more happier that his efforts did not end up getting vanished in a losing cause.

While Ishant’s determination was among the high points of the Test , there were a number of other noteworthy performances from both sides, which contributed toward making this Test remarkable. For India, Zaheer Khan celebrated his return to the team with a five-wicket haul as well as the man of the match award. At the beginning of the game, there were question marks pertaining to his fitness. Khan answered all the doubters in the best way possible. As expected of him, he took wickets at the top and came back to break crucial partnerships, ensuring India stayed in the game even though it appeared that the Aussies had charged ahead at times. Harbhajan Singh wasn’t threatening, but did well enough to pick up a few important wickets and assist Zaheer. On the batting front, it was a mixed bag for India. Many got starts and reasonable scores, but none could convert it into a big knock, allowing Australia to snatch the vital first innings lead. It very nearly made the difference in the end.

While Australia would be disappointed, they have done enough to be proud of themselves. Shane Watson was instrumental in setting up a good first innings total for his side even as Ricky Ponting and even Tim Paine chipped in. Also, at different points in the game, Mitchell Johnson, Ben Hilfenhaus and Doug Bollinger put their hands up to get Australia back in the reckoning after they had fallen back. Overall, they were very good, but India just had that someone special, Australia’s grand old nemesis, to see them through. And while we eagerly wait for the next Test at Bangalore, many of us will be mourning the fact that it would signal the end of the series. What a tragedy.

Ricky Ponting

It was advantage no one as the first day of the opening Test between India and Australia came to an end at Mohali. Both teams had their chances to gain the ascendancy however could not capitalize on their good starts, allowing the opposition to claw back into the game. First, India got the early breakthrough, but were well below par in the field, dropping crucial catches.

Suresh Raina, who was not only electric in the field but also effected the run-out of Ricky Ponting at a vital stage, was the sole exception. The home sides fielding woes allowed Australia to get away, and they looked set to march on to a sizeable first innings total. It did not help that Ishant Sharma, bowled numerous no balls, one of which was a wicket-taking delivery before leaving the field with a knee injury. It was only proficient late burst by Zaheer Khan, who scalped three of the five wickets to fall, that ensured India ended the day on a high.

Australia, on the other hand, would be disappointed at having lost a golden opportunity to begin the series on a high. They may have lost Simon Katich early, but the in-form Shane Watson, in the company of skipper Ponting, had set the perfect platform for the visiting team. Aided by some insipid bowling by the Indians in the morning and afternoon session, the duo made merry. Indians looked down in the dumps when Raina produced an athletic bit of fielding to catch the Australian captain short of his crease. It wasn’t a spectacular effort by Raina’s standards, but stood out on a day when the dropping catches had become the norm. It also sent a strong signal into the opposition camp that there is one man they can’t take lightly on the field, else they would have to pay dearly.

Ponting left the scene fuming and although Zaheer’s needling was far from obligatory, the reactions from both men went on to show how much the dismissal meant to their respective sides. And, as if to prove a point, Australia stuttered towards the close of play from thereon while Indians bowlers tightened their grip and also claimed three more crucial scalps. All this while Watson held one end up rather cautiously as he registered his third century on Indian soil in consecutive innings, following up on his two tons in the practice game.

While Watson played a rather mature hand, keeping himself in check throughout, unlike the flashy batsman he is known to be, it also signified Australia’s quagmire. Not only Watson, but the entire Aussie middle-order adopted this unexpected approach following Ponting’s dismissal. The only difference was that while the opener was successful, the rest got trapped and succumbed to the pressure created by the Indian bowlers in the latter half of the day, unable to execute what was planned.

One of the reasons for Australia’s defensive approach might have been the lack of confidence in the latter batsmen. While Michael Hussey is still very good, his consistency has dropped lately. This aspect was evident at Mohali. Even as he tried his best to fight through, he eventually couldn’t last long enough to make a substantial contribution. And even though Marcus North got a century in the game the other day at Chandigarh, his consistency at the Test level doesn’t make him reliable as yet. It did not help Australia that their vice-captain and someone who has done fantastically well against India in the past, Michael Clarke, also had to endure a rare failure.

As the day drew to a close with runs drying down and a couple wickets going down, the faces of a seething Ponting and an upbeat Zaheer sprung back to mind. If a picture had to tell the story of the day, that was it. The task in front of both teams is rather straightforward in a sense. The Aussies need to keep fighting, albeit with a little bit of positive intent. Remember Watson is still out there and the Australian tail is renowned for producing fortune-changing partnerships. For India, their aim should be to wrap up the Australian innings as soon as possible, more so since they have lost the services of Ishant Sharma. If the batting side keeps them on the field for long, the other three main bowlers will have to shoulder extra burden, which isn’t the ideal situation. Additionally, the bowling needs better support from the other fielders, and not just Raina, who was undoubtedly the star of the day.

Michael Clarke headed back to his country after his fiancé Lara Bingle’s nude photo had been published in the magazine. Clarke went home to support her and should return for the test series starting Friday.

It will be a tester for Michael Clarke, perhaps his final hurdle before the Australian cricket board finally, decide on who will captain the test side once Ricky ponting decides to call it a day. Many experts including current and former players are fully backing Clarke on becoming test captain in spite of his off field problems of injuries and now personal.

The aussies were coming off a wonderful home summer and as expected they delivered, perhaps not how well as expected, but nevertheless they did. After not a single loss at home which included over 19 matches (6 tests, 10 ODI’S, 3 T20’S) a similar drubbing of the black caps was expected. But, the black caps gave the aussies a reality check—not to fall ahead of themselves at this stage.

1. 1st T20 International— Wellington— 26th February, 2010
Result: Australia won by 6 wickets with 24 balls to spare

2. 2nd T20 International— Christchurch— 28th February, 2010
Result: New Zealand won (1 over eliminator)

3. 1st One day International— Napier— 3rd March, 2010
Result: New Zealand won by 2 wickets with 4 balls to spare

4. 2nd One day International— Auckland—6th March, 2010
Result: Australia won by 12 runs (D/L Method)

5. 3rd One day International— Hamilton— 9th March, 2010
Result: Australia won by 6 wickets with 16 balls remaining

6. 4th One day International— Auckland— 11th March, 2010
Result: Australia won by 6 wickets with 17 balls remaining (D/L Method)

7. 5th One day International— Wellington— 13th March, 2010
Result: New Zealand won by 51 runs

Clearly, New Zealand have been Australia’s toughest fight. After a sedate start to their campaign the aussies were in for a surprise during the 2nd T20 match where the black caps, McCullum in particular seems to have woke up the right side of the bed that morning. He went on to smack one of the most memorable 100’s this format has seen or will see.

In spite of the short boundaries McCullum played the scoop to great effect, in fact he was seen doing it to perhaps the fastest bowler in the world at the moment, Shaun Tait. The match was a great spectacle for the fans as it went into a super over which the home team eventually won.

That was the best match of the summer, as far as Australia is concerned. It was a close series—some of the numbers put above go to show how close the games were.

The aussies eventually showed their class and went on to win their 3rd one day series of the summer. You’d expect the aussies to cream the black caps in the test series beginning Friday. But, the same was thought about the ODI’s, time will tell…