thecricketragics

Everyone Has Their Say

2012-02-16T10:17:00.001+11:00

Steve Waugh outspoken on
selections

In a week where Australia finally lost a game of cricket and the visitors remembered who they are and played more to that than recent woes would have encouraged them, the real action has been in comments about selections. The interest rates haven't just risen in banks.

In the one day series, Australia just lasted to beat an Angelo Mathews inspired Sri Lanka and India stormed home twice on the exploits of their formerly sleepy captain, MS Dhoni, to beat the hosts and tie with Sri Lanka. Like the Tests, Australia's middle order has fired but things have been shaky at the top and the bowling has pretty much lived up to Mahela Jayawardene's suggestion that it had weaknesses to be explored. The who-ha over the little reluctant champion's honesty has somewhat dissipated in the light of its accuracy. England won twice in Dubai against Pakistan, with Captain Cook scoring back to back hundreds as the ODI leader. An interesting enough seven days of cricket ...

... 'till an event in the last third of the Australian loss to India sparked a chain of events which have again put the Australian selectors back into their previous pre-eminent position as the most discussed decision makers in the nation. Forget Ms Gillard's zealous speech writers - a topic of conversation for egg-heads and ABC watchers - Australia was more interested in what former True Blue captain, former Argonaut and former Last Ball Steve had to say about selections. One of the men that damned Andrew Hilditch all to hell and was no fan of how Ricky Ponting cut his jib as a leader, Waugh has been direct in his disagreement with the selectors.

"I'm surprised they didn't go to Warner and go to the future. It's only a temporary thing, you put Dave Warner in there as vice-captain … I assume they think he is leadership material. If he's vice-captain why can't he captain the side as well? Maybe they think Dave's not quite ready but why is he vice-captain? It doesn't make sense to me."

Michael Clarke pulled a hamstring as India surged to victory in Adelaide. During the few overs he was off the field, the selected vice-captain, Dave Warner, seemed at best to be co-director of bowling and fielding changes. The other man waving arms and talking with bowlers was Ricky Ponting. When it was announced that Clarke would be unavailable for the next game against Sri Lanka in Sydney, it was the former captain Ponting who was announced by John Inverarity as stand in skipper, based on the reasoning that Warner wasn't yet ready to lead. Why then was he made vice-captain, when the basic premise behind selection for vice-captaincy is that you are ready for the big job? The other issue to ponder is why this current one-day series is seen with such urgency that the selectors couldn't take a gamble on their own judgment, because that's where the gamble sat: not on Dave Warner's shoulders but on the selection panel. Its a shame to see such a sign of gutlessness so early. The conclusion must be that Clarke himself wanted Ponting to stand in and that opens another huge kitbag of problems that many have concerned themselves with in having the skipper on the panel in the first place. As Waugh said, Ponting will do the job with his eyes closed as he was always a far better captain in ODI cricket than Tests but that's not the point. A chance existed for a short term blooding and it was denied. If Ponting were a boy, he has been handed his job.

Warner has been a good servant and said very little.

Shane Watson spoke up this week on the eve of his return to first class cricket with NSW against the Sandgropers in Perth. Like the man crushed under a palette at the Kleenex factory, he's had more soft tissue injuries than any current Australian cricketer but his is a stoic jaw and he has taken his absence for the majority of the summer on the chin. The winner of the last two Border Medals won't be scoring the trifecta this year and possibly ever again because he wants changes. He expects to maintain the vice-captaincy in Tests, something which might explain the Warner rejection because Brad Haddin appears on a fast track to nowhere. He wants to open because that's where he's played his best cricket. He also wants a reduced workload which can only mean he bowls less in Tests or bowls less often for Australia. The logical extension of these demands is making himself unavailable for one or more of the short form styles and if he plays less cricket, he has a greatly reduced chance of polling well across the Board(er). It will be interesting how Clarke and the selectors react when choosing the first Test team in Bridgetown in early April. Warner and Ed Cowan must be assured of their opening spots and although Watson would best serve Australia at six given his bowling profile under Clarke, he now looks odds on for No 3.

Steve Waugh didn't restrict his comments on the selectors to the part time leadership situation but also had a spray about the manner in which Brad Haddin has been treated during the one day series. Put in a state of perpetual rest by Inverarity and Co whilst Mat Wade has made a strong debut, the feisty Test keeper has taken the Warner option and added little to the debate. Clearly, he's been assured that he's still the Test keeper but that his time has come in ODI cricket. A good result all round but not according to Waugh or Watson, who berated the selectors for not being fair dinkum with Haddin about his standing. Then, Watson has always liked to play all the options and has often spoken out for "friends" rather than common sense - an interesting character trait for a man who clearly wants to be Captain one day.

Whilst disagreeing with the opportunity lost for Warner, what is clear is that there is no confusion between the selectors and the players concerned. Both Warner and Haddin have been happy to react appropriately, something unlikely if either thought they were being shafted. Watson, however, is on the outside looking in and doing so with a pre-Inverarity mindset. He is yet to be chosen in an Australian team under the guidance of John Inverarity. Ponting confirmed the open communications at Australia's training today, adding that both players had had face-to face discussions with Inverarity. The Chairman of Selectors can be forgiven for thinking the media had no need to be part of the communications loop between him and the individual.

As for Steve Waugh ... oops.

Read Justin Langer's opinion from the Cricket Australia website. Let's see ... where would the little bloke stand on the issue?

Meanwhile, a interesting development for international cricket has gone almost unnoticed this week, with former South African keeper Dave Richardson, now the ICC's General Manager of Cricket, announcing that independent testing will be carried out at Cambridge University on the ball-tracking element of DRS technology. Computer Vision Consulting Ltd has been asked to review "the level of accuracy and reliability of the two ball-tracking companies (Hawkeye and Virtualeye) ... In terms of accuracy we want to know whether their virtual depictions of where the ball has pitched and where the ball has impacted the batsman accord with the reality, and whether their predictions as to where the ball would have hit the stumps are correct." The aim is to ensure that the results depicted are accurate in the highest possible percentage of instances. At the moment, with such reliance on the technology, the ICC may need to consider changing some of the rules and factor in technology error in much the same way as human error was always allowed for in the past. The belief that technology never makes mistakes forgets that humans wrote the logarithms which run the programs. Results are expected in May.

Australia Can Bank On ODI Series

2012-02-11T09:10:00.000+11:00

Unless India can change the team psyche and Sri Lanka can bottle Angelo Matthews spirit, Australia is pretty much assured of victory in the CBA currently being played at a major city arena, under lights, near you. That's the only conclusion you could draw after Michael Clarke's men have played average cricket to record successive wins in their opening two games, whilst the others scrap over a place in the final.

It shouldn't be this way, of course. Six months ago, the prospect of hosting the finalists of the the World Cup Final - played less than twelve months ago - was as daunting to the Australians as it was palatable to their masters but a cricket year can be a political week. Last April, in the din of Wankhede Stadium - surely the most ludicrously named sporting arena in the world - Sri Lanka set the home side a stiff task after Mahela Jayawardene produced the most memorable finals hundred since Clive Lloyd in 1975. India got home on the back of Gautum Gambhir and MS Dhoni, after Sehwag and Tendulkar had both been found out Malingaring early on. It was an awesome display and ODI cricket at its very best and more than eradicated the pathetic joke - or was it black humour - of the previous final finishing after curfew.

Where have all the flowers gone?

Both sides have eventually, reluctantly allowed younger players into their teams whilst retaining veterans and in the main, the new recruits have come up trumps. That's not the problem.

Their are obvious problems for both sides. India are exhausted from a dreadful campaign in Australia this summer and the knowledge that almost all of the senior players won't be back again. Its easier to lift yourself off the pitch, time and again, when you're 25 and have your legend ahead of you, waiting for you to fill in the numbers. Kohli is the best example of this. Whether his temperament is right for the job, he is India's future captain. He has it all to play for and he likes it that way. For the likes of Sehwag and Tendulkar and the already departed Dravid and Laxman, a crude Australian slang term best describes how every day has felt since mid January: they are buggered. Tired from constant kitbag companionship, every match is a joyless effort.

For Sri Lanka, existing on air and goodwill and representing a cricket authority who claims bankruptcy and therefore hasn't paid its players for nearly 18 months, they play ever game under duress. Their elders have the same problems of motivation as the Indians.

New energy at the helm

The essential problem is leadership. Australia have a new, vibrant leader who has delivered results and is backed with enthusiasm by the past coin tosser and increasingly, the Australia public. He arrived when the position was in flux and new systems were being constructed and he's had a say in the today and the tomorrow. He has nailed performances to honour boards on three continents since August and has respect from his players not because of his position but because of he has earned it. Declarations instead of milestones, inclusiveness, honesty and positivity and runs when they are needed make him easy to follow.

MS Dhoni talks and captains like a man whose head is turned away from the task and is about to lose his fingers in the machinery. His talk at press conferences is defensive, his answers excuses. His only vision is retiring from Test cricket to concentrate on ODI cricket: an odd choice for a man of such rich talent. That he would choose the path of hacks with a small patch of green grass in their paddock is a distressing. He has the Graham Yallop press conference persona, trying to explain every loss but becoming vaguer with each event. On the field, he lets things run - has all summer. In the Tests, it was hard to tell who was captaining the Indians.

Virat Kohli should already have the reigns of the ODI side. His captaincy would bring this Indian side alive again.

Mahela Jayawardene is back again in the top job for Sri Lanka but has made clear public statements that he won't be there for long. Twelve months and then he's handing it over, most likely disappearing into retirement. He's the third Sri Lankan captain in twelve months, having held the job previously. Kumar Sangakkara was skipper until the end of the World Cup, Tillarkaratne Dilshan took over and relinquished the role after South Africa beat them a month ago at Newlands. Playing hot potato with the captaincy is about the worst thing which can be done to improve an already low morale.

It begs the question, what was the point of appointing Angelo Mathews vice captain of the Test side and then overlooking him when the opportunity came for this short ODI series in Australia? Mathews is a spirited youngster, never concerned with the strength of his opponent and willing to have a go. His fine batting with the tail almost surprised the Australians in Perth after the home side's bowlers has dominated early. Like Kohli, he would set a new and more certain course for what has become a good looking but structurely flawed rudderless ship.

Australia has been far from perfect. In both games, the early batting has made for inadequate starts, causing some question over the sense in having two flamboyant strokemakers opening and followed by a man whose shots need the ball a little duller. The Hussey brothers are the trump cards in this current line, because they approach every bowler as a task and take nothing for granted. Clarke is still in Test form which will be enough in this series. The bowling has been impressive, especially Eggsaver Doherty. He is such an improved bowler since he was mauled by England last summer. However, there are weakness which Mathews exposed in the last fifteen overs in Perth. No one liked what Jayawardene had to say but he was at least partially right.

The most important issue of all in the CBA series is yet to be discussed in any forum ... the dark green costumes (I chose the word carefully) Australia wears are amongst the worst our one day sides have ever wore and must have been unpleasant in Perth's heat.

Bring back the canary yellow.

Pakistan Had The Questions & The Answers

2012-02-07T08:34:00.000+11:00

Misbah-ul-haq doing a great job

The result in Dubai was inevitable and will finally make the cricket world sit up and take notice of the achievements of Misbar-ul-haq and Moshin Khan in rebuilding Pakistan cricket. By attracting back the experienced Younis Khan, surrounding him and Misbah with talent youngsters and then remaining faithful to them, they have been bringing credibility back to Pakistani cricket through results. Pakistan haven't lost a Test series now since England beat them in July of 2010 and this return "home" series brings them full circle.

Its ugly cricket at times but the effectiveness has never been better shown in this 3-0 drubbing of the world No 1. There have been those who dismissed their progress, citing the opponents their have subdued in the process and conveniently ignoring the drawn series a year ago against South Africa in the UAE. This victory should put paid to that. England, whilst rusty at the start, were knocked to the canvass and never let up again, especially in this Test, where Pakistan fought back after being out for 99 half way through the first day.

Eoin Morgan made a quick 31

Its not that England did fight hard on what was to be the last day. Two dropped catches in the first half hour seemed to be saying England would finally have a rub of the green but Pakistan soon recovered. Five of England's top seven batted for an hour or more, whilst Matt Prior batted for two hours and Alastair Cook for four but it was the inability to break the stranglers hold that Saeed Ajmal and Abdur Rehman on their run scoring that was always going to be the battle to be won. By the time Cook was brilliantly caught by Younis at slip off Ajmal, England's run chase was non existent at 4-119 at less than two an over. Eoin Morgan played his best innings of the series, taking adventure to the task, regardless of danger, sweeping Rehman and lofting Ajmal back over his head, including a six over the sightscreen. Bell was not as fluent but hung in there to add 47 before Umar Gul was called back before the new ball was due and removed both in the space of two overs. After an hour of concentration, Bell inexplicably swatted a long hop from Gul to cover point and Morgan charged down the track to flog, changed his mind and meekly edged behind. In the circumstances, they were dreadful shots.

Winners are grinners

Prior then engaged in a one man campaign to win the match and rescue England's reputation and each of the tail played the best they were allowed. Gul took two more wickets with the new ball but it was fitting that Ajmal and Rehman took the final two wickets. It only took twenty overs after Morgan was dismissed but in that time Prior made a gallant 49 not out, latching onto anything short outside off stump.

Ajmal (24 wickets at 14) and Rehman (19 wickets at 16) had series figures which reflected England's constant dilemma but Umar Gul and Mohammad Hafeez took vital wickets whicha affected the course of the series. Azhar Ali and Younis Hkan made the only centuries for Pakistan, both innings which set up the third win. For England, it was a sad reflection that Matt Prior led the batting averages and was only a short way from leading the aggregate. Prior was the only player to average more than thirty and Morgan (13.66) and Bell (8.50) had disastrous tours. The bowlers did their job, with Monty Panesar and Stuart Broad the best of them but despite bowling Pakistan out for totals that kept England in the game, it was the failure of the batting which cost England so badly.

Andy Flower & Andrew Strauss

England retain their number one spot - just - from South Africa and with South Africa touring New Zealand for three Test in March, the top spot is likely to slip from their grasp. With two Test away series to Sri Lanka likely to be problematic for England, they will have three Test at home against an improving West Indies in May before the likely battle for the top spot at home against South Africa in July/Aug.

Don't miss any action this winter!

Pakistan Rising

2012-02-06T15:50:00.001+11:00

After three days of thrust and parry in Dubai, Pakistan may have delivered the knock out blow in a manner typical of their last 18 months of Test cricket.

After Stuart Broad and Jimmy Anderson had swept them aside with a plethora of lbw decisions and had them 7-53 at lunch on the first day, it has been one dogged exchange after another. Their scattered hopes of a clean sweep of the series were pushed aside until first Asad Shafiq led the tail in a mini revival to be all out for 99 and then, with Kevin Pietersen at his dominant best and Andrew Strauss like a big ship swaying at anchor, the spinners strangled England from 2-64 to claim four more wickets in twenty overs before stumps.

On the second day, the much vaunted English tail collapsed but with little surprise. If the batsmen found Saeed Ajmal and Abdur Rehman a mystery, the bowlers may as well have been 13th century scholars trying to read binary. Dismissed short of lunch, Anderson and Monty Panesar removed the openers before the break with Pakistan still trailing. Cometh the hour they say and if that be true then Azhar Ali was the man. A robust character, he has struggled to establish himself in the Pakistan side but with Misbah-ul-haq's support he has grown into the No 3 role. There is nothing flash about him - in fact, he is a dour batsman, more in keeping with the English war of attrition models of the fifties and sixties: a man of which Boycott would be proud to claim parentage. However, Pakistan, for too long the flamboyant stroke makers who gave games away by their desire to attack, have been transformed into hard nosed men and the batsmens' first innings capitulation would have irked them badly.

Azhar Ali made a slow 157

Azhar took nearly thirty innings for his first century and scores his runs so slowly - at less than 40 runs per hundred balls - that games might end before three figures are reached. Soon after lunch, with Azhar on 1 after a mere 30 deliveries of what would be a 442 marathon, Broad speared one straight and through him and a huge appeal was turned down. Believing in the possibility of an inside edge, Andrew Strauss ignored a review. Azhar batted for another eight hours. There was no hurry, theirs was only the job of batting until Pakistan led by enough to win.

Younis Khan, a man whose talent withered several times as he refused the nurture of money lenders and book makers and their slippery promises and did not play rather than play on their morally bankrupt terms, is more flexible in his approach to beating an opponent. Capable of the abstenance of stroke play Azhar Ali was applying, he also enjoys making runs so his part in this recovery held more shots and endeavour but the combination proved frustrating for an English side desperate to atone to its Fleet St masters. The batted the day out, with Pakistan back in front and then on until drinks of the the third day's first session when Younis was trapped by the energetic Broad. The big blond appeals as loudly for the first as he does the last, believing them all plumb. 216 had been added and Pakistan's lead was handy. It was his only false stroke, whilst Azhar had been favoured by the the DRS exasperating Swann's lbw appeal at 70 and by Swann himself, ,who dropped a hot chance at second slip on 84.

The resourceful Younis Khan
punished the Englishmen

Misbah joined Azhar to raise another 87 and the lead was nearly 300 but when Misbah left, the rest followed in just 22 overs. Panesar and Swann were the executioners, Monty collecting another bag of five. Azhar was out second last after an innings which lasted seven minutes short of nine hours and was the scaffold on which a win has likely been constructed. England bowled and bowled and bowled but to no avail because Azhar just batted and batted and batted.

With time removed from the equation, Strauss and Cook came out looking to make a start on what will be a miracle. For England to make 324 in the fourth innings against the two most dangerous spinners in world cricket - certainly the deadliest pairing - seems beyond them. They have no batsmen in form and only Trott and Cook can be expected to find something extra. The mention of the word "doosra" is enough for Ian Bell to start taking his pads off and sit in the corner with only his sucked thumb as consolation.The start was solid but Pakistan made a rare mistake when Taufeq dropped Cook in the slips after Umar Gul surprised him with lift and movement on the off stump. It would have been a bonus wicket.

Its hard to see any escapes for England on a wicket which is already turning. Saeed Ajmal and Abdur Rehman have the scent and are only ten wickets form providing Pakistan with a series whitewash. You won't find many who would have predicted that.

A Weak Makes A Year Long

2012-02-02T12:27:00.001+11:00

Now that the froth and bubble boys have stopped swinging their bats and the grandpas of Australian cricket have managed to stagger through twenty overs a week dressed like randy psychedelic gay pandas without damaging their potential or pension cheques ... the time has come to examine the health of Australian Test cricket. True, its only February in what is traditionally a September to March season, but if Jack Ryan was walking into an Australian cricket marketing meeting he might be warned if Marko Ramius was the High Performance Manager "be careful Ryan, most things in here don't react well to tradition."

Besides, in a moment the Australian team will be donning the panda suits and playing the less appealing version of T20 ... hence the scheduling later in the season. Cricket Australia knows their stuff. The Big Bash has already opened up the new opportunities it promised. First it gave Australian Test players the perfect format to retreat to and find form and now it has unearthed talent for the Aussie T20 side ... hence Brad Hogg's selection. Don't get me wrong. I'm all for selection being based on form and there is no doubting the Hoggster's work in the Big Bash League. It's just that ... well, isn't Nancy pissed off?

I just jest, mainly because I still can't take twenty over cricket seriously but then I haven't invested any money in it. To treat BBL as a serious selection trial for the Australian T20 team is like saying cows should run in the Melbourne Cup because they graze in the same paddock. If we were teenagers again, BBL would be to Test cricket like your best mates big sister is to marriage: every one tries it once or twice, gets all sweaty and excited but you wouldn't want to live with it for the rest of your life.

In reality, of course, T20 is here to stay and will replace 50 over cricket at international and the equivalent first class level and any talk of a danger to Test cricket belongs to Hanrahan and his fellow church yard pontificators.

Captain Clarke

Twelve months ago, our ICC Test rating was in tatters, with our 5th ranking the worst place Australia had ever occupied. It had been ten months since we had won a series and only Mike Hussey, Shane Watson and Brad Haddin averaged over 40. Only Mitchell Johnson and Ben Hilfenhaus had taken more than 20 wickets and Ryan Harris was the only bowler averaging less than 30. Australia had only won two of nine Tests. Ricky Ponting averaged 29, Michael Clarke 21 and new boys Marcus North 20 and Phil Hughes 16. If the writing was on the wall when Australia was all out in 34 overs against Pakistan at Headingley, then the 0-2 result in India - yes, yes I remember the umpiring decision - and the 1-3 drubbing by England certainly spread the writing onto the adjoining walls and out into the corridor.

Ponting resigned the captaincy after the World Cup but it took a four month enquiry to get rid of Andrew Hilditch and his selectors, Tim Neilsen and to set Greg Chappell back into his box.

So, Australia was gifted through panic a completely new structure from top to bottom - even the cleaning lady was restructured into a High Performance Sanitiser, the only job in Australian cricket Geoff Lawson hasn't applied for. Since thecricketragics previewed the 11 Tests programmed from that point until this, it seems circumspect to now review.

Of those four series, Australia won two and drew two, in the process winning seven of the eleven Tests, drawing two and losing only two (South Africa at Newlands and New Zealand at Hobart) and both through batting collapses. In fact, but for 45 overs, their 11 Tests might have been perfect.

The batting in that period is as follows:

Batting

Player	Inns	NO	50s	100s	HS	Runs	Avg	Ca	St
M J Clarke	18	1	1	5	*329	1167	68.65	20	0
D A Warner	10	2	0	2	180	419	52.38	9	0
R T Ponting	17	1	5	2	221	837	52.31	15	0
M E K Hussey	18	1	3	3	*150	839	49.35	14	0
E J M Cowan	6	0	2	0	74	206	34.33	8	0
J L Pattinson	5	2	0	0	*37	88	29.33	0	0
U T Khawaja	9	2	1	0	65	205	29.29	3	0
P J Hughes	13	0	1	1	126	360	27.69	3	0
S E Marsh	11	0	1	1	141	301	27.36	4	0
M A Starc	4	2	0	0	*32	51	25.50	1	0
B J Haddin	17	2	2	0	80	352	23.47	42	1
S R Watson	9	0	1	0	88	182	20.22	3	0
M G Johnson	9	2	0	0	*40	135	19.29	3	0
R J Harris	7	2	0	0	*35	85	17.00	1	0
P J Cummins	2	1	0	0	*13	15	15.00	1	0
P M Siddle	13	1	0	0	41	177	14.75	1	0
B W Hilfenhaus	3	0	0	0	19	39	13.00	1	0
T A Copeland	4	1	0	0	*23	39	13.00	2	0
N M Lyon	12	5	0	0	14	55	7.86	4	0

Clarke has led from the front with five centuries, with at least one in each series and made at a decisive time. Ponting may not be back to his best but how could we expect him to do what no one else has done before him. It's not what was required. All Australia needs of him is the be only 60% of the man he was and his contributions would be more than enough. His is the biggest resurgence and the least expected by thecricketragics. Like Clarke, his catching has been superb at slip. Hussey has been no less effective and was man of the series in Sri Lanka. Warner and Cowan are plusses with the decline of Phil Hughes and Shane Watson. What needs to be remembered was Watson's poor form before injury. Clearly, the number three spot, looking so secure after Sri Lanka, is still there for the taking.

The bowlers for the period:

Player	O	M	R	W	5w	10w	Best	Avg	S/R	E/R
P J Cummins	44	8	117	7	1	0	6/79	16.71	37.71	2.66
S R Watson	93.5	32	218	13	1	0	5/17	16.77	43.31	2.33
B W Hilfenhaus	168	44	465	27	2	0	5/75	17.22	37.33	2.77
J L Pattinson	135.5	31	453	25	2	0	5/27	18.12	32.60	3.34
R J Harris	168.3	51	439	21	1	0	5/62	20.90	48.14	2.61
P M Siddle	295.2	77	934	40	1	0	5/49	23.35	44.30	3.16
M E K Hussey	46	5	110	4	0	0	1/0	27.50	69.00	2.39
N M Lyon	269.2	41	832	29	1	0	5/34	28.69	55.72	3.09
M J Clarke	32	3	94	3	0	0	2/6	31.33	64.00	2.94
M A Starc	80.2	18	270	8	0	0	2/30	33.75	60.25	3.37
T A Copeland	108	34	227	6	0	0	2/24	37.83	108.00	2.10
M G Johnson	163.5	27	568	9	0	0	2/48	63.11	109.22	3.47
R T Ponting	6	0	31	0	0	0				5.16
D A Warner	3	0	13	0	0	0				4.33

Eight faster men have bowled in anger, nine if we count Watson as a bowler not just an allrounder, whilst Nathan Lyon was the only full time spinner. Only Siddle bowled more overs. In the previous twelve months Australia used three spinners (Nathan Hauritz, Xavier Doherty and Michael Beer) and four part time spinners, who bowled enough to be taken seriously (Clarke, North, Steve Smith and Katich). Of the top six, any would make a handy attack but Siddle has been the constant and has bowled well on every ground. The startling stats are the economy rates and in particular the strike rates. For the previous period, the best strike rate was 45 balls per wicket and only three were under 60. Of the "real bowlers", only three are over 60 this year and then Starc only by a fraction. By comparison, look at the follow chart of the all time best strike rates in Test cricket:

Bowlers with Best Strike Rate (Min 50 Wickets)

Player	Country	Career	Tests	Overs	Mdns	Runs	Wkts	Avg	Best	S/R
Lohmann, G A	England	1886-1896	18	801.0	364	1205	112	10.76	9/28	34.12
Ferris, J J	England	1887-1892	9	533.3	251	775	61	12.70	7/37	37.74
Bond, S E	New Zealand	2001-2009	18	562.0	113	1922	87	22.09	6/51	38.76
Steyn, D W *	South Africa	2004-	51	1755.3	333	6014	263	22.87	7/51	40.05
Finn, S T *	England	2010-	12	345.4	74	1346	50	26.92	6/125	41.48
Barnes, S F	England	1901-1914	27	1312.1	356	3106	189	16.43	9/103	41.66
Vogler, A E E	South Africa	1906-1911	15	460.4	96	1455	64	22.73	7/94	43.19
Waqar Younis	Pakistan	1989-2003	87	2704.0	516	8788	373	23.56	7/76	43.50
Blythe, C	England	1901-1910	19	739.4	231	1863	100	18.63	8/59	44.38
Spofforth, F R	Australia	1877-1887	18	1046.1	416	1731	94	18.41	7/44	44.52

The Demon is the only Aussie on the list but you'd have to think that James Pattinson has made a good start for inclusion! What the Australian chart points out remarkably, is that despite injuries meaning the Test side has used about the same number of bowlers this last year, they have been so much more effective. he catching in the slips cordon is more secure, perhaps because they are getting more match practice. Our quicks have created more nicks because they have bowled a fuller line and made the ball swing. Forgetting dismissals not attributed to bowlers, the bowling group this year took 177 wickets compared to 123 last.

Its always seems to be forgotten that its batting we remember but bowlers who win Tests. For the first time since Shane Warne and Glen McGrath left (and a host of other support staff like Gillespie and Lee), Australia has a bowling group capable of regularly taking the 20 wickets needed before you can sing about your birthright under the southern stars and its not just confined to one or two players but an ensemble.

Its 44 years since I watched Dougie do the double and in all the ensuing years this last year has been the strongest and quickest recovery I have ever seen in Australian cricket and for it to be made under the duress of an administration fire sale, Clark's shaky relationship with the cricket public, doubts about the contribution older players could still make, recurring injuries to the spearheads of our attack, a change of selectors halfway through and a hostile media makes it all the more difficult to believe it has been achieved. Importantly, the skipper isn't happy yet. There is more work to be done, he says, if Australia is to be No 1 again.

Yes there is but I'm a fan as well as a critic and I applaud the start that's been made. Its an old fashioned word and therefore more surprising when its applied to a new age bloke but it dawned on me in Sydney when Clarke declared, probably forgoing Lara's Test highest score and told the media that night a simple message ... what's point of scoring a hundred if we don't win? The word was integrity. I think his kit bag's full of it. That's a bit of a surprise for most of us.

Maybe we're the ones who have been shallow?

Bowlers Have A Big Day Out

2012-01-29T00:35:00.000+11:00

"What do you mean
'player of the series/"

It was a big day for bowlers on the international Test cricket stage.

After Australia wrapped up the home series against India, taking 4 wickets in an hour on the 5th day at Adelaide, two other venues added an avalanche of wickets on the same day. In the United Arab Emerites at Abu Dhabi, 16 wickets fell as first Pakistan and then England were dismissed in the second innings, with the English managing only 72. New Zealand and Zimbabwe take the prize for the most dismissals with their extraordinary day at Napier. After the Kiwis lost 2 wickets before declaring at 7 for 495, Zimbabwe were rolled twice in the remainder of the day for 51 and 143, meaning 22 wickets had fallen for the day.

That's 42 Test wickets in one day.

Bowlers were further shined on when Peter Siddle was named man of the match for the Adelaide Test after taking 5-49 and 1-47. Apparently Ponting's 221 and 60 not out wasn't good enough. In New Zealand, Chris Martin got the nod for his second innings 6-26, leaving Ross Taylor 122 retired hurt and BJ Watling 102 not out wondering what more was needed. Only in Abu Dhabi did it seem fitting that Abdur Rehman should get the gong for routing England.

In the player of the series award for the Australia v India series, it would seem fitting that Michael Clarke was the award winner. His captaincy was brilliant and how many times does a man, whose name isn't Bradman, score a triple and double century in the same series but spare a thought for Ricky Ponting. His series breakdown was 62, 60, 134, 7, 221, 60x. Clarke's, by comparison was 31, 1, 329x, 18. 210, 37. It might have been splitting hairs but I think I might have leaned the old man's way.

Pakistan Tie England In Knots

2012-01-29T00:00:00.001+11:00

Ajmal celebrates the wicket of Ian Bell

Pakistan have won a stunning victory over the world No 1 England at Abu Dhabi and in the process have secured the series. It was England's first series loss in ten series and continues Pakistan's unbeaten run which goes back to June 2010 and the infamous series in England which gave rise to change in Pakistan's cricket culture.

The architects of that change on the field deserve to take a bow. Mosin Khan as coach and Misbah-ul-haq as captain, have created a culture of careful, studious cricket which does not indulge the irrational and encourages those with sober intent and execution. From being a team based on fast bowling, they have transformed the resources into one which has the world's two best spinners and a very good third prong.

Beginning the day 55 in front, everyone did their bit, especially after Azhar Ali left 170, with a brittle tail adding another 44. Monty Panesar was the best of the English bowlers, taking his tenth five wicket or better haul in his 40th Test. England, it appeared, had done what was needed to square the series, with only 145 required.

Until the doubts set in. It was only a matter of time before his surname and the sub-continent went into effluent confluence and it was announced that Trott had the trotts and would bat lower in the order if required. Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook opened as usual but the first ball was bowled by off spinner Mohammad Hafeez, who had dismissed both of them early doors at times during the series. More doubts. So it was that what was to be Hafeez last over, Cook took a leading edge and sent it back up the pitch for a return catch.

Morgan bowled second ball

Saeed Ajmal had already bowled 4 overs for 5 runs when Abdur Rehman replaced Hafeez. No one else was needed for Pakistan. Ian Bell batted at three but left after three deliveries after playing the ball from Ajmal down at his feet of the full face of the bat and watching it spin back past his legs and onto middle stump. Pietersen left shaking his head lbw to Rehman, whose appeal convinced to umpires, the technology and the rest of humanity but still left the batsman in disbelief. Morgan knew nothing about the first ball he received which flicked his pads and went for four leg byes and even less about the next one which he went back to and lost his leg stump. At the other end, Strauss was on borrowed time, already out once caught at short leg but given the benfit of an invented doubt by the third umpire. Prior came in and at least tried to play shots.

England were in a vice. The ball was spinning but only by the varying amounts of turn Ajmal and Rehman wanted to extract to set the Englishmen up. The only threat to Pakistan was their over exuberant wicket keeper Adnan Akmal, who seemed convinced every ball was taking a wicket but as usual, Misbah applied his touch and the youngster soon calmed down.

Strauss was eventually lbw to Rehman, playing back and being undone by the pace of the ball spinning back into him. He shook his head all the way to the boundary too but he was plumb. After the loss of the skipper, the rest fell like a card house in a brisk summer breeze as the last five wickets were down in just ten deliveries.

Rehman a career best 6-25

Trott, batting with a series of squirts and dabs, played back deep in his crease and was plumb to Rehman; Stuart Broad was bowled two balls later when he aimed a drive at a ball which spun at least 60cm from outside off and hit the off peg; Graeme Swann went back to an off break from Ajmal and was caught in front; Prior chipped a catch to cover trying to have a go against Ajmal; and Anderson swept at the first ball he received, top edged it and was caught easily by Umar Gul.

Pakistan's spinners had taken 19 of the required 20 wickets to fall and England surrendered the match being all out for 72. It is Pakistan's seventh series victory in 22 series against England and their first since November 2005. Whilst Pakistan have been playing good cricket, England is their biggest scalp since drawing a series with South Africa in the UAE in November 2010.

Like the first Test, this win was based on steady batting and the accumulation of runs, athletic fielding and tight bowling which eventually strangles the batting side and draws them into error. Both Rehman and Ajmal are masters of this art.

The final Test begins in Dubai on February 3rd.

Kiwis Take Twenty In A Day

2012-01-28T18:36:00.003+11:00

Bradley-John Watling made 102x

As far as punishing defeats go, this was as big a snub of a minnow as has been delivered in Test Cricket. It is in fact New Zealand's biggest Test victory and only seven other victories in the 2033 Tests played have been larger.

Resuming after almost a day lost to rain, New Zealand lost only two wickets in adding 103 of 18 overs and then declared after keeper BJ Watling raised his maiden Test hundred. With nearly 500 on the board and plenty of time left, it was all a matter of how well Zimbabwe would resist against the Kiwi attack of four seamers and Dan Vettori.

At the end of the first fifteen overs when lunch was taken, Zimbabwe were 5-20 and any questions about how long were being measured in hours, not days. The first innings ended four balls after drinks in the middle session, with Malcolm Waller's 23 being the only set of double figures. The wickets were shared about the Kiws: if you got a bowl, you got a wicket, although why all five bowlers were used only stand in skipper Brendon McCullum could answer. The weather was cool and dry and a gentle breeze came across the ground. Einstein wasn't required to decide whether the follow on should be enforced against a batting line up that was compelled to play outside the off stump giving Dean Brownlie four catches at third slip.

By tea, Zimbabwe were 3-12 on the second time around. Chris Martin had all three in five overs.

After the break, Martin was removed from the attack after two overs, the second of which cost 9. McCullum, fearing a rear guard action ran for the cover of other bowlers apparently, despite Doug Bracewell taking two wickets at the other end with the first over after tea: Zimbabwe's best batsman Tatenda Taibu and the first innings top scorer, Waller. Bracewell got Mutizwa edging faintly to Watling a few overs later and at 6-37, it was a matter of whether of not Zimbabwe could better their paltry first innings total.

To the great credit of Regis Chakabva and Graeme Cremer they fought for their wickets with a 63 run 7th wicket partnership that got the total to three figures. Chakabva played nicely off his legs and took toll of some over pitched deliveries on his pads. Through this period, a dropped catch by Brownlie and some odd captaincy by McCullum aided their cause. McCullum seemed unable to decide how he should go about removing the rest of Zimbabweans and dithered with his bowling selections. Vettori was given a ten over spell which was accurate but completely non-threatening on a day when the conditions and wicket suited seamers. One of the issues with NZ cricket is the amount of credence Vittori has without reason. He is a useful left arm orthodox who has hardly ever spun an opposition out although, one ball actually spun. I have watched the former NZ captain many time live and on television and its the first time I've seen that happen. Kane Williamson and Martin Guptil were both given a turn and even though Williamson broke the partnership with a "hit me into the pavilion" full toss which Cremer miss hit only as far as Bracewell at mid on, there was no need for part timers to be bowling. A four pronged pace attack was more than enough for the job.

MOTM: Martin 2-5 & 6-26

Chris Martin, the senior man in this attack, was left in various outfield positions whilst Zimbabwe battled on and every man and their dog rolled their arm over. When he was finally bought back to bowl in an extended last half hour, he finished it in 9 deliveries, including Chakabva who cut hard at a short ball and was unlucky not to clear third slip where Brownlie held a spectacular catch high into the air above himslef. Martin finished a twelfth batsman for a hatrick and with 8-31 for the match and took the man of the match award. It was a worthy choice, although Ross Taylor probably had better claims.

Troubling times ahead when South Africa arrive on Kiwi shores if McCullum is still tossing the coin.

Pakistan Pressed by Panesar

2012-01-28T10:23:00.001+11:00

England going the full Monty

England have moved into a strong position to bring their three Test series against Pakistan back on level terms after a robust showing on the the third day at Abu Dhabi.

It was hard work, as this Pakistan side is more resilient than those collapsible outfits of the previous ten years. England's tail added valuable runs and again it was Stuart Broad who batted aggressively in the final four and made a half century as England secured a lead of 70. After Saeed Ajmal removed Prior by pinning him back in his crease and turning an off break past his inside edge, Broad had useful partnerships of 41 with Bell, 23 with Graeme Swann - in his usual hurry - and then a damaging 36 with Jimmy Anderson. Mohammad Hafeez and Abdur Rehman gradually removed the tail.

England started with Anderson and Broad but quickly handed over to Monty Panesar, so often ignored by the selectors in the last three years. He bowled an impeccable off stump line to the right handers and tied them down for long periods. In his twenty five overs he removed the three Pakistani danger men: Hafeez, Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-haq. Hafeez was lbw playing forward in a way that would have protected a batsman ten years ago and Misbah suffered the same fate, bat and pad together with the question mark over which it hit first. Technology had its say. Younis seemed to miss a straight one: done by the loop and drop of the delivery perhaps.

Swann removed Taufeeq in a carbon copy of the first innings, sending a ball on with the arm to hit off stump. At least this time Taufeeq played at the ball. Swann continues his mysterious habit of collecting wickets in the first over of a spell.

4-54 has crept out to 125 in a stand between Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq which has taken 33 overs but has put Pakistan back into the lead. Both men in their mid twenties, Pakistan has shown a lot of faith in retaining them despite only one century each in their combined total of 30 Test matches. There is little doubt in their ability but Pakistan will need hundreds from both tomorrow if England are to be troubled batting last. Adnan Akmal can be relied on for a few but the Pakistan tail is long and brittle leaving, in reality, only two wickets to play with in search of an extension of the current lead of 55 by at least another hundred.

The 5th wicket partnership was almost broken when Asad pushed to cover and took off, only to be sent back. Kevin Pietersen's underarm shy would have run him out had it hit.

If nothing else emerges this series, Pakistan have proved how competitive they can be.

Little Progress Thanks To Rain

2012-01-28T08:58:00.000+11:00

Ross Taylor ruled out of the game

Rain at Maclean Park Napier, limited the progress of the Test between New Zealand and Zimbabwe to only 15 overs on the second day. Wicketkeeper Ben Watling did most of the scoring, adding 37 to his overnight score to post his second fifty in Tests. The most important moment of the day came when skipper Ross Taylor tore a calf muscle and because of the new ICC rule disallowing runners for injured batsmen, had to retire hurt on 122. Subsequent medical reports indicate he'll take no further part in this Test or the one day series which follows. No doubt, of more concern to Taylor and New Zealand cricket will be his fitness for the home series against South Africa in March.

It is an interesting rule change by the ICC, intended to remove charlatans from the game who play unfit and milk the runner rule - a certain rotund former Sri Lankan captain comes to mind - but the new ruling seems to be a baby and the bath water job. Not only does it rob the paying public from their full entitlement but it disadvantages teams who are unlucky enough to have batsmen injured during the course of a game and will encourage batsmen to bat on injured and unaided, in all likelihood, causing them further injury. Gone will be the heroic champion batting on one leg, replaced with the "bugger off you weakling" clause.

Surely a simpler outcome would have been to have had an ICC appointed doctor at each Test match to adjudicate on injuries and if it was found to have happened in the game and would not result in any permanent disability, then the batsman should be entitled to return with a runner. At first class levels, ruling authorities would appoint same and at club level, where no medical judge can be present, let common sense, the opposition captain or if necessary, the ICC rule decide.

Removing runners altogether is short sighted overkill to such a small issue. Then, overkill seems to be the favoured method these days. Its a pity the ICC hadn't been as zealous in chasing down cheats, unscrupulous promoters and performance enhancing drug users in international cricket. When the real stories emerge of power broking on the sub continent and the back handers involved then perhaps we'll return some beauty to the game and keep the biff and bash boys in perspective.

It would be nice if the game's ruling authority wasn't constantly attending exclusively to its cash cows and spent some more time making sure the calves were safe.

Clean Sweep Close

2012-01-27T21:43:00.001+11:00

Australia added 117 in 42 overs, declaring just after lunch so that India would need 500 batting last and other miracles to win their only Test match. Its been a disastrous tour which has all but put the careers of three of its greatest contributors - Sehwag, Dravid and Laxman - into their urns and well may bring the contributions of his captain, MS Dhoni, to an end in the longest form of the game.

Its been a tour of expectation, where it was anticipated the previous good form of the senior players in Australia would hold them in good stead. It was a hope that ignored the treatment they had received from England and despite a numerical advantage, the closeness of away and home series against the improving West Indies. It was also the last look for Australians at the game's greatest batsman, now and then, Sachin Tendulkar and the hope that the elusive 100th hundred would come on our grounds where Tendulkar had been so dominant. World cricket hoped that India would learn the error of their ways in regard to refusal of the DRS.

Three out of three unrealised.

Kohli one of the bright lights

The only brightness came from emerging younger players. Virat Kohli realised his potential, whilst Ravi Ashwin and Wriddhiman Saha took some limited opportunities against an opponent which strangled them and looked to be players India could build a future on. The failure of tour selectors to bring Rohit Sharma into the top six or Pragyan Ohja into the bowling line up anywhere in the series, played a large part in India's failure to make a mark on this tour or begin a stronger approach to building the future.

Most of Australia's runs in the morning came from the old firm of Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke. The Australian captain dominated early, moving to 37 of just 43 balls before he was mysteriously caught behind of Yadav. Replays showed clearly he didn't hit it but didn't determine where the noise came from that condemned him. Ponting took over from there and remained not out when the declaration came. Ponting finished with two centuries and three fifties in his six innings and an average of 108. Only Clarke superseded him in aggregate and average.

India began an impossible task twenty minutes after lunch. Gautum Gambhir was gone in the fifth over, forced into playing at a ball slanted across him and edging to Brad Haddin. At the other end, Virendar Sehwag finally ignited his rocket and blasted a half century in 36 balls and removed Siddle from the attack quickly. Sehwag and Dravid got to 80 at four an over, when Sehwag danced down the track to Lyon, took the ball on the full but closed the face as he tried to take it over the mid wicket fence and instead skied it to Ponting at extra cover. His 12 fours punished the boundary from third man to wide mid off - an unusually one-sided boundary chart but typical of Sehwag.

Rahul Dravid

Dravid finally put his tour out of its misery, chasing one wide of off stump from Ryan Harris and sending it straight to Hussey in the gully. It was an ugly end to an elegant man.

Tendulkar couldn't relief his burden, out soon after when batting from inside his shell ... usually a recipe for his personal disasters. The ball from Nathan Lyon when to glove, pad and then into the waiting hands of Ed Cowan at short leg. He was given the obligatory but heart felt standing ovation and disappointed somewhat by leaving with his head down and doing nothing in recognition of the generous accolades here and everywhere around the country on this and previous tours. It was churlish at least.

VVS Laxman and Kohli batted sensibly for more than twenty overs and looked to be taking the side safely to stumps with no further loses and the hopes that a new day bring but in the course of the last three overs, both were gone. Laxman got an ordinary delivery on off stump from Lyon and whipped it straight to Marsh at mid wicket. If it was an ordinary ball it was an even more ordinary shot. Then, on the last ball of the penultimate over, Kohli took of for a single to keep the night watchman off the strike for the last over. Ben Hilfenhaus moved quickly (unusual), picked up cleanly (strange) and through the stumps down at the bowlers end (unbelievable). Kohli shouted anger with himself as he left wouldn't have been helped by the verbal exchange with the same player in the first innings.

With four wickets to fall and India's tail, drinks won't be required in the first session when Australia clean sweeps the series and moves up to 3rd place on the ICC Test table.

New Zealand In Charge at Napier

2012-01-27T11:09:00.002+11:00

Ross Taylor made 111x

Zimbabwe won the toss and bowled in their one off Test at Napier in New Zealand. The reasons for such a decision lie only with themselves, as the pitch looked good for batting and the match would never be controlled bating last.

The quality of the wicket was proven all day, as New Zealand batted as they pleased against an attack that was largely toothless. Kane Williamson and Dean Brownlie were like the only kids in the candy store who couldn't take any candy because they thought the lids might stop them only to watch others throw unscrewed the lids off and gorge. Brendan McCullum and Martin Guptil found the Zimbabwe bowlers easier that Australia's Pattinson and co and 134 for the first wicket and set the tone for the day. McCullum hit 8 fours and 2 sixes and yet, it was an unusually restrained innings.

Ross Taylor played the innings of the day. He was particularly vicious on anything short outside off stump, his first nine boundaries coming from cuts shorts off the faster bowlers. He took 17 from one over from leg spinner Graeme Cremer, including two huge blasts over the mid wicket fence. He was well supported, adding 64 with McCullum, 82 with Dan Vettori (batting at six now) and 53 unbeaten with BJ Watling.

Tatenda Taibu was clean and efficient behind the stumps, taking two catches and being lightning quick to stump Vettori when he dragged his back foot after being fooled by a wrong-un from Cremer. Hamilton Masakadza was the pick of the bowlers, although Kyle Jarvis bowled with a lot of heart and had Brownlie dropped by Brendan Taylor at second slip a few balls after removing McCallum.

As always with minnows, its not talent they lack, its consistency.

Nothing In It At Abu Dhabi

2012-01-27T10:42:00.003+11:00

The second day of this crucial three match series was another enthralling one, as Pakistan continue to rise above the taints which have for so long kept their cricket in the gutter. The two sides are really scrapping on a pitch that is offering turn. The bowers have been on top so far but quality batting has kept the contest even.

Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad needed only 16 deliveries to clean up the last three wickets in the Pakistan first innings. Misbah went first when Broad cut one back enough to trap his pad in front of off stump and despite review, his wonderful captain's knock was ended. Saeed Ajmal and Junaid Khan both collected ducks against Anderson; Ajmal going across the line and being rapped on the pads and Junaid producing the only catch of the innings when he meekly edged to Swann at second slip.

Cook made 94

Umar Gul and Khan bowled a brief five overs together before spin took over and in Mohammad Hafeez's fifth over of off spin, he again removed Andrew Strauss. Looking uncomfortable against the flighted ball again, he stayed in his crease and was caught in the modern way, inside edging to his pad for Asad Shafiq to take a simple catch at short leg. From here, Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott stood firm against an almost all spin attack, from Hafeez, Ajmal and Abdur Rehman, with only the briefest appearances of Gul or Khan. At lunch, England had 48 in twenty four overs. By tea, Cook and Trott were still intact, adding 84 in thirty two overs for the session. Misbah was trying everything but remaining patient and not allowing the Englishmen to get away from him. His spinners kept pressure firmly on even the best of the batting, giving away only twelve fours in 69 overs.

Trott was finally out a few overs before drinks in the last session, his 74 being the best innings he has played since returning from injury. At 1-166, his dismissal to a regulation left armers ball spinning from middle and hitting off was a surprise chink in what had seemed a solid defence.

Ajmal claims Morgan

The last hour proved again why Pakistan are so dangerous and it was their first test destroyer Ajmal who did all the damage. First he had Cook lbw only six runs short of what might have been his 20th Test hundred, out for the fourth time in the nineties. It was again the doosra, turning back to middle from off to the left hander and he didn't bother to challenge a decision he knew would not be reversed. Bell came in and chipped his third ball from Ajmal over cover for four but couldn't score again, having several close calls against the same bowler before stumps. As in Dubai, he had no idea how to pick the doosra. Kevin Pietersen looked good, even comfortable against the spin and was out in the most bizarre way. Looking to clip the ball from off stump with the spin to leg, he inside edged the ball onto his pads, off the keeper's gloves and Hafeez took a well judged catch falling to his left at first slip. Morgan fell in the last over, snicking a lofted off break from Ajmal to Haffeez at slip.

England had lost 4-41 in a little over an hour and Pakistan are now back in the contest.

Siddle & Kohli The Stars

2012-01-26T19:02:00.000+11:00

Siddle gets Tendulkar again

It was a day when the relentless and unchanging pressure of the Australians only stopped when someone pushed back against them and reminded Australians that they new side is far from invincible, resting as it is on the back of its three senior batsmen and on the quality of its deep pace attack.

India had a dreadful first session, losing Tendulkar and Gambhir to Peter Siddle's energy and accuracy and VVS Laxman to VVS Laxman with a dismissal where credit goes to the batsman rather than the bowler. Laxman just wafted a straight ball into Brad Haddin's gloves. Tendulkar was caught brilliantly by Ricky Ponting at second slip, one of many excellent snares this summer: Siddle claiming him for the third time in the series. Gambhir was out dodging a bouncer and edging in front of Michael Hussey who dived forward in the gully to hold a superb catch.

Kohli made 116

After lunch, Virat Kohli and Wriddhiman Saha continued in a determined stand which lasted almost to tea and added 114. Two young players with no hang ups and careers to play for, they played defensively for a long period of time before opening up on the Australian bowlers. Kohli scored a lot of his runs on the leg side, only three of his eleven 4's being through cover. Drives, flicks and pulls all raced to the leg side boundary. Saha was far more subdued, with a slog sweep of Lyon sent for six being his only successful aggressive shot. He eventually misjudged a ball from Ryan Harris and raised his bat allowing free passage to his off stump in the last over before tea.

After tea, Siddle completed his first five wicket haul for the summer with the quick wickets of Ravi Ashwin and Zaheer Khan. Inshant Sharma hang around for long enough to embroil himself in an upset when his partner was on 99. Almost run out as he pushed for a single and was rightly sent back, Kohli reacted hotly to yet another careless comment from Ben Hilfenhaus. Neither Kohli or Sharma are men to take backward steps in such situations and disenchantment with their summer rose quickly. Resolution came from a hitherto unlikely quarter as Ponting stepped up, took Kohli gently by the arm to lead him away and apply helpful, verbal balm. He counselled Kohli to walk away and be careful what he said for fear he might get in official trouble. It was as big a shock as anything seen on the field this season and one to be applauded. It seems Pups can teach Old Dogs new tricks. A gentler Ponting might just get his wish and go to England next year.

Kohli raised his first Test century soon after - one which had threatened since Sydney - but Hilfenhaus finished it quickly, bowling Sharma and trapping Kohli in front of a spot four or five inches outside leg stump. Replays showed what the naked eye knew ... the ball would have missed leg stump by the width of several cricket balls.

Michael Clarke declined the follow on, in appreciation for the continued heat in Adelaide and Dave Warner and Ed Cowan came out for another go at the Indian bowlers. Khan took the new ball but the off spinner Ashwin got the cherry at the other end and caused some problems. He held one back at Warner and took the return catch, after beating the outside edge several times. Khan removed Shaun Marsh with a ball that the naked eye again got right, hitting outside the line of off stump. Two decisions that were hardly raised in question, despite both being howlers at Test level. Like most things in sport, consistency would be a fine thing.

Peter Siddle - winners are grinners

Ashwin removed Cowan in the next over, absolutely plum despite Cowan searching for replays before finally leaving the ground.

The old firm are together again. Another hundred or so by lunch will do. India won't chase 500 on this wicket.

The post match interviews were informative: Kohli upset and offended by Hilfenhaus; Siddle gently pulling the media's leg about the manner in which they eased Kohli to his century. Both are outstanding competitors. Both are intense. Both expressed reasonable opinions and expressed them with appropriate options. They are separated only by the performance of their respective teams. Winner are always grinners.

What a difference twelve months have made.

Ponting Honoured

2012-01-26T10:36:00.000+11:00

Ricky Ponting OAM

thecricketragics has been a strident critic in past times of the former Australian captain Ricky Ponting on the basis of the attitudes he bought to the Australian team as Captain and his lack of insight into bowling tactics and game situations. As a captain, he was a puppet to off field management and on field personalities. His behaviour on and off the field at times, too often fell well short of expectations but he had the misfortune to play in the modern age of closer media scrutiny - which doesn't make any difference to the original concern but merely points out others have escaped in the past. When his form warranted it, thecricketragics made further calls on him to resign as a player rather than risk a further degradation of his playing record. In fact, given the inconsistency in removing the talented pair of Brad Hodge and Simon Katich from Australian teams in various forms of the game at 35, when still in peak form, thecricketragics would still claim that Ponting should have been removed by the selectors.

That said, there has never been any question mark about what he has contributed as a player to Australian cricket. He would bat at number six in thecricketragics best Australian XI of all time and has been in the top three or four fielders the game has produced in this country. His aggressive approach at the crease, his driving and pulling and running between wickets are all quintessentially Australian. He is the stereotype of an Australian cricketer. His resurgence, against probability and greatly assisted by an astute captain, is one of the miracles of modern Australian sport: the noble figure of the aging warrior, fighting on like the Python's Black Knight with all his metaphoric limbs removed but steadfast in his refusal to submit.

He is again our most consistent batsman, allowing his youthful captain to bat with vigour and enterprise and again, by his own blade destroying oppositions.

The news today, that Ricky Ponting has been made a member of the Order of Australia, not just for his services to cricket but also for the work of the Ponting Foundation in assisting families in dealing with childhood cancer, is fitting and deserved. Much is often said about sportsman receiving such honours but the weaknesses in his character aside, why shouldn't we recognise such men and women for what they contribute to Australian life and community. After all, Fred Hollows was no saint. A great cricketer is no less important to the expression of the Australian personality than a great artist or composer and many of them don't make the step to direct and lend their fame toward good causes.

thecricketragics acknowledges and applauds Ricky Ponting for this recognition of his contribution towards the Australian way of life.

Ebbs and Flows in the Desert

2012-01-26T09:58:00.001+11:00

Misbah-ul-haq made 83 not out

England and Pakistan have fought over the first day of the 2nd Test at Abu Dahbi and finished where they started.

England were forced into the unconventional change of bringing Monty Panesar back into the side because of the back injury to Chris Tremlet but may have made it anyway, given the nature of the wicket and the suggestion it will spin.

In any event, Panesar was bowling the tenth over after a tight start from Jim Anderson and Stuart Broad. It was a provocative move from Andrew Strauss but as his side is behind in the series, chances have to be taken. Graeme Swann came on soon after, with England's all spin attack being the first time in three years opposition batsmen have faced two England slow men. Mohammad Hafeez and Taufeeq Umar gave their side a bright start and added 53 for the first wicket before Swan made the first breakthough.

It was a day for straight bowling with all seven wickets being bowled or lbw. At 4-103, after two Stuart Broad strikes, Pakistan were in significant trouble until Misbah and Asad Shafiq combined to add a neat 100. By tea, Pakistan's typical steady approach had them back on track, slowly making their way to 177 with no further wickets falling. Misbah, with his usual conservative approach to batting, was giving nothing away, despite starting his innings with two huge sixes off Panesar. Only 27 were added in the hour after tea, during which the aggressive Shafiq was given out on review, slogging across the line to Swann just before the second new ball. Broad removed Adnan Akmal with the second new ball and then Rehman scored a duck in in a stand of 27 with Misbah before Swann slipped one past his bat onto off stump in the second last over. Misbah's response wasn't one that would be expected from him. Just as he had done at the start of his innings, he lifted Panesar over the boundary twice in the last over the day.

Pakistan, with three spinners and the pace of Umar Gul and Junaid Khan have the attack to cause England problems so another fifty from Pakistan could be too many for Strauss' shell-shocked batting line-up.

Australia Still Dominating India

2012-01-26T09:21:00.000+11:00

The second day of the Adelaide Test was another dominating display from Australia.

Clarke and Ponting added 386

Starting the morning with Michael Clarke and Ricky Ponting already on centuries and the wicket flat, India offered little in the way of resistance in the first session, seemingly content to set straight fields and hope their bowlers might restrict the damage and both batsmen sacrifice their wickets in frustration. Unfortunately, the bowling wasn't up to the task and the Australia took a full and heavy toll. There were drive, cuts, pulls ... a full repertoire unleashed like a couple of senior boys batting against the year sevens at lunch time. The Indians weren't up to it but that shouldn't detract from just how good the batting was. India created their only chance as the courageous Ishant Sharma was roaring in during the third quarter of the session, bowled a good length ball angled at leg stump and caused Ponting to return the ball at him in the air. It was sharpish chance for fast bowler in his follow through but he blew it.

There's an Australian saying which covers Sharma's summer ... don't by a lottery ticket.

By lunch, 134 more had been added, Clarke only just shading Ponting in the session. The pace of Clarke's innings was outstanding. Ponting's double century - raised after lunch - took 357 balls. Clarke's - raised before - was a hundred balls less.

Virender Sehwag had nothing left to offer as captain and by the time lunch arrived, India were vigorously waving the white flag. Again with the wrong attack - as in Perth - and with the same tactics which seemed to lack both effective plans and the consistency from the bowlers to carry them out, they continued to take a hiding.

The second session was marginally India's, taking four wickets despite Australia adding another 100. Clarke left three balls after the break, still burping up his lunch and missing a straight ball from Yadav intended for his leg stump and having his pads brush it back onto those sticks behind him. The partnership of 386 was just two short of the all time Australia record for the fourth wicket set by Bill Ponsford and Don Bradman at Headingly in 1934 and was not only the highest 4th wicket partnership of all time at the Adelaide Oval but the best of any pairing for any wicket there in the 70 Test, 117 year history of the place. Heady stuff.

Ponting and Michael Hussey added 50 in thirteen overs before a freakish piece of fielding from Gautum Gambhir at silly point started a clatter of wickets. Hussey pushed to cover, Gambhir stuck out a hand, grabbed it and threw down the batsman's wickets with Hussey already moving forward with the stroke. For once something went India's way. Within six overs, Ponting was out pulling Zaheer Khan to deep midwicket where Sachin Tendulkar held a good catch and Peter Siddle pushed forward at Ravi Ashwin and gave Saha his first keeper's catch in Tests. Ponting's dismissal was adjoined with another thunderous standing ovation, led conspicuously by the Australian captain in the open player's viewing area.

That's where it ended for India as Brad Haddin and Ryan Harris lashed out on either side of tea for cheap runs until a declaration after 600 was reached.

On a placid wicket, baked stale under two days of Adelaide sun and against wayward Australian bowling, the task should have been so much easier for India than at any of the three previous venues.

It wasn't.

Siddle removes Sehwag

Gambhir's improving form, saw him take full toll of loose and badly directed opening overs from both Ryan Harris and Ben Hilfenhaus. Clarke, never a man to wait when things aren't working, had Hilfenhaus off after two poor overs and turned to his go-to man, Siddle. It only took one delivery - a rank full toss somewhere between shin and knee height on leg stump - for Siddle to send Sehwag back to the dressing room. Shewag should have put it out of the ground or at least peppered the members, instead, so confused with bat in hand this summer that he no longer knows who he is, he sent it back to Siddle, high and to his right. With better fortunes than Sharma, Siddle "stuck out a mit" and caught it.

Hilfenhaus came back immediately to bowl at Rahul Dravid and a good length ball which would have passed over the stumps, passed Dravid bat handle, where his low held hands had sent the blade in search of the ball. Clearing everything wood, it brushed his right elbow instead and went down onto the wickets. On a dead easy track, such strokes of fortunes always seem to follow winners.

Dravid bowled 6 out of 7 innings

Tendulkar and Gambhir batted until stumps and should resume tomorrow with a mind to enjoy the conditions and the track. Most batsman expect practice wickets to be this good and when they are, net bowlers expect to be jogging back up the oval to fetch their balls back. India need to bat with the conviction of the champions they are or will become. In reality, Tendulkar will score that hundred, Gambhir has now adjusted to the bounce of Australian wickets, Virat Kohli will lift again and keeper Saha is a fine young batsman. Only Laxman, down in confidence after dropping another two catches and knowing the end is close looks vulnerable. There were signs that all was not right with Harris at the end, pulling up abruptly in is follow through.

All that said, India may well confirm Paterson's sentiments in his famous Australian poem. This time, instead of a stripling on a Timor pony, it may have been The Man With Snowy Haircut and Ricky of the Overflow who have combined to "halt them, cowered and beaten and turn their heads for home." India have had enough and even though a hostile reception waits for them, home is where they want to be.

As if we haven't had enough, today could again be Australia's Day.

Australia Too Hot For Stone Cold India

2012-01-24T19:21:00.000+11:00

Ricky Ponting pulls Ashwin

You could script it but no one would have believe that a down and out champion could rise so far as to assume the mantel of his former glory, but after encouraging displays in Sri Lanka and South Africa, Ricky Ponting has returned home to provide a glut of runs against India. Failing only in Perth, Ponting added to his record with another unbeaten century, this time adding 251 for the 4th wicket against India in Adelaide. His day started auspiciously, with ominous signs in the 20th over as he played a glorious straight drive and and a back foot cover drive for four from Umesh Yadav, before pulling him powerfully to forward square leg. As the day wore on, he batted with respect for the Indians but no compassion. Only Ishant Sharma kept him controlled.

Ponting's century, as classy as it was, was not the main story of the day. The headlines belonged to captain Michael Clarke who adopted an aggressive response to the Indians from the time he near ran onto the Adelaide Oval at the fall of Cowan's wicket. Whilst his aggression needed some luck - you make your own they say - his attitude was as rewarded as the Adelaide crowd who were dazzled by his batting. At 38 he slapped at a wide ball from Sharma and edged through the vacant first slip. Sehwag had allocated one man for the slips and had him standing at second and then near the end, Sharma found his edge with the second new ball and Laxman dropped a diving effort to his right at second slip.

Ishant Sharma had no luck

Ishant Sharma has had that sort of a tour ... consistently bowling well, finding edges and watching his hard work get dropped in the dirt.

Clarke and Ponting were superb. Taking advantage of a badly constructed Indian attack which needed Ohja rather than Sehwag doing the second spinner's role, they were further aided by Yadav having a terribly off day. He had four spells, none of them very good, with length being the major problem. You can't bowl full tosses and long hops to high quality batsmen and hope to get away with it. There is little doubt of his potential but until he can avoid displays such as these where he goes at more than seven an over, he can't play Test cricket. Sehwag tried things for the first two sessions but had plainly had enough after tea. When Yadav went for 12 with his first over and a new ball in hand, he was immediately replaced by Ravi Ashwin. Dave Warner played two maidens from the off spinner and then looking to take Zaheer Khan off his stumps, he instead walked across and was lbw. The replay indicated it would have skimmed a bail which can only raise further doubt re the tracking technology. The naked eye would have it hitting two thirds of the way up leg. When Ashwin bowled Shaun Marsh three overs later, a ripple of surprise ran through the crowd. Marsh is so bamboozled at the moment that he let a straight ball through his defence and lost his off stump. It was a cunning delivery and not the off break Marsh expected but it should have been easily defended.

Michael Clarke hit 82 in bomdaries

Cowan looked very good in adding 53 with Ponting but he was again fooled by Ashwin, who sent down a top spinning dipper which duped Cowan into a drive but it didn't make it all the way to the proposed point of contact, causing Cowan to slightly lift his drive and have Laxman take a very good diving catch at short cover.

There after, Clarke and Ponting took the Indians apart. Clarke trailed Ponting by 37 when he came in, outscored his senior partner at all stages of the partnership and eventually went past him by the close. Clarke has scored 140 of the 251 partnership.

Its a belter of a pitch and if the Indians weren't 0-3, with the captain suspended, Laxman, Sehwag and Dravid in terrible form and Tendulkar and Kohli with the handicap of expectation on their shoulders, it would be easy to still imagine this as a high scoring draw. There is more to taking wickets than the state of the pitch. Five years ago, England made 500 large in the first innings, led by a few and then rolled over like drunk ducks in lake of lager at the merest nasty looks from Shane Warne. The Australian pace attack has the same look in their eyes.

4-0 is still looking awfully good.

Will Adelaide It On Them?

2012-01-24T09:40:00.001+11:00

It will be a very different Test this trip to Adelaide: hotter, more humid and on a deck more likely to spin than seam. Then again, it will also be much of the same: India are demoralised, their champions lost in woeful footwork and abandoned form, their captain muted in the dressing room and the Australians more confident than in three seasons.

What to make of it?

Nathan Lyon looking to celebrate

Australia has dropped Mitchell Starc in favour of Nathan Lyon, a necessary move in the conditions. Perth is, after all, the only place where the four quicks policy can ever find legs. The pitch will hold turn for Lyon and for the skipper's left arm tweekers because two spinners will be handy from day three on. Ben Hilfenhaus and Peter Siddle have moved the ball through the air all summer and the humid conditions likely on the first three days will aid that greatly and any pitch that will entertain turn will pay similar compliments to cut or seam. If Siddle's off cutter could be devastating anywhere else there is no reason to doubt it in Adelaide. Ryan Harris comes home to his original home ground with the constant question mark over his ability to play consecutive Tests within a week.

Interesting fellow Harris. For some reason most think of him as being a seasoned veteran, but here he sneaks his Test record out of single figures. In fact, Adelaide will become the only ground after Perth where he has played a second match.

The batting looks confident apart from Shaun Marsh, who has undergone a severe transformation since those first two Tests in Sri Lanka and he's had more meals than runs since then but the selectors have wisely stuck with him. Whether that will be the case by the time the team takes the field in Bridgetown in early April is another case entirely. If Warner fires again, it could be another Indian blood letting exercise as Adelaide's skinny sides will be well short of holding him. A couple of runners might need to be posted outside the ground at the Victor Richardson Gates to retrieve lost lobs.

Haddin is the other weak link but when sides are winning, even the rusty links are covered in gloss.

She'll be right - Virendar Sehwag

India are a mess. Beaten convincingly in all three Tests, they have failed to respond to Australian conditions despite having a batting list which has both experience and success here. Sehwag, having been forced into the captaincy is talking of batting in the middle order. It didn't work for Dilshan and it won't work for Sehwag. Added responsibility won't help, especially when he didn't want it. Dravid's footwork has been exposed by the cleverness of the Australian plan to move the ball back at his off stump and deny him width. Against lesser attacks last year, he took easy runs out side off stump and then picked them off on slower, lower pitches in the the West Indies, England and at home. Uncomfortable with the ball bouncing above his waist, his bat is coming down from gully/point in order to work the ball to the leg side. As players age, they tend to try and play everything to their strength and his angled backlift and slower reflexes have been unable to cope with the inbound missiles that keep hitting his stumps.

Laxman looks finished and India loose nothing in debuting Rohit Sharma here.

The bright spots have been Sachin Tendular and Virat Kohli but both have to move beyond good starts and well made fifties and make hundreds in Adelaide. Perhaps both can then relax once symonds have been brushed from their backs and get about the business of playing a better standard of cricket.

Pragyan Ohja must play

India must do what they failed to do in Perth and invent their own approach to this Test. Following the Australia philosophy of four pace men into the last Test was a disaster and Adelaide affords them the chance to play their strength and pick two spinners. Therefore Kumar and Ishant Sharma should be removed and Ashwin and Ohja inserted. Using Sehwag as the second spinner distracts him from his real purpose in the team and bothers no one in a confident Australian batting list. Zaheer bothers the Australians the most - one way or the other - and his new ball partner should be the still raw but exciting Umesh Yadav, who bought India back into the game in Perth after Warner had blasted them on the first afternoon.

Wriddhiman Saha comes in for Dhoni. He's a better batsman than wicketkeeper, bought on the tour to fill batting holes and couldn't have thought he would have the gloves when his skipper filled that role. If India don't pick two spinners, he may the reason.

Its hard to see a reversal, despite the heat working against the big Australian pacemen but beyond all else, Australia have a master tactician at the helm and its even harder to imagine him taking the pressure off. No consideration of a dead rubber as another win here lifts Australia up to third on the ICC world Test rankings. Twelve months ago we were fifth.

This Test will last longer than others but it will surprise if it gets to five days.

England's Top Order Woeful

2012-01-21T18:10:00.000+11:00

Misbah-ul-haq made a patient 52

It won't have escaped Micky Arthur's attention that England were dispatched in just a few overs short of three days in Dubai. Pakistan, continuing to rise up the rankings - as are Australia - have taken a significant advantage in this three match series in the UAE and not just a 1-0 lead in the series. Of particular note should be the manner in which England's crack batting line up folded their desert tents in both innings and headed into the wilderness.

All of it because of sustained pressure and bowling in partnerships and English batsmen too arrogant to treat their opposition as seriously as they did Australia last summer. Strauss, Cook, Trott and Pietersen were out to poor shots in both innings, Morgan only in the first. Trott was caught down the leg side in both innings. Ian Bell was at least done by great deliveries in both innings, doosra's from Saeed Ajmal that would have done for the best in the world and Bell can easily claim that title in the middle order. On the first day, the wicket hardly turned and didn't provide deadly bounce. Ajmal varied his pace and length and impetuosity took care of the rest.

Having lasted 73 overs in the first innings, England's 58 over capitulation on the 3rd day was a disgrace, this time Umar Gul taking the first three wickets with catches behind and Pietersen's lazy hook shot which top edged itself to Rehmann at deep square leg. You need your number four to have more control at 2-25 and still more than a hundred behind. Its a lesson Ricky Ponting was able to learn late in his career and one of the reasons he'll end as great as he started and guys like Pietersen will spill their talent needlessly and always come up short.

Apart from Graeme Swann and Stuart Broad adding 48 for the eight wicket and two and a half hours of resistance from Jonathan Trott , the innings had no spine. After Gul, the left armer spin of Abdur Rehmann and the sublime off spin of Saeed Ajmal didn't so much mop up as surgically remove the rest of the batting list. Ajmal took 10-97 and was MOTM.

Earlier, Pakistan used almost as many overs in their one innings as England used in two. If you watch them play Test cricket expecting to scintillating strokeplay you'll have a high level of disappointment. Apart from Mohammad Hafeez who usually likes to move the score along. The rest drop anchor and wait for loose deliveries. Misbah-ul-huq has insisted his men value their wicket and grind away. Remove the loose shots and occupy the crease. Hafeez top scored with an unusually slow 88 and his his opening stand of 114 with Taufeeq Umar burst the bubble that has been the feared England pace attack. Younis Khan, Adnal Akmal and in particular the skipper Misbah, played long innings which denied England and caused long spells from her bowlers. The main wicket takers all bowled about thirty overs each. Swann took more chances and was rewarded with wickets but without the variety or conjuring tricks of Ajmal, he never looked the threat that his opposite posed.

Lots of leadership needed
from Andrew Strauss

Hafeez took four overs to score all the runs needed for the ten wicket victory.

In the next two weeks England have to win twice to take a series they appear to have approached lightly. Strauss is talking up their chances, quoting the turn around after a Perth loss last year but his men had been on raw meat before Australia and their diet looks more like croissants and cream puffs now. If they deserve NO 1 more than Javed Miandad has suggested, they will have to prove it in those two weeks. Whilst the bowlers did most of the wet work getting them to world supremacy, the signs are it is the batsmen who have to ride into town and shake the place apart with a Lions roar.

It will be good trick if they pull it off. The second Test starts in Abu Dhabi next Wednesday.

Aunty Still Fuller Tragics

2012-01-20T18:13:00.000+11:00

ABC Morning Show host
Kelly Fuller

The ABC Morning Show Cricket Tragics returned to this week. Host Kelly Fuller has been anchoring the cricket panel since late 2010 to discuss issues about the game at the first class and beyond level of the game and still has her three original Tragic panelists, Tony Meppem, Doug Selems and Peter Langston. This season, John Hyde has been added to the panel.

Listeners across the New England and North West of NSW can listen to in to their prognostications on Friday mornings after the news headlines at 10:30am.

Click on the link below to listen to this week's discussion about the improvements in Australian cricket and the reasons for it. Past discussions can be found under the "Tragics Radio" link.

ABC NENW Cricket Tragics 20th February, 2012

The SCG, Poetry & Other Stuff

2012-01-19T23:35:00.001+11:00

Lango at the SCG

There have been many highlights in this haphazard collation of years which have conspired to bring me to this point. Some I couldn't even pinpoint to a specific place and time and most I wouldn't care to draw into lists for fear of comparing them.

Twelve years ago, just being brave enough to stay alive was and still remains my greatest achievement but moment by moment, watching my sweetheart walk towards me knowing that even though sixty people stood in this bush setting for our marriage, we were the only ones there will always outrank the best. She is, after all, my alpha and omega and as she walked, she smiled.

Holding my kids moments after their mother had given them to the world was a biggy repeated three times with as much intensity first, second or third time. Watching the eldest die in staged tragedy on the mean streets of Liverpool and beneath the sands of Egypt; reading my daughters words about me and hearing them call for change and reverberate across the rural landscape; seeing my youngest applying his skills with his students ... these are journeys I have been a willing passenger to.

I need not remind you of my disinclination for comparison but its fair to say, what has happened in the past few months is in that second subset of life's pleasurable surprises - the ones that belong to how we apply the skills we have. Without doubt, with all achievement their is an element of luck but if we call that a given, there are times when we should feel proud of things we have done. My first half century, for instance, 40 years ago at Lilli Pilli Oval .... or my first hundred ... graduation day at Teachers College ... the eulogy at my Mum's funeral ... kids I taught ... being named one of the three best teachers in NSW ... well, we all have such lists. Some of us call them resumes, some of us call them a few beers at the pub and some of us call them old age.

After having to find something to do after leaving teaching, I have pursued writing in one form or another for the past decade. My success is for your measure or those who have been generous, brave or gullible enough to read and buy my poetry. Putting the thoughts which are bouncing about your head out to folks and saying "well this is what I was thinking about ... what do you reckon?" seems easy enough but you soon learn that feedback is your payment. The good or the bad are much the same but its the vacant which is generally the most taxing.

Last November, I wrote a poem specifically about a Brett Whiteley self portrait and it was selected for inclusion in an exhibition at the New England Regional Art Museum. At the time, I happily allowed myself to be quoted as saying that however things were supposed to get, they couldn't get any better than this. Then, on the second day of the Sydney Test, the curator of the SCG Museum, Leah Dromanski, emailed to advise me that my poem "When Dougie Did The Double" had been chosen for the 100th Test exhibition.

This week, I travelled to Sydney and have now seen my writing in a perspex case in front of Doug Walters Baggy Green Test cap. Beside it is Frank Worrell's cap from the Brisbane Tied Test and a West Indies bat autographed by the 1960-61 team.

To be truthful, it was almost surreal. I suspected the clock on the wall would drip and droop at any moment but it didn't. It didn't seem right to be attracting accolades in the company of such ghosts ... for goodness sake, Steve Waugh's red, towelling hanky was only metres away!

Steve and I

Of course, the reality is that I am thrilled. They are not my words of course, merely the way I choose to use them but to have reached such a stage of recognition that the past few months has stood me on is to provide the perfect opportunity to take stock and enjoy the journey. This is not my destination, you'll understand and I may never find another stop along the way which affords others such an obvious view of my obsession - writing or cricket, the choice best be yours - but such spots are recompense for days when the pen wouldn't work and despair seemed easier to embrace than joy was to find.

I am grateful for your messages of support since this news first snuck from my pocket behind John Mayer's cheery ringtone, "Message in a Bottle", as Clarkey was fine tuning the serious end of the second third of his triple century. Some of you have been embracing me with well meant false praise since the days of dreadful dirges and hopefully you can now justify your lies. I, for one, will never condemn you for them because they helped get me here.

I wish my mother might see the exhibit - either actually - but this week, my father and Sue joined me to view the final product which lies within earshot of a well struck cover drive. Dad had his hand on my shoulder and his heart on his sleeve.

Sue was smiling again.

England Stumbling

2012-01-18T10:09:00.002+11:00

Saeed Ajmal took seven
against England - his best
bowling in Tests

It might have worked for Len Lovich but for England, their lucky number is definitely not 1. In the first of three Tests in the UAE against the rising stars of world cricket, Pakistan, seven of thecricketragics' World XI are on show. So far, its not Gillagns Island because the minnow certainly isn't lost.

Andrew Strauss won the toss and England fielded their "A" team and from there it was all down hill. Misbah-ul-Haq confirmed his status as the world's best skipper, removing opening bowler Aizaz Cheema after only two overs and swining off spinner Mohammad Hafeez into the attack to take advantage of the two English left handers. It had immediate effect, Alastair Cook cutting at the third ball and being caught behind. Hafeez only bowled six overs in a 72 over innings. Jonathan Trott went seven overs later, the only man to fall to pace, when he lazily got a wafer on a short ball from Cheema down the leg side and was caught behind.

From their, Saeed Ajmal - last year's top wicket taker - and the left Abdur Rehmann were simply too good for the Englishman, reducing them to 7-94 in 42 overs on what looked to be good batting track. There was turn but nothing insurmountable but the variation and the flight was. Ajmal's first ball deception of Ian Bell with a doosra was spell binding. Ajmal picked up five lbw's among his 7-55, some won through DRS, some confirmed. Had it not been for a typically belligerent half century from Matt Prior and some Swan drives, things for England would have been more desperate.

Hafeez and Taufeeq were dismissive of the much vaunted English attack in the fifteen overs until stumps.

Actually, things are still pretty desperate.

Dhoni Stop Him From Playing

2012-01-17T23:59:00.001+11:00

Mahendra Singh Dhoni
banned for slow over rates

The ICC loves to remind the cricket world that it stillthinks it is running the game and the decision to suspend MS Dhoni, taken afterIndia were again thrashed in Perth inwhat has become a moving orgy of ritualistic killing by Australia’s fast bowlers,is another in the long list of no brainers.

On the surface, making captains responsible for over ratesseems a reasonable ploy to make sure the paying public gets value for theirtickets. Of course, if this was an important consideration, you wouldn’t see in twodays at the Gabba what you can only see in one at the SCG. When the Kiwis were pasted in just three and a half days in Brisbane last November, it cost $135 to see the first three days andpublic transport to and from the groundwas free. In Sydney two months later, similar seats and facilities over thefirst three days cost $345, buses and trains cost the earth and parking at theground was $20 day ... cheaper that public transport but unlike Brisbane,nowhere near as eco-friendly. Heaven knows how much the mums and dads and twoor three kiddywinkles cost.

So much for caring about the paying public! Most care isdirected toward making sure they keep paying.

Over rates are a modern concern for the game. From the late1950’s for ten years, cricket was considered dull, with high scoring drawsdominating results. The bright spot came during the 1960-61 tour by the WestIndies, when the Australia Board of Control was so worried about dull cricketsending patrons running to the beaches, they told Richie Benaud and the touringcaptain, Frank Worrell that brightcricket would be rewarded. It was at a time when the baby boomers had youngimpressionable boys running about in their sub teens and the next crop ofpotential Test players were yet to be steered in the direction of the BaggyGreen. The Board consisted of Don Bradman and a collection of venerables who unsurprisingly agreed with with his every word and they saw the danger of surfing champions rising from the bosoms of doting mothers. Of course, bums on wooden seats in antiquatedstands never entered their stockbroker, banker, lawyers heads.

Apart from South Africa and the West Indies who played towin, Test teams played to not lose.

Despite this negativity, over rates were splendid. Any number of examples can be found but take the tied Test in Brisbane as one example. Approximately 520 over were bowled (six ball equivalent overs) over the space of five days of six hours each day. That's more than a hundred overs a day and Wes Hall bowled more than sixty of them from a run that pushed off the sightboard.

Then in 1975-76, Clive Lloyd’s West Indians came toAustralia and were thrashed by much the same mob of Australians who thrashedthe Poms the season before. In his team were the baby-faced Viv Richards, whostarted the tour as Lillee and Thommo's bunny and finished it with a swagger; andthe fast bowling Rolls Royce, Michael Holding, who cried in Sydney when IanChappell was caught behind but given not out but bought batsmen to tears everafter. Lloyd took the lesson of three fast bowlers and ramped it up to four andtwenty years and three generations of West Indies domination began.

The Big Bird

It was then that over rates plummeted. Twelve overs an hourwas the maximum and his bowlers would average 18 overs in the day. You couldn’twear them out and you could get after them. Two balls an over were bouncers,three were short of a length and maybe one was up in the batsman’s half. If youcould score of the fuller and some of the shorter ones, you might get 15 to 20 balls an hour to score off. Bruce Laird once complained to one of the West Indian quicks that they never offered the batsman a chance to drive. "If you want to drive maan, buy a car," came the rum seasoned reply.Coupled with aggressive batting, it was aneffective way to stifle the opposition but it also strangled the game. Scoringrates dwindled, beating them became next to impossible and fans lost interest.

In the 1990’s, the ICC moved against slow over rates –essentially against the Windies – insisting on 90 over days or 15 overs anhour and limited the number of short balls initially to one per over but relenting to two. Lights on grounds meant that play could continue well past the scheduledclose. My son and I watched Warnie take his 300^th Test wicket in1998 at the SCG, Jacques Kallis being bowled at about 7:10pm. A line producer atChannel 9 got his backside rearranged by Mr Packer when he aired a CurrentAffair instead. In the early Naughties some Tests in England played on into thegloom nearing 9:00pm, just to fit in the overs and in one famous example, theAustralians fielded in a final session for nearly four hours.

TV executives and players weren’t happy, Mark Taylor chiefamong them.

So, with modifications here and there, we moved to thecurrent system, where fielding captainsare held responsible for ensuring appropriate over rate targets are met. Soundsfair?

Well, there are issues with this.

Watch how often captains use non regular bowlers to ripthrough overs towards the end of a session in order get the tally up by thebreak. Hasn’t it surprised you that Clarke has so often turned to Hussey forthree or four overs just before lunch, tea or stumps. In Sri Lanka, Pontingbowled a few overs of offies at one stage. Why do you think Sehwag bowls sooften for India? Look at each international team and instead of finding overrated bowlers you’ll see “over rate” bowlers.

Why are so many teams at Test level loathe to play four fastbowlers? Clarke did in Perth but he was confident of running through theIndians. South Africa keep selecting Imran Tahir but its not because he is aclassy leg spinner – short run up, six balls in two minutes. The Windies andEngland have lucked in that Bishoo and Swann also take wickets.

Clarke going through
the change

The worst factor which abuses this rule, are the constantinterruptions from “runners”. Unless you attend Tests, you are not aware howoften the game stops. When Australia is batting, gloves are changed every 30 to45 minutes, at which time, the batsman have a drink. This happens all day,regardless of the heat or the circumstances and irrespective of official drinksbreaks. There are at least three of these interruptions per session and in Sydney, I counted three sessions that had four and they each rob thegame of a minute. Doesn’t sound like much? That’s at least 9 minutes in everydays play and with additional half hours being the norm, perhaps its 12minutes. Bowling teams also have a liability, but watching at the ground, thebatsmen seem the worst and in this series, the Australians, in the six days of Test cricket I have attended this summer, are the worst offenders, far more the guilty party than India. The excuse: they need to change their gloves ...gloves that are specifically designed to reduce heat and absorb and hold sweat without affecting grip. Bear inmind, that in the cool of Hobart and with batsman coming and going quickly, thesame exchanges still happened.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni – please Mark Nicholas, don’t call him“MS” again ... he doesn't have debilitating disease – the Indian captain, ended Perth two overs short. Wickets falling, injuries and sight screen issues, constant movements in the crowd were all mitigated in his favour but he still finished short of the quota. Hewas fined 40% of his match fee and the Indian players 20%. He has been suspended because its his second "offence" in a twelve month period, the first in Barbados against the West Indies. Now, in a series which the reputation of some of the most wonderful players of the last fifteenyears has been shredded by a bright new captain and his mix of youth andexperience, the ICC removes the opposition captain. How is this in the interest of cricket and particularly of the fans, either at home or at the ground? India must turn to Sehwag for captaincy - and he doesn't want it - when only VVS Laxman among the batsmen has a worse record this summer. Batsman Wriddhiman Saha will likely keep.

Give them heavy fines but don't deny them from playing.

Two overs ... let see ... an all pace attack in Perth soperhaps those two overs equate to 9 or 10 minutes. Where else might the umpires have found those minutes do you think and when are umpires going to start saying no to unplanned stoppages which are taking advantage of rules to allow re-hydration of particularly the older players? Its all very well for senior Australian players to call on fieldsmen and batsmen to sort out close catches "in the spirit of cricket" but if the spirit is to run free, it applies to these unscheduled drinks breaks. The old times - anyone pre 1990 is ancient these days - survived on one drink an hour and in fact less, if the fielding captain chose to ignore drinks.

Hmmmm.

India are beaten and the Indian Board looking forscalps; Dhoni talking about retiring from Tests, so perhaps it doesn’t matter.

Imagine the outcry if the series had been 1-1.

Peter & Me - Reprised

2012-01-16T07:42:00.000+11:00

This is an unusual post for this website. In more than four hundred and fifty posts in the two years, none have attracted as much comment as "Peter & Me". It was written, intentionally, as a very personal reaction to Peter Roebuck's death and a reflection of how much his writing had meant to me. It is fairly raw, emotive stuff, without the usual detachment I bring to descriptions of play or prognostications on the great game. For me, Peter's death was very personal because of the resonance in my life which the piece explains.

It is republished, despite the numerous links which existed to it already on the site, by means of additional homage certainly but mainly because so many have asked me too. Hopefully your forbearance will excuse repetition.

Peter & Me 13th November, 2011

Peter Roebuck is dead.

There it was, typed almost as an after thought in a comment on the final piece I'd written about the first Test at Newlands. I was eating lunch in a park in Coonabarabran, on the homeward journey from a music festival at the Warrumbungles National Park. I'll always remember the place, the time, the circumstance.

It only took a few scans of online news pages to garner enough of the puzzle pieces and ignite memories I have learned to tolerate, even manage - memories of undeserved survival that haunt me with a currency that is more remarkable for the ease with which the trouble of others can press so heavily on my own heart. I sat with my wife, cried briefly and shared anecdotes about the man. It helped in that way that talking presses the hard part of grief back, forestalls it until later when you have no more reasons and alone, tears may come with no impedance.

Why?

Most of you would know my great admiration for Roebuck's writing - some have even said I have turned same into writer's impersonation. There is truth in both statements/accusations but there is back story which explains the depth of my reaction to both his death and the nature of it and I wish to express that before any more details become apparent in what I fear will be a sordid frenzy. As Gideon Haigh said today"before we are overwhelmed by the tragedy of the death, I hope we recall the quality of the life and the quality of the work he was responsible for." To do so, I will have to be personal in a way I have never intended for this site and I'll have to leave my back open to any stray knives which might, by happen-stance or design, find their way to an unprotected soft spot between my shoulder blades. This is my risk. Yours is for you to determine.

Ten years ago, my life was in such complete turmoil that I four times attempted suicide. I had failed myself, my family, my employer and my parents by collapsing my world into such a small and unsustainable place that I had no choice but to remove the burden I had created in this failure from all of the people I cared most about. I was no longer the subject for personal consideration. Twelve months earlier, I was so invincible that the world could not contain me but now, by macabre contrast, my world had shrunken to the crawl space behind a lounge chair in the corner of a house I hardly knew. There in the foetal clench of my own arms, I imagined I swam in blood and shattered fragments of all the damage I had caused. In such a dark place, how could the colours be so bright or seek such vengeance?

These were not the thoughts of a rational man but their insanity was then and still is today of no solace. The only argument of merit is to accept that's how I was. If you are desperate enough, if your pain is so great, you will readily make the leap into suicide. You have no thoughts of nobility beyond the chance to just, for once, get something right.

I survived by luck or God's grace - your own belief structure can make the call - and in the process of surviving survival, I had to find reasons to continue living. My family's love should have been enough but it wasn't and sadly, rarely is. For me, I had to see a future for myself and in sifting through myriads of suggestions from almost as many loving friends and family, the idea of writing came to the surface. I wrote a memoir which was long and boring (cause and effect right there). I started writing poetry, some of which became my first collection but it was a chance conversation which married two of my great passions, cricket and writing - a partnership which proved the most cathartic. In Armidale in the 1980's, I had become a cricket correspondent almost by chance but afterwards by design and for five years wrote weekly articles on the game for local newspapers.

As a teacher, I would instruct my students that practise didn't make perfect but perfect practise did and in order to be the best, you should study the best. The link to Peter Roebuck become, therefore, obvious. His writing had all of the qualities I wanted in my own: fearless expression of opinions no matter how unpopular; ideas articulated devoid of banalities or cliché; every piece was an original; thoughtful intelligence which didn't boast of itself; deep, deep knowledge; encouragement seen as being as important as admonishment; reasoned arguments; destruction of pomposity and class systems; and the desire to impart the singular importance of savouring the game like fine art or good music or dishes soaked in love. I could go on describing the elements of any Roebuck piece but where lies the need? If you have read only one, you are aware of the strengths, passions and integrity of the man. He is, after all, the captain who would sack Ian Botham and let Viv Richards and Joel Garner go from their Somerset contracts on matters of principle.

Slowly, with no style of my own at first but eventually finding my voice and always taking responsibility for my own successes and failures, I have built my writing on the game to the point where I write most days. Some pieces are better than others but any writer who claims to drip gems from every squeeze of the writing lemon, needs no reminder other than declining interest. Two years ago I set up this website and for three months, the page view numbers equated with how often I reminded my Dad or my wife that I had recently posted.

Now things are a little more solvent as the Manhattan chart on the site speaks in its ever taller sky scrapers. I even have a weekly gig on the local ABC radio talking about the game. I found an unknown future at a time when I had destroyed my past and the link between the two was Peter Roebuck. I was inspired that cricket could be spoken of in such beautifully constructed words and learned that emulation wasn't copying. His writing taught me to write from a heart that was already swollen with the real meanings of the game at both the macro and the micro level. Recently I wrote the recollections of a mate, initiated by his funeral and the warmth of successive speakers whose portraits of him glowed with his humour, humility and humanity Lessons Learned From A Good Man In the same piece, I contrasted the spiritual rape of the game by those who would corrupt its youth and deny the game its basic truth of a contest fairly fought. Its an example of who I want to be as a writer but I know that would have been beyond me without Roebuck's example. Haigh correctly claims that Roebuck's writing has influenced all those who have filed stories or written tomes after him, although although the exemption of player tour diaries, cook books and post career tell alls was an oversight by Haigh.

Apart from the importance of his inspiration, I have adored reading his pieces. As other's have said, not because I have always agreed with his point of view but because of the courage and the construction. Comic Will Anderson said today "I didn't always agree with Roebuck articles, but fuck I loved to read them."Secondary english students should study his works for style, phrasing and the building of a piece. His was writing of such exquisite style that his body of work stands beside Cardus and Fingleton and to a lesser extent, EW Swanton. In today's media, only his instant biographer, Gideon Haigh - quoted here purposefully - could be considered his superior but it would need a DRS to separate them.

His death, therefore, is like losing a lifeline and a treasure and the daily in-joke I felt with each read of the Herald.

To realise this afternoon, well before it was officially announced by police in Cape Town, that he had ended his own life, was far too close to home and left me feeling selfish that I had survived. I fear further news may erode, perhaps completely, the credibility we all need to survive in a community - an erosion Roebuck was apparently overcome by in a sudden rush to resolution. If so, I will be further conflicted as I dodge other dark shadows from a time when a boy's simple faith was complicated by the designs and sick desires of one I had a right to expect I could trust. I'll face that if and when but for the time being, hope that wild speculation is dulled by the truth.

His age was the final straw. Six months after his March birthday, I also turned 55.

It seems appropriate to sign off sans non de plume: another Peter, very much alive but aching with sadness and gratitude for a man I only met through words. One final task is simpler but too damned late: thank you Peter.

Peter Langston

Forget The Trash Talk... Australia Were Brilliant

2012-01-15T17:16:00.000+11:00

With the house full signs up for the third day in a row at the WACA and the wind blowing from the ocean for the first time, Rahul Dravid and Virat Kohli set out as knight-errants against the fearsome enemy and its four headed dragon. Ryan Harris and Ben Hilfenhaus fired bullets for the first half hour and Peter Siddle and Mitchell Starc took the second shift but for once, two Indians chose to fight. Their problem was, their journey needed to be such a long one. India needed to add another 300 in losing their next two wickets to cause Michael Clarke's men any sense of worry on a pitch that is wearing.

How to do that?

Fighting spirit was something both the new and experienced members of this partnership have and similarly skill. Kohli, in particular has been a good learner on this tour. More importantly, to survive you need luck. In the first hour, they had plenty. Dravid, with his shaky technique of feet moving into all the wrong places and his bat coming down into position late and from almost square of the wicket, played and missed often. In those moments when went back to earlier days, he was forward with a long press and looking comfortable. Kohli had less doubts but he had his moments, including a glancing blow from the helmet which flew over Brad Haddin down to the boundary and was given as runs. In Starc's last over, Kohli played the shot of the morning, a delightful drive through mid wicket, raised his fifty in the process and 41 had been added with no mishap.

Dravid - haven't we seen this before

Two more close calls after drinks, when Harris jagged one back from a crack and shaved Kohli's off stump and Dravid steered one from his well used inside edge and back to his pad which seemed castle bound. Starc was around the wicket by this stage, not satisfied with the amount of inswing the Dr was providing. The added angle into Dravid's pads gave the batsman the upper hand, leaning an on drive past a wider than necessary mid on and down to the rope but in the next over, Harris pushed one through the gate and Dravid was bowled again, playing across the line of the ball instead of coming straight through it: eight times now in the last ten Test innings. Harris handed Dravid (54 times) the honour of now being the most bowled batsman of all time, ahead of Alan Border (53), Sachin Tendulkar (48) and Jacques Kallis (45). Not a club he would have aspired to but at least the company is good. More importantly, in terms of his quality, he's not even in the top ten in terms of percentage of innings bowled, where Warwick "The Big Ship" Armstrong and Victor Trumper lead the way with more than 40% and Wally Hammond, Gary Sobers Viv Richards were more likely to be bowled than Dravid. Still, eight in ten tells a story.

The fifth wicket partnership of 84 was good but not good enough, despite the 32 overs and the nearly two hours it occupied.

Dhoni tried to be patient but after twenty minutes he edged Siddle, still stuck like McGrath on the off stump line and Ricky Ponting held a low, rolling catch coming forward at second slip which made a mockery of his age. It would have won him beers for an hour in a backyard game.

Kohli made 75

Kohli, with a clear understanding of the tissue paper soldiers at the other end, cracked a superb cover drive off Hilfenhaus and then steered him between the two gullies with consummate control and power. Siddle was momentarily off the leash and bouncing Vinay Kumar but the Indian No 8 took revenge against Hilfenhaus in the next over, smashing a wild drive past mid off. Siddle was back with the program for the last over, bowling an excellent maiden before lunch, most of them brushing past Kohli's bat.

Too bad if you were caught in the queue for your bucket of hot chips when play restarted.

Hilfenhaus has 23 wickets and
thecricketragic decried his recall!

It took just twenty deliveries. Kumar waved at one from Hilfenhaus and was caught at first slip by Clarke. Zaheer Khan got a boomer next ball which climbed at his gloves and was caught again by Clarke, despite Haddin running interference. Ishant Sharma lasted three deliveries and another short ball couldn't be kept down and Ed Cowan accepted the shelled peas at short leg. Siddle finished it off with the second ball of the next over, finally finding the edge of Kohli's bat after near misses before lunch. The quality of Kohli's fight was easily forgotten in the euphoria and post match interviews which followed. His 75 was his Test best so far but he'll do better in the years to follow, not just because of his talent but because losing hurts him. All the best players hate it

It was another comprehensive hiding. India fought hard yesterday but the game was already over. Winners are grinners and the results keep stacking up better than anyone could have hoped. A new order has had to be established and to Cricket Australia's credit, it has been from the very top to the very bottom and Australian cricket has begun to rebuild towards a dominance it established in the late 1980's. Then it was the work of Lawrie Sawle as chief selector who did more than pick teams. He also established Australian under age championships and promoted the establishment of the cricket academy, as it was known originally. It was also because of Bob Simpson and his coaching/managing roll, even though that is denied by some of the people involved now. Simpson had a way of irritating. Border played his part but it wasn't until Mark Taylor took the reigns that the glory was fully realised and little wonder, as Tubby was the best skipper to wear the Baggy Green.

How could he have
done it better?

Every part of Australian cricket has been restructured and Michael Clarke has been a very important part of that. Its not possible to listen to the naysayers any more because this bloke is the real deal. His rotation of bowlers in this match was as good as you would want. His field placements, whilst very much part of the modern idiom, were thoughtful and never fixed. HE's doing the thinking. He might be listening to the coaches and the senior players but he is most definitely the captain and since taking the top job by default last year in Sydney, he's finished a series already lost, beaten Sri Lanka without a loss in Sri Lanka, drawn a series against South Africa when they were demoralised and facing 0-2, drew against the Kiwis when another 8 runs would have delivered 2-0 and has now thrashed India ... all in the context of constant injury, question marks over form of leading players, low brow slanging about suitability as captain and scrutiny from media who never have enough hide to be satisfied.

If Australia wins in Adelaide, they will pass India in the ICC rankings and will be third. Our new skipper has lifted our team ranking two places in twelve months. Isn't it about time we get behind him without being on his back. As I was told often as a kid, you're either part of the solution or part of the problem, so stop whinging Australia because if you are one of those who still hammer Clarke, you've run out of evidence.

Warner deserved his MOTM award this time but wouldn't it be nice if we could have shared it with the bowlers. Warner set up the win but the bowlers delivered it.

More Spine But Still Jelly Legs

2012-01-14T21:10:00.000+11:00

Dhoni and Kohli conspire
to drop Warner at 126

What do you do when you've had the worst possible day in Test cricket?

For most, you toughen up, you start with your best bowlers, you set defensive fields but with men who might take advantage when a mistake is made and you review your bowling plans and reset your bowlers to bowl where they are told ... and you have your best men in their best positions.

That's not entirely how India started the day.

Sure, Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma opened the bowling but that's about it. Too much was too full and driven sumptuously or too short and taken square or too wide which just made things dead easy for Dave Warner and Ed Cowan. For the first hour, Indian captain MS Dhoni did little to change things, apart from rotating his bowlers to send up their own variety of rubbish. No fieldsmen out into Warner's killing grounds but when Rahul Dravid left the field for a comfort stop, Virat Kohli came into first slip. Kohli, easily India's best fielder survived until the 35th over when Warner finally refused to use the middle of his bat and edged to Kohli's right and he dropped a diving catch which should have been Dohni's. The captain called the catch early but didn't move. Dravid, grabber, grasper or holder of more than 750 first class and international catches (most in the slips strangely), was back at first slip at the start of the next over.

Ed Cowan reaches fifty

An over later, Ed Cowan would have been run out on a tight two taken to Sachin Tendulkar at deep cover but the Little Master no longer has a young man's shoulders and his throw was barely more than a lob. At drinks, 60 had been added in the hour and the openers had raised a double hundred stand. Yadav came on after the break, around the wicket as Bill Lawry had been calling for and moved one from the cracks inside a gap in Cowan's defence that was only a ball wide and rattled his stumps. 214 was a handy start and raised the interesting statistic that in between Cowan's dismissal in Sydney and here in Perth, Australia had lost 1-836. Yes boys and girls, we can call that domination. In the next over, the beginner Kumar was back and jagged one back up and into Warner, hitting him an inconvenient blow on his left elbow. Shaun Marsh was attacked on his leg stump for a while and scored one four but a second was an inside edge that laughed at leg stump on its way to the boundary. In the same over, Yadav invited drives and then took Marsh's edge to a diving VVS Laxman with a ball slightly shorter on a length. For Marsh, this was really no better. Cricket can be a cruel game.

Ponting bowled by Yudav

Ricky Ponting could have been expected to have been in great nick after Sydney but his early innings problems haven't gone away and it was Yadav, who has several times ripped wickets out in bunches, who got him. He first served up fruit for Ponting's sideboard - a short long hop outside off stump which Ponting cracked past forward point - and then a few balls later yorked Ponting and knocked middle stump from the ground with a ball that moved in enough. Ponting's head was falling to off, his front leg locked and his back leg in the Dravid position. Nothing has changed, a illustration of just how damned good Ponting is that he can ever overcome these new additions from the last few years and score any runs. It was a first choice for a fast bowler's highlights reel.

Warner's 150 came in the next over from a drive into deep cover but when lunch came, India had done enough through Yadav to square the series while Australia added 107.

Zaheer Khan farewell's Haddin

After lunch, Warner continued his personal assault on India's best, smashing Sharma twice through the off side and Khan through and over point but signs were that he was beginning to force his shots and within range of his highest first class score, he took one swing too many and Yadav held a beauty running back at long on. Sharma might claim the victory but at what cost. Khan then removed Michael Clarke and Brad Haddin in the space of four deliveries, both nurdling balls outside their off stump to Dhoni and Australia had lost 3-13 in five overs and all the damage done since lunch because the ball was kept on appropriate lengths and lines. Those that might see Warner as no more than a T20 flogger might remember that Matt Hayden was for many seasons wearing an a Baggy Green and was simply a flat track bully. Regardless, batting looked a lot harder when the Indian bowlers were no longer in fear of their lives and not all of that was because of widening cracks in Cal Sutherland's party dance floor.

Drinks came as a relief but after Peter Siddle and Mike Hussey added 36, Hussey lifted a cut shot into Sehwag's hands in the gully, giving Kumar his first Test scalp and then Yadav bowled Siddle with ball that held its line on a good length and hit the top of off stump. It was another example of Siddle's hard work as a cricketer that he has made himself into a reliable tailender. Ryan Harris was out hooking - never would have happened in my day - popping the easiest of catches to Gautum Ghambir at square leg and giving Yadav his first five wicket collection in his short four Test career.

With tea extended and Mitchell Starc hitting some handsome drives, Hilfenhaus had a few sighters and then plonked Sehwag down Kohli's throat at a short long on to end the innings. Australia's 7-113 capitulation in the session probably matters little, as losing when you lead by 208 on the first innings is as rare as Ian Healy speaking common sense. Special mention to Yadav who bagged five and held a very good catch to get rid of Warner.

The frantic pace of the game makes a picnic tomorrow afternoon a viable opportunity to impress the wife.

India's second innings started with at least 20% of the television audience expecting six wickets to fall in the last session and the experience of the frail Indian line up supported that view. Gambhir and Sehwag cut down the risks and played like they intended to stay for a while and they saw off the opening bowlers and their ten overs. Starc, yet to assert himself at this level, sent a short ball at pace from Gambhir's leg stump and up into his visor with only his second delivery and Gambhir did well to avoid being hit but the shoulder of his bat sent the ball to Hussey who dived forward in the gully to take the catch. Siddle, likewise, cleaned up the frazzled Sehwag, a short ball lifting and leaving him and Haddin showing how keepers should cover the distance between first slip and themself ... note to MS Dhoni.

Tendulkar couldn't believe it

The great man came in to trouble, as he has all series and almost all of the last year. Clarke, not wanting to allow any pressure to come off Tendulkar and the woefully out of form Dravid, replaced Starc after his one successful over and bought back Harris. It was a decision he reversed shortly after, bringing Starc on from the other end for an immediate success when a a big inswinger zoomed in from middle stump and hit him marginally in front of the top and outside of leg stump. DRS would have still seen it out but it was still a narrow and brave decision from umpire Dar and it attracted a rare display of anger from Tendulkar who shook his head in disbelief all the way to the sheds. India's case against DRS has always been that it's not accurate enough, but then again, neither are umpires but its a point which shouldn't just be dismissed as though Indian's are Luddites. All cricketers who have been about the place for long enough to find T20 cricket an impertinence, will know that there are times when lbw decisions supposedly nicking the stumps or tipping a bail according to the technology just don't look out based on the many years of standing at slip or watching down the TV barrel. In the days before DRS, very few umpires would have fingered Tendulkar today.

For Starc, it was both a marvellous repayment of faith from his skipper and one which had been delayed. There was nothing wrong with Clarke playing the gamble and he improved on that decision by knowing not to waste any more time. If at no other time of his captaincy career you have seen his acumen, this was a fine example of it.

Hilfenhaus came back for his second spell and it took just seven deliveries before VVS Laxman followed his lead and played a long way from his body, realised it too late and couldn't take enough off the bat off once he realised he'd been suckered. The catch was dropping when Marsh fell forward to take it at third slip. All the while, the ball was hooping out from Hilfenhaus and in from Starc, with the leftie having the added advantage of height and pace. Clarke stood at slip with nothing but easy options, like a fat man at a pizza eating contest.

Rahul Dravid is still fighting.

Starc, Siddle and Hussey all had spells at Dravid and Kohli and even Hussey had a two over spell need the end before Harris came back for one more two over burst at the end. He twice beat Kohli cold outside the off stump: one of them snorting up past the batsman's gloves. Siddle, the uber-comptetitor bowled a fabulous four over spell to end the day, clearly after the scalp of Dravid. It was only at the death he faded.

Despite all the attention from the Australians, Dravid and Kohli stopped the rot for at least the last 12 overs. Dravid looked better but his technical problems are a long way from over. Best not to write off a champion, even when the evidence is compelling and in Kohli, India have a future champion and one who improves with every innings ... but ... 120 behind, the top order gone and the bottom order as strong as wet tissue paper and three days left against a strong attack which has little work to do to gain its success ... well, defeat is an inevitability and if the pitch isn't being watered by lunch time it will be a surprise.

I guess if you play four fast bowlers you expect to win inside three days and spinners aren't needed. So it has proven.

Still, stranger things have happened. If you watch enough Test cricket, you'll learn that's a truth, not a catchphrase.

Cracks, Quicks and India Get A Warnering

2012-01-13T21:03:00.001+11:00

If Australia's decision to take four quicks into the Perth was crazy, then India's deserves long term confinement in a suitable facility. Ignoring what they do best, the Indians dropped their second highest run maker of the series, off spinner Ravi Ashwin and added instead debutante Vinay Kumar. Its now a long, long tail ... longer than Tolkein. As said in the preview, the choice shouldn't have been three or four quicks but one or two spinners.

To lose the toss and be sent in by a side which also has put all its eggs in the fast bowlers basket would have been a bad enough complication but when the wicket has the trademark Perth cracks and the extra green tinge which has been fostered this season on home wickets, then you are well behind before the first ball. Fourteen balls later, Virender Sehwag starved of strike, played a limp push at the perfect outswinger from Ben Hilfenhaus - a serial offender in that delivery since his recall - low but straight to Ricky Ponting at second slip. He may have had more chance had he been smiting but then again, when it pitches middle and leg and passes a foot outside off stump, only the best would get the edge on it.

Just another brick from the wall

With Ryan Harris and Ben Hilfenhaus rested in order for Michael Clarke to hail their pace, Siddle and the resurrected Mitchell Starc had their turn. Rahul Dravid tried hard for ten overs but his form in Australia has been a long way below his own standards. He looked uncertain coming forward, making it only halfway on his best of efforts and was unbalanced in any forward movement. In the end, a full ball on his pads from Siddle had him mumbling across his crease, going nowhere and only his pads made contact and then back onto his stumps again: bowled seven times in nine Test innings. Starc only bowled three overs and whilst some deliveries were swinging in and dangerous, such as a close lbw against Dravid, too many were wide of the stumps and wasted on either side.

Sachin Tendulkar came out on fire, with three glorious drives from Siddle. Two screamed back past him, one technically catchable but only if Siddle was Sobers incarnate. The other whistled through the covers. Gambhir, who had played and missed outside off stump a little less regularly, had started to tuck the ball away to leg and push through cover gaps but mostly off the back foot. Whenever the ball was full he looked vulnerable but there was no doubting his perseverance.

Harris and Hilfenhaus came back half an hour before lunch and batting looked harder. With fifteen minutes to go until lunch, India had weathered all the disadvantages and shared the session but in consecutive overs, they dipped deep back into trouble. Harris pushed a fullish ball back into Tendulkar and he was rightly lbw, protecting his leg stump; then Hilfenhaus trained Gambhir into edging to Haddin and India went to lunch with the Colt From Old Regret Syndrome at 4-73.

Virat Kohli made 44

After lunch, Kohli who always seems to be playing for his place and VVS Laxman, who lately should be, were confronted by the usual suspects who all took their turn to pass by outside edges but despite that inconvenience, the pair fought to revive the Indian innings. Gasping for air before the break, it was asthmatic going for the pair. Kohli looks better with every innings in Australia and he unfolded some outstanding strokes through mid wicket and square leg. His forward defence was as good as anything Tendulkar has shown so far this series whilst at the other end, Laxman sat on the crease, squared up and uncomfortable but unwilling to yield. Starc bowled with much better control and had his inswinger bending late and with four fast men, Clarke could afford to manage the youngster with a soft touch and short spells so that the batsmen could never got on top of any wayward bowling. There was little of it from Starc in this middle session.

Again, just before the break, both Kohli and Laxman were sent back by the man who dreams the impossible dream, Peter Siddle. Holding a ball back slightly, he had Kohli driving a little early and when his bat reached forward of his front pad it rotated, spewing the ball to David Warner who held another good catch, low at point. Siddle sat low into his haunches, at first appearing to be experiencing an emotional overload, but when in his next over, he bent a leg cutter off the pitch from off stump and had Laxman caught by Clarke at first slip and slumped again to the deck. He bowled out the last four balls to tea but was clearly in distress as the players began to leave the field, his neck appearing to be the problem. Even with the last minute wickets falling, India at least squared the session.

Hilfenhaus took another 4

Starc and Hilfenhaus only needed 25 minutes after tea to remove the long, inert tail. Kumar, Khan, Sharma and Yudav added only 14 between them and that was more than they looked worth. You reap what you sow.

Hilfenhaus and Siddle got the bulk of the wickets but all four bowled well.

During the innings break, closer views showed that cracks in the pitch, identified before the start of play, had widened even in six hours and around them, the grass coverage was thick. That's a nasty combination and in the first over from Zaheer Khan, one jumped and cut away and the next bounced twice before Dhoni got a grab on it.

Amazingly, the WACA continues the trend of juicy wickets in Tests this summer, despite the venue. About fifteen months ago, the then Australian Captain, Ricky Ponting, spoke strongly about the poor wickets that Sheffield Shield was being played on. It was allowing average fast bowlers dominance and not providing the well spring of batsmen to wear the Bagging Green. Yet, this summer, the pitches have been green - Bellerive the most verdant wicket for twenty five years - and have seamed in support of that old swinger Billy McDermott's "keep it full and swing it" policy and a host of those fast bowlers now rotate in and out of the Australian side, taking wickets whenever they see fit. Last week, the new batsmen failed while the old timers scored 1 for a billion.

Oh well, you can't have everything.

It didn't seem to make any difference to Dave Warner and Ed Cowan. A strange combination from the extreme ends of the Australian class and education systems and yet to fire together. That changed in the last session. The fifty came in the 7th over and Warner's own in 36 balls. Warner cut and drove through the off and turned powerfully off his legs, all for repeating fours. He welcomed Kumar to Test cricket, hitting him as clean a blow for six over long on as he is likely to suffer. Zaheer went for 14 in his 4th over and 13 in his 6th: Cowan mistreating him the first time and Warner the second. In between, a Warner edge failed to carry to Tendulkar when it died in "that crack". Yudav returned after early punishment and Warner smashed him through mid off but was nearly runout backing up at the bowlers end when he slipped over.

Ishant Sharma got his first bowl at Warner in the 13th but overs before hand, the pair had clashed verbally in between deliveries. It looked heated and required an Aleem Dah intervention. Warner, a lad who values the last word, sent Sharma's fourth delivery ten rows beyond the boundary fence. The fence itself sits a few metres past the legal boundary. It was a big, big hit but sweet and clean as well as long.

The 100 was up after 14 overs ... that's 84 balls ... and was raised by two fine shots from Cowan, the last a push through mid wicket which raced across the turf.

Dave Warner launches a six

With half an hour to go and a Warner century looking a certainty, he played too early hooking at Yadav and was felled by a crack to the side of his helmet. Without the hard hat, it might have killed him. As Angry Andrew McNeill might have said, "bloody batsmen have all the advantages." The big left arm quick of Waratahs and Armidale fame hated helmets and the batsmen that wore them. Warner rose from the ground and slapped the next ball over point and pulled the following through mid wicket, both for four. It would have been three consecutive fours when a seagull did what none of the Indian fielders had managed but lived to tell a groggy tale.

Two overs later, Warner raised his second Test hundred and the fourth fastest of all time in just 69 balls (13 fours and 3 sixes) with a booming six over wide mid on from Kumar, just returned to the bowling crease. To think, it was a discussion with Virender Sehwag a few years ago on the boundary's edge at an IPL game, that convinced him to have a run at playing Test cricket. Sehwag, always the professional, would have hated the onslaught but marvelled at the achievement.

Next over, Cowan was caught from the glove down the leg side off Sharma but was given not out and thanks to their obstinate refusal, India had no technological recourse.

As in Sydney, the game was over by tea but the doin's after that were pretty special. Now if Shaun Marsh can get runs and Haddin can shut up, things will be perfect.

India To Get Karted In Perth

2012-01-13T09:38:00.000+11:00

India have crossed the Nullarbor, buoyed by two rays of hope: they won here on their last trip to Australia and their second innings batting in Sydney. Of the two, only the second holds much substance for a possible Indian revival. In Sydney, they had lost the game by tea on the first day and all but Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni looked exceedingly ordinary against James Pattinson. In the second innings, aided by some useless bowling on the third evening, when the Australians couldn't keep the ball close to off stump, Gautum Gambhir finally adjusted to the bounce of Australian pitches and carried on to add 68 with a glorious Tendulkar on the fourth morning. VVS Laxman batting himself into form and Ravi Ashwin showed why he is valued as an allrounder.

These were all good signs from a bating line up which has proven rusty and slow to make the change from lower English wickets to even lower and slower home decks and then to the waist high and above bounce of Australian tracts. Bouncers are not the issue. Its the good length balls that keep finding unexpected bat shoulders not ready for the work they have been asked to do and edging to a hungry slip cordon. The fact Melbourne and Sydney seamed more than usual and this experienced batting line up has finally faced Australian pace men who can swing the ball, has also created a climate of downfall.

Comparisons to the Indian victory in Perth in 2008 are erroneous. The Indian pace attack was younger and fitter. Harbhajan was suspended, following the ugly fracas in Sydney but rather than weaken the Indians, it stirred them into action. At the same time, the leading Australian players, Ricky Ponting and Andrew Symonds chief among them, had been been greatly disturbed by the match and by the aftermath in the press. Peter Roebuck had called vehemently for Ponting's dismissal from the captaincy and media debate raged about what had been said and by whom. Matt Hayden, who scored three hundreds in the series, was out injured bringing Chris Rodgers in for his only Test to open with an equally inexperienced Phil Jacques. Australia bought back Shaun Tait after three years for what would be his last Test. The Australians were cocky and ripe for the picking and subsequently lost.

Not so in 2012.

Marsh - 3 runs in 4 innings

Australia arrive in Perth confident but not without problems. 4-659 will always be a convincing score but it needs to be remembered that when the top three handed over to the middle order it was 3-37 and Zaheer Khan had done all the damage. Michael Clarke, Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey were superb ... actually a far bit beyond superb ... but such miracle batting happens once in a decade at best. Ed Cowan, Dave Warner and Shaun Marsh have provided 145 runs in nine innings so far in the series, with Cowan's first up 68 easily the best and Marsh's 0,3,0 easily the worst. Marsh now has 3 runs from his last four Test innings and back or bugs or anything else, he needs runs on his home deck or Usman Khawaja will make yet another return when all else fails.

The biggest stumbling block is the loss of Pattinson. Ben Hilfenhaus and Peter Siddle have more wickets at better averages against the India's so far, but it is Pattinson who has provided the grunt. He is the man who gives the Indians sweaty underpants and despite the return of Ryan Harris, Australia's attack has been dealt a blow and India's batting will gain confidence.

There are other problems.

Brad Haddin's big mouthed outburst belongs to another era of Australian cricket and so does he. Had it not been for sheer bad luck and a broken thumb, he would already be gone but the selectors will bide their time and wait for the possibility of corrective surgery and Tim Paine's availability. Haddin's remarks concerning the Indians can't do anything than stir them into action and it won't be the first time his feeble attempts at mental disintegration have backfired. His claims that India would turn on themselves were staggering, not the least because there is no evidence of disharmony and no record of Indian teams self-imploding. Pakistan would be a walk up start for this criticism but not India. Haddin needs to know his papa dams from his pulao.

Australian selectors have always flirted with the four pronged pace attack at Perth. In six of the 38 Tests played at the WACA, they have gambled on four quicks, winning only two. It worked last year against England, giving Australia its only win of the season. Harris and Mitchel Johnson (remember him?) took 9 wickets each. For some reason Johnson got MOTM, yet Hussey made 61 and 116. When India won in 2008, the ploy failed miserably, when Brett Lee, Johnson, Stuart Clark and Tait needed Michael Clarke and Symonds to bowl 39 of the 186 overs.

Ryan Harris to return

It would be dangerous to repeat the policy here. Harris is returning from injury and is prone to more and despite being inspired and instructed by Wasim Akram, Mitchell Starc is still raw and uncontrolled. Siddle and Hilfenhaus can be expected to deliver but it would be a trial to have only half the bowling talent completely reliable. Nathan Lyon would be handy with the Freeo Doctor to assist and he must continue to be encouraged. Too often spinners have been discarded in such circumstances. Shane Warne took wickets here, though not one of his favoured grounds but Monty Panesar and Dan Vettori have had success at the WACA. Probably the most successful was another offie, Bruce "Roo" Yardley, who knew a thing or two about the good Doctor. I'd be sticking with Lyon because it ain't broke.

For India, Virendar Sehwag is past due and the true bounce at the WACA helps him because it takes little interpretation. He must make a score here if India are to claw back a place in the series. Rahul Dravid will enjoy the higher, truer bounce which will help him avoid having his sticks rattled. Bowled one in five times in 282 Test innings, he has had his castle ransacked six times in the last eight. As Dylan and the Wilbury's sang, "and the walls came down ... never saw them when they were standing, never saw them when they fell." The rest will swing on Virat Kohli, who the Indian leadership have a lot of confidence in. Rohit Sharma continues to be the unlucky man.

Pragyan Ohja

Zaheer Khan made the right call when drawn into the Haddin issue during a press conference this week, suggesting that the Australian keeper should concentrate on his own form and get on with catching rather than throwing. Khan went missing in the last third of the Clarke onslaught in Sydney after making the early inroads. He is low on his former pace but his swing has worried the Australians. He'll need more pace in Perth and may be hammered without it. Inshant Sharma is playing with troubles and keeps giving his best. A gutsy cricketer, he keeps running in and Perth could be his match. India are really missing Praveen Kumar on this tour. He would have been perfect for Perth but with him absent, much has been put on the young shoulders of Umesh Yadav and although he bowled well in Melbourne, he couldn't find a threatening length in Sydney. Like most young touring quicks, he will have to avoid the trap of bowling short at the WACA or pay run consequences. As for a fourth quick, that would be an even bigger gamble for India. The wiser move might to be completely radical and play two spinners. Pragyan Ohja is a classy left arm orthodox spinner, who as recently as the last Indian home series against the West Indies, was opening the bowling and given the traditional Australian weakness against left arm spinners, he would be worthy of inclusion as bounce favours spinners too.

You have to go with your strengths and Ohja looks more likely to take wickets than Yudav.

MS Dhoni got karted
by Gavaskar

The 3rd Test may reveal something about the Indian captain MS Dhoni and his preparation. Preferring to take his players away from the game mid week and go kart racing, he was roundly criticised by former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar. Strange that Gavaskar should take Dhoni to task over leadership. At least Dhoni has never led a fellow batsman from the field, threatening a loss by forfeit, because he didn't like the decision of an umpire. Peter Siddle called it right and it must be said honestly, when he agreed with Dhoni's actions. Players needed to have a relaxed state of mind as well as a well prepared body and technique. Its all very well for Gavaskar to knock the current set up but he never played under the pressure that modern players have to endure.

The match could be closer than first thought might indicate but Australia look handsome and deserve to be favourites to go 3-0 up.

A Grimms Tale For The Fairies At The Bottom Of The Garden

2012-01-07T09:49:00.002+11:00

The Brother's Grimm -
fairy tales do come true

Just about all the fairy tales that had been written for the SCG 100th Test came wonderfully true: Ricky Ponting finally slew his dragon; Michael Clarke wooed his reluctant princess; Michael Hussey killed the big bad wolf; and Rip Van Hilfenhaus woke from his slumber.

These were tales that expected a happy outcome but their time was coming sometime, not necessarily in Sydney but for Sachin Tendulkar and the tens of thousands that watched him bat, the chance for the perfect outcome was denied by the tenacity of the Australian bowlers and his own timidity. Again on what proved to be the final day, the two facets of Tendulkar showed: the brilliant, audacious stroke making Little Master who made a mockery of the constant threat from the pace attack and the shy, reluctant boy who tried hard to protect his things from the older boys but had them looted anyway. If it were possible to offer advice that might filter through the multitude of solutions being offered the best batsman the game has so far known, Ian Chappell's sage might be the a singularity to rule the highlight pen over. Ignore the wishes of others and bat for yourself. That hundredth 100 looked to be inside the next cupboard door yesterday as Tendulkar rattled through a quick search in the morning but when he reached the seventies after lunch and with the new ball looming, he became too careful and Clarke removed him via Brad Haddin's gloves to Michael Hussey.

It was another wasted opportunity for a man who wasted so few in his first twenty years dominating bowlers across the planet. Twelve months have passed since his last hundred and he is now enduring his longest walk through the batting desert of his career. Two 90's have teased him further and with Sydney having been his oasis over the years, he looked likely to drink deeply at the run well. As it was, he proved his quality in a team of new stars and fading super novas, averaging 60 for the game but his second innings 80 wasn't enough for team or Tendulkar. Someday The Prince will find his Cinderella.

Hilfenhaus bowled wonderfully well on a flat wicket which was slower again on the fourth day. Having dismissed Dravid on the previous afternoon with a peach, he bowled Laxman when he was set and in complete command of the bowling, with an even better delivery. Hitting the top of off stump, defended by a class batsman who is set on a plum wicket is the best of achievements and not too much later in the afternoon, Hilfenhaus held the cherry aloft signifying a second five wicket haul in as many Tests since his recall.

thecricketragic was wrong about him. His variations of pace, his controlled use of the bouncer as a shock weapon, the late outswing and an off cutter which does no more than hold its line, are all more of a new year package than looked possible.

Siddle was Siddle and long may he be so. First bloke to chose, last man to discard.

If there were concerns, they would be Pattinson and Lyon. Post match scans have revealed stress fractures in the big man's left foot, so cotton wool will be wrapped around him and he'll miss the remainder of the Indian series. The selectors will want him for the Caribbean. India will no doubt be relieved but the quick rotations bought on by injury mean that Australia has others to call on who have already had some Test experience. For Lyon, a defensiveness has crept into his bowling in the last two Tests. He hasn't been needed as much as the quicks as India's much vaunted batting line up has been shattered often enough and his bowling yesterday had no loop or drift but was flat and drilled in at off stump. Without doubt, it was a dead wicket, but Clarke, no more than a handy part timer, bowled with air and gained spin. Perhaps Lyon needs to be given some sunshine and attention and a specialist spinner bought in to work with him for a week and turn him back to earlier pages of his story book.

It was a magnificent and moving game of cricket. Despite the crippling deficit, India batting defiantly in the later chapters and scored 400. Gambhir, Dravid and Laxman all showed improved form and Tendulkar was as good as he's been all tour. In Ravi Ashwin they have the allrounder most teams are looking for and batting him at eight gives the order great depth. Zaheer and Inshant will be better bowlers in Perth, with the Freeo Doctor blowing but Zaheer must develop resilience when attacked and Ishant must bowl a fuller length. After a good game in Melbourne, the youngster Yadav was ordinary here, unable to maintain a consistent length or line despite his pace. Their greatest problems, like Australia, appear to be the top three and a lack of penetration by anyone except Zaheer.

It was a near perfect game by Australia but it needs to be remembered that Dave Warner, Ed Cowan and Shaun Marsh were all gone inside nine overs on Tuesday afternoon before the Brothers Grimm told their tales for the next two days. That errant spell of bowling late on Thursday afternoon can't all be blamed on Pattinson's cracked metatarsal. India were allowed to play at only one ball an over for the last fifteen overs before stumps at a time when they were most vulnerable.

These are small details in the storyline. Those lucky enough to find the readies and attend on multiple days saw an innings that is unlikely to be repeated in their lifetime. Clarke's 329 set all sorts of records but it beat the oldest record in Australian cricket, Reg Foster's 287 in 1903 so it's unlikely it will be beaten full stop but in the lifetime of even the most wide eyed youngster even less likely. For an old timer like thecricketragic, who saw Doug Walters score the next best Aussie score of 242 against the West Indies in 1969, this was the stuff to make my eyes water and the chest swell with appreciation for the event and the game that can still throw them up. Hussey was magnificent: the exactness of his strokeplay and power drawn from timing was reminiscent of Adam Gilchrist and he was able to accelerate when Clarke had periods of stymie.

Ponting's innings almost faded behind Clarke: in some ways appropriately as the young bull dominated the stage. He was glorious, with on driving as good as at any time in his career. His square cut and back foot drives forward of point were as good as have ever been seen on this ground or anywhere and his pulling and hooking was trademark Ponting. That last, nervous, misjudged single to break the bogeyman's back could not have been more perfect, nor Dravid's reaction, one champion to another. As he stood, all the sarcasm and tiredness of twenty years of touring and media calls and pressure to remain the best was gone, replaced by a boy's smile and the innocence of a first century and first dreams realised.

To be informed during the Ponting-Clarke partnership that a poem written to recreate a boy's first experience of Test cricket which reinforced the hero-worship previously lavished from afar, was icing plied thick on an already tasty cake. The poem would hang beside the hero's Baggy Green at the SCG. Having desired to play there but fallen woefully short in the ability required, then still having any sort of parity - even if gained through a backdoor entry - was an unanticipated pleasure. The timing could not have been better.

For one reason or another, like me, there will be smiles on faces for those who read fairy tales for some time to come.

Clarke Brilliant With Bat & Leadership

2012-01-05T22:30:00.000+11:00

Glen McGrath is tickled pink

As any suburban kid knows, when batting on a road you have to becareful of the cars but for Michaels Clarke and Hussey, no such danger existed.After batting for an additional three hours today, the Australian captain declared at the halfway point of the match with a lead of 468 and the second half of the match left to bowl the opposition out.

When Clarke declared, he and Hussey had added 334 unbeaten for the 5th wicket and to most school boys, that figure might well have beenfamiliar. Not familiar enough to bat on for six more runs and own the record for the highest innings score by an Australian captain or to press on intothe rarefied air and chase down Matt Hayden or Brian Lara. In fact,records never have featured all that strongly in Clarke's appreciation of thegame and his comments last night and again after play today, were not some attemptat grand self-effacement in order to woo back the public. They were genuineClarke. His reaction to scoring 300 isn't sorted out yet but in the meantime heis "stoked". His main concern was that so many scores above 300 havefeatured in draws and he wants to leave Sydney 2-0 up over an ageing but stillquality opposition.

Clarke reaches 300

It was a steady start this morning, with the first hour only harvesting 37 runs from the cowered Indian attack and had it not been forHussey, it would have been much less. Clarke struggled until drinks, mistimingmostly and often hitting attempted big shots to the field. Hussey, bycomparison, opened up after twenty minutes with cover drives from Zaheer Khanwhich ended his morning spell of five overs. Despite 40 more overs being bowledby India today, Khan would not bowl again. The second half of the morning saw Australiaback to run a minute pace. So much is made in 50 and 20 over games of runsagainst balls that most forget that run a minute scores you 360 runs in a Testmatch day. Clark and Hussey added 64 in sixteen overs and by lunch Hussey hadhis century and Clarke had the highest score on the SCG, surpassing Englishman REFoster’s 287 made in December, 1903 and one of the oldest records remaining inAustralian cricket. Descendents of Foster can take some solace as one part ofhis record may never be beaten as his was his debut innings in Tests. At 270,Clarke passed Bradman as the highest individual score by an Australian captainat home.

If yesterday had been a day where the achievements rolled on onand on, the third day was a ditto.

In what was to be the last hour of the innings, after lunch, 76were added in just 12 overs as India slowed the game to walking pace and bowleddreadfully. Hussey took himself to 150 and Clarke to 329 before the pair headedfor the dressing rooms at the drinks break, appearing to catch MS Dhoni and hisplayers, the media and the spectators completely by surprise. Even Ian Healy hadn’tfound time to complain about something in the session before the Australiansgone.

Of all the statistics that such mammoth innings bring, the mostdestructive for the Indians are the scoring rate and the absolute lack ofpenetration. Australia scored at four an over for 163 overs. Four an over isfast in Test cricket but to hold that rate over that number of overs isstaggering. The Australian innings lasted 671 minutes, meaning that they scored a huge total at a run a minute. The last point – penetration – comes downto this: India had Australia 3-37 in the ninth over on Tuesday afternoon andthen Australia scored 1-622 in the next 154 overs.

India began at a clip, totally thanks to Gautum Gambhir, who somewould say is playing for his Test place in this second innings, although chosewhat you believe carefully as the Australian media has compelling record ofhyperbole in such matters. He certainly needed runs and was helped by somewayward bowling which allowed him to drive where previously it had restrictedhis options rather more severely. It was to be a symptom of the afternoon thatthe Australians lost their way, forgetting the basics of the McDermott plan andbowling lines that provided the batsmen with too much width and lengths whichmade choices much easier. If Gambhir has been suspect, it has been because hehas struggled to cope with the bounce of Australian pitches not the bouncer. Herepeatedly drove James Pattinson through the covers and threaded the needlepast two gullies and a deep third man for fours. Pattinson again lost hisbottle and stood mid pitch and starred when what he needed was a good hard lookat himself. He is a fine bowler but young yet. Siddle was also too full andwide early and then plied the bouncer with boring consequences.

Ben Hilfenhaus struck early with a dismissal that had two out ofthree elements being rather mundane. The ball was ordinary –short andmeaningless outside off stump – and Virender Sehwag's response to it was tiredand lazy. He played half forward and slashed slightly behind point. It was DaveWarner who provided the gloss, with a catch taken high and to his left as he leapt from point.

Rahul Dravid joined Gambhir and played second fiddle and by tea,India were also ticking along at a run a minute on a deck that was flat and easy.

After tea, Dravid broke clear of his shackles and the real Rahulsurfaced with consecutive fours from Hilfenhaus – one hooked past square legand the other square cut forward of point. A few overs later he was at itagain, with more consecutive fours from Hilfenhaus, this time a glorious backfoot cover drive and then an on drive off a full toss gimme.

The Swami Army were singing up a storm and the Australiansunderneath the Trunper Stand were giving it the “Oi, Oi, Oi” and before long,the rest of us had the spectacle of both camps waiting turns to chant to eachother. After play, the groups stood together in Driver Ave, singing songstogether about Tendulkar and joining in each other’s chants – the Australianbeing instructed in the Indian words. Cricket doesn’t have to be tribal to thedeath.

Clarke was busy changing the field, experimenting with reducing theslips to one and having two men short on the drive to Gambhir, looking for anysign that the pitch might hold up. With that field set, Pattinson angled theball back at Gambhir and the Australians all went skyward for an lbw –Pattinson pleading to umpire Erasmus, Dennis Lillee style. Replays indicated aninside edge.

Pattinson was replaced at the Paddington end by Hilfenhaus whorattled one through Dravid and once again the Wall came down.

Tendulkar - with the 4th day be his?

Tendulkar entered to another sustained standing ovation whichthundered around the ground but with the task for India being survival, he andGambhir waited for the Australians to come to them. After drinks at 4:30pm, 15overs were bowled in 75 minutes and India scored 15 runs. 8 consecutive maidenswere bowled, broken only when Pattinson bowled a no ball. In this, no blame canbe attached to the Indians but for the first time in the match, the Australianslet themselves down. With the Indians under pressure, they needed to make themplay and in most of those last 15 overs, there was rarely more than one a over thatbat was required to intervene. Hilfenhaus, Siddle and Pattinson bowled a foot outsideoff stump or wasted useless bouncers over their heads.

That will be corrected tomorrow.

For me, slow as it was, it was one last chance to watch Tendulkarbat. Some found it unbearable and left early ... go figure. Worst of all, I saw a fathers leaving with their young sons. Had I still been a public official withresponsibility for such things, I would have reported them for neglect.

The only close calls came near the end when Tendulkar again usedthe inside edge to brush past the leg stump in an unconventional way to scorefour. Hilfenhaus, forever the unlucky Australian bowler, did some more worktowards removing his hair by the handful. In the next over, Pattinson foundGambhir's edge but Healy dropped it between he and Clarke at first slip - one that heshould have gobbled.

The last session passed very pleasantly, chatting with a new friend Ranjan Kumar, who gave me an insight into the Indian players and the pressure they are placed under at home.

Two bug bears to complain about from these three days and thethree days I spent in Brisbane, is the amount of unplanned stoppages which arebeing allowed by the umpires. Batsmen change gloves every forty minutes andsometimes take another two drinks in between the scheduled drinks breaks and fieldingsides are tardy in fetching pads and helmets and drinks for bowlers. Its an areaof the game which needs tightening up. The other is the cost of tickets. Thesame standard and position of seats which cost $115 in Sydney, cost only $45 inBrisbane. The end result is that I may become a regular there instead. Almostcertainly the reason for the difference will be as complicated and as absurd asthe petrol price lies Australians are always told.

Still ... wouldn’t swap the last three days even if it had costtwice as much!

Time To Welcome The Captain Home

2012-01-04T22:19:00.000+11:00

It might so easily be turned into a day of statistics.

Australia added 366 in the process of giving India 1 wicket;
Michael Clarke added 204 to finish on 251 and become the highest Australian scorer in the 100 SCG Tests. In doing so, he surpassed the seven previous Baggy Green double century makers, Syd Gregory, Greg Chappell, Ricky Ponting, Justin Langer and then a final three of Syd Barnes, Don Bradman and the record holder, Doug Walters - all blokes who could play a little;
Ricky Ponting ended a two year wait for his 40th Test century;
Ponting and Clarke added 288 for the 4th wicket and Hussey and Clarke 157 for the 5th
there was one dropped catch and one missed run out

So what? Cricket is a game reliant on its stats but not just to allow comparisons across eras. Their far more important role is to initiate the long discussions during breaks in play that carry over to watering holes beyond the boundary and lounge rooms skilled enough in the real arts of cricket to ignore the commentary and draw their own conclusions. In these venues, batting averages and highest scores act only to draw men and increasingly women forward into groups to add to the rich tradition of oral history that cricket has developed better than any other sport.

Clarke driving straight

In those venues today, notice would have been given to the first session where Clarke and Ponting, resuming only a few runs apart, added 120 and yet were never separated by more than four runs. Twenty minutes before lunch, they were both on 87; five minutes later, 90 and 91; and so it continued as it had been all session until with two overs left, Clarke was 98 and Ponting 97. Clarke took a single from Zaheer Khan who then he held Ponting on 97 for the rest of the over. Clarke broke the tension with a four of Sharma's first ball and his celebrations were of a man greatly relived to be performing grand deeds on his home ground. Even here, yesterday, he walked half way to the wicket in silence until the ground announcers asked for the crowd to approve him. This nonsense about his ascendancy to the top job, the Katich rumours and the accusations in regard his relationship break up with a third rate celebrity must stop. Australia's captaincy has never been in better hands and Australia's media and her spectators need to build their own bridge and get over themselves.

The new gladiator left the ground a few balls later with the old gladiator by his side until they neared the boundary edge, when Ponting dropped back, adopting a supine position and leading the applause. No more powerful metaphor has been witnessed in the game in recent years and it was a symbol of Clarke's rise to the top and displayed a side of Ponting which had never been that obvious before he stood down from the captaincy ... his humility.

Ponting reaches his
hundred

It took 19 deliveries after lunch before Ponting was rewarded for the hard work which has become harder in the last two months, despite his increasingly better form. The signs that this century was coming were obvious but as time stretched its arrival, teasing Ponting, his team mates and the faithful public who may turn on those who flash in the pan but rarely forget their champions. Pushing and running off a former bogey, Inshant Sharma, he knew he had misjudged when half way there and covered the last yards in a dive. Emerging from the dust, his shirt a symptom of the battle scars which had cut and harmed and threatened a fatal bleed over the past two years, he looked at the wicket after standing and a slight delay showed the doubt which has slipped into his aging game and then the achievement was realised and the din overtook him. Clarke stood off to allow him the moment and then rushed in to return due adoration. The crowd stood and applauded for minutes, some baying like wolves howling messages to the moon and all with their own understanding of what it meant.

I remain a critic of the the little No 14 but not for his batting or fielding. These have always been first rate and today is not the day to rekindle those points of dispute I have with him. Today is about revering a champion and a game which can throw up such moments which do so much more than decide sporting events. For beginners or seasoned veterans, the game gave us life experiences from the safety of the boundary fence, as actors played out the larger moments of our lives and showed us honour and courage and self-belief in its truest and most important forms. Today is, however, the day to admit I misjudged his courage and motivation. As a player alone, he is one of our truest champions.

To make this moment even sweeter, as younger Indians grasped their heads at Ponting's close shave and cursed their luck, one stood apart, immediately clapping the achievement with a generosity that marks the best of the best. Rahul Dravid's approval of Ponting's victory was one his own personal journey reflects. In a long and bitter battle with inner demons and the hawks of the media who have torn from the flesh of his status in order to fulfil this Australian delight with cutting the tallest poppies down, Ponting has gone down a path Dravid himself walked a few years back. One champion to another, he showed his appreciation that a brother in arms had risen above it all, standing with his the symbols of his trade - his bat, a personal shield and the coat of arms on his helmet his on going motivation - raised in the glory of personal victory.

This is no game.

Salties filled my eyes.

Mike Hussey 55x

From here, it was all down hill for India. MS Dhoni and his bowlers had nothing to offer as Clarke and Ponting and then Hussey cut them to shreds. It happens that way sometimes. India were on the other side of the equation in 2003, in Steve Waugh's last Test, making 700 plus.

With three days left, Clarke will bat on, not for individual glory but to wear the pitch out for India to bat on in the last two days. In the process, he should surpass the best scores of all time and what impeccable timing that he has to do so in the 100th Test. He sits equal with Wally Hammond (1928) and has only Brian Lara 277 (1993) and Bob Foster 287 (1903) ahead of him. The superstitions and bogeys of this game will keep me seated and prevent even whispers of Bradman and Taylor. That's for fingernails if the time comes. Hussey too will have the chance to feast and under such circumstances, he usually scores three figures.

For a man who watched Walters score that 242 in 1969, today was more than a treat.

When Dougie Did The Double

2012-01-04T00:23:00.001+11:00

Excuse what may appear as self promotion but I'm rather thrilled that my poem "When Dougie Did The Double" which can be found in the left side bar, has been chosen to appear in an exhibition at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

The poem is my description of the first Test I attended - the last six day Test in Australia - Aust v West Indies at the SCG in February 1969.

The poem will hang beside Doug Walters Baggy Green. The reality of being chosen to partner my hero in such an event is beyond even this 55 year old boy's dreams. It will be the only time I will appear at the SCG, other than as a tragic spectator.

I am very grateful to the SCG museum for the honour. If I hadn't been living out my dreams before this, I sure am now.

The Bowlers Can Can

2012-01-03T18:25:00.001+11:00

India won the toss

It was the perfect Sydney day: 28, nor-easter blowing and a sky as clear and as blue as the tourist brochures would brag of. Sydney, always the city of manic touches, might well have chosen to ask today "where the bloody hell are you" to those off hiding in provincials or lurking still in Melbourne.

Of course, such a question might prove a bingle ... err bungle ... around the current skipper but on such fine days, why would you be anywhere other than the SCG for the opening gambits of her 100th Test match?

The pitch was game, continuing the trend established this already long summer with previous decks in Brisbane and Hobart both lively and keen to seam about. The crowd was buoyant and mostly in early with thirty one of 35 000 cheering the Australian bowlers and their success by the first drinks break.

There was a much to cheer after MS Dhoni won the toss and batted. James Pattinson took the first of four wickets when the pace and bounce of Australian pitches was too much for Gautum Gambhir for the third time in as many innings and his edge was safely pouched by Michael Clarke at first slip. Rahul Dravid tried to be stoic and give Virender Sehwag a continuing licence to thrill but at 30, Pattinson's replacement at the Paddington end, Peter Siddle, found the inside edge of Dravid's bat and Ed Cowan cleaned up at short leg.

In came Tendulkar and if there was a patron seated an not clapping, my quick scan of the ground couldn't find them. This remarkable batsman was recognised and saluted by the Sydney crowd in a homage which took responsibility for all who have watched him here and in other disparate chapters of his glorious story. We sat only when he reached the crease when it would have been rude to continue.

Sehwag was the usual mix of back foot drives to forward point and expansive play and misses and when Pattinson came back for his second spell, he ended the expectation with a outswinger moving from off stump to the slips and Brad Haddin provided the safe hands. Laxman was the last victim before lunch, beaten by another perfect Pattinson delivery which he could do nothing to stop edging to Shaun Marsh at third slip. Tendulkar and Kohli - the latter playing for his Test place on this tour - looked untroubled until the big break with India 4-72.

As good as Pattinson was, it was Ben Hilfenhaus who really impressed, bowling a nine over opening spell from the Randwick end which troubled all of the batsmen and provided unrelenting pressure whilst Pattinson and Siddle took wickets at the other end. It was 100 minutes of selflessness from Hifenhaus which set the bar at a high standard for his team mates.

Tendulkar bowled by Pattinson

After lunch, Kohli made his one error in judgment and Siddle took the shoulder of his bat after he had misread the length of the ball and committed himself to a forward press when back and across would have been the safer option. Haddin took the catch. Dhoni and Tendulkar only added 28 before Tendulkar drove at Pattinson and inside egded back onto his stumps. He received another ovation returning: some in awe, some in gratitude and a lot in relief, because he looked like he might hurt Australia today.

Perhaps the Australian bowlers felt that same sense of relief because Ravi Ashwin and MS Dhoni were the recipients of some indifferent bowling in the next three quarters of an hour as pre match plans appeared to be forgotten and all three of the quicks went back to bouncers and glaring as the means of dispatch. 54 was added as the Indians looked to claw their way back. They reached tea's doorstep but Ashwin was undone by a pearler from Hilfenhaus again finding the edge. Zaheer Khan was out next ball, bounced by Hilfenhaus and hopelessly unable to manage anything but a catch to Cowan at short leg and Hilfenhaus went to tea on a hatrick.

The hatrick went unrealised - just - but Hilfenhaus and Siddle finished things quickly after tea and Dhoni remained not out with a deserved half century.

The Australia response had a dramatic beginning, with Warner and Marsh both out inside three overs, both to Khan and both in similar fashion, edging to VVS Laxman at second slip. The only variation came with Laxman dropping the Warner edge behind him and Tendulkar picking up the scraps at first slip. Early doors, Zaheer Khan was wonderful but it must be said, both Warner and Marsh played hard at balls they should have left and the influence of Twenty20 cricket which demands bat on ball at all times, does appear to giving these two players a legacy which isn't helping their cause at Test level. Both made strong starts to Test careers and both have failed since. Marsh started with 284 runs in his first four innings, has made 0, 0, 3 and 0 subsequently.

Cowan looked solid and very much in the Langer mold. Of all the openers we've tried in recent years - including the Big Blond - this one is a keeper. He is compact and tidy and restricts the opportunities for bowlers to take his wicket and leaves the stroke making up to others. The fact he left, another victim to the lack of DRS (have your vote on that topic in the right side bar, btw) was not of his making. Struck outside the line by Zaheer Khan, Ian Gould got it wrong.

Ponting on 44x

With the familiar wobbly boot back on, Clarke joined Ricky Ponting, whose only action in the day had been to drop Sehwag - surely the luckiest international cricketer when it comes to dropsy in his favour. For the next 90 minutes until stumps we had batting worthy of Test status. Clarke had his share of luck, playing and missing at Khan, Sharma and Yadav but he counter attacked in the manner you want from your captain, with his trademark drives through covers. In one memorable over from Yadav, he square drove, pulled and on drove consecutive fours. Meanwhile, Ponting combined immaculate forward defence with a limited but extremely effective array of shots, the pull being the stand out.

By stumps and 26 overs, Dhoni appeared out of ideas and had Sehwag into the attack, always a sign of desperation not experimentation from the Indian captain.79 have been added for the 4th wicket but there looks to be so much more over the horizon and whilst that long awaited Ponting hundred may be about to emerge on the second day, Clarke also looks the goods and patrons may be in for something special in the first session.

100 Tests and yet the old girl still has something left in her.

I can't wait for tomorrow.

Syd Reaches His Ton

2012-01-02T16:55:00.000+11:00

It's a remarkable thing that Test cricket has proven itself so durable. Two world wars could only achieve suspension of the game, not deletion. In fact, it was obvious to everyone from Prime Ministers down that the sooner the men in white were back on the fields of green, the healthier society would become and the quicker scars could begin to heal.

Such are the simple minds of politicians.

Oh how Jardine hated him

There have been other crises too, which threw icebergs in the way of cricket's titanic reputation as the game of empire: the worst of which was constructed at Lords and acted out far away from the eyes of England's press. Distraught at the domination of its l'enfant terrible and the prodigious scoring of the man Paul Kelly's called "the great avenger", the English captain and his slobbering sycophantic private school lieutenants took a method for reducing scoring opportunities and turned it into a blood sport. Jardine took the Ashes home but not before England and Australia played out brinkmanship over the application of the word sportsmanship in exchanged wires which looked likely to end cricketing relations between the two super powers of the game. He may have had Bradman's head as a trophy for the lounge room in Reading but the recognition he deserved for having done the seemingly impossible turned as sour as if he had Saddam Hussain's publicist..

The Sydney Cricket Ground has seen its share of these and other events and this week hosts its 100th Test, a few weeks shy of the 120th anniversary of Australia's five wicket victory in the first Test played in the harbour city. It was a low scoring game where the only half centuries were scored by the English openers Ulyett and Barlow, who started with 122 in the second innings before George Palmer took control with 4-97 to follow up his 7-68 in the first innings. The best batting of the match was by Aussie skipper Billy Murdoch, who held the second innings together with 49.

Life on the Hill circa 1969

The ground birthed a sporting term which has been adopted world wide. In the 1870's, before international matches were played at the SCG, the ground was unfenced and off duty soldiers used to walk the short distance from the Victoria Barracks in Paddington, across Moore Park Road and take up positions at the northern end of the ground. Their comments, often witty but just as frequently crude, would ring across the ground as they called on players to provide entertainment more to their liking. As a result, visiting players would often inquire of the home sides as to the identity of the raucous spectators and would receive the reply that the were "the barrackers". They were a Twenty20 crowd stuck in the wrong era!

Four years ago, the two countries engaged this week played a Test which devolved into the worst and least sportsmanlike since those acrimonious Bodyline days. Spurred on by poor captaincy and arrogance and fuelled by two characters who almost certainly were being driven by super heated mental states, the match was won by Australia in the last gasp but lost to the greater scheme which encompasses its history and collective spirit. Shared with others like a the flame of an ever-lit candle, Andrew Symonds, Harbhajan Singh, Ricky Ponting and others snuffed it out despite the honourable contributions of those who walked away with reputations intact but tarnished by proximity. The aftermath was worse, when two hearings losing the truth rather than finding it.

It means nothing at all to anyone but the author but its more than forty years since I watched my first Test match. A twelve year old, I had been a fan who absorbed the game through his pours, even to the point of talking Dad into buying the daily papers during the summer and reserving a spot on the lounge room floor as close as my Mum would allow to the black and white images from the old AWA. I invented my own game, played with two pencils - those six sided ones with the hexagonal profile - one pencil for runs, one for appeals and "how outs". Doug Walters scored my first century, against the Nawab's Indians, whilst I frittered away time in a small room off the manual arts block at Murrumburra-Harden High School. Sent there from Sydney whilst my parents took six weeks holiday, I finished all the school work in five days and then spent the rest of the time perfecting my own game. I played and recorded thousands of those games until I retired my pencils not long after my 20th birthday.

Gary Sobers and Doug Walters
Feb 1969

In the summer of 1968-69, my brother in law - another Doug - took me to my first Test match. I remember walking through the gates and climbing stairs at the back of the old Sheridan Stand ... all dark wood and corrugated iron ... and emerging about halfway up the stand in deep shadow. The seats were wooden benches, polished by the history of gentleman's suits and ladies summer dresses on the days when Bradman didn't play and they shifted uneasily waiting for a reason to be excited - any reason would have done. Down on the ground - I couldn't believe we were so high - everything was green. The background was a kaleidoscope of towelling hats and T-shirts, all seething, even before play. The players arrived: Gary Sobers' West Indians which I supposed must be from the west of India and the Australians, all glaringly in white. Colour changed my black and white images long before TV screens converted in the 1970's. My first scoring was tally marks in the back of an old exercise book, as I scored another Doug Walters century, this time a double. I came again the next day and Eric Freeman hit a six onto the roof above my head.

Only one other moment from my first twenty years holds stronger memories, more vivid images or more lasting consequences.

I've done the same for my eldest and he still recalls the details over bears and cricket on Boxing Day and from time to time, makes the pilgrimage to sit and smell the past with me whilst the future settles into its proper place. I could tell about all the intervening games since 68-69 but then I'd have to thrill you.

Tomorrow, I'll do it all again while Sachin or Ricky seal their certain immortality but my warmest moments will be watching little boys asking questions and having the answers lovingly explained, mixed in history actual and history interpretive and with the difference not worth measuring. Beyond the marketing and the hype and the Argus Review and the change ... its the health of that interface which will determine if someone like me will be watching someone like them when Syd reaches his double ...

... just like Dougie did ...

See my tribute to the SCG and the story of my first Test in poetic form, in the left sidebar ... "When Dougie Did The Double".

2011: The World XI

2012-01-01T23:05:00.000+11:00

ESPN Cricinfo have named their Test team of the year, based on performances in Test matches during the calendar year of 2011. Whilst it represents the dominance that England has exerted over Test cricket in becoming the No 1 Test side in the ICC ratings, is it really accurate to have more than half the side form the Old Dart? Pakistan's rising star has two of their best, Hafeez and Ajmal in the team and there's a place for the West Indies latest tyro Darren Bravo to slot in lower than usual at six. In a somewhat surprising development, South African, Dale Steyn, is the only member of a side which has pretensions to removing the English from the top spot in 2012. Rahul Dravid, with five hundreds, including three against England in a series which the Indians lost 4-0, is worthy of his place. For Australians, the bitterest pill to swallow is the absence of any Baggy Greens among the year's best.

Alastair Cook (Eng)

Alastair Cook (Eng)
Mohammad Hafeez (Pak)
Rahul Dravid (Ind)
Kevin Pietersen (Eng)
Ian Bell (Eng)
Darren Bravo (Windies)
Matt Prior (Eng)
Stuart Broad (Eng)
Dale Steyn (SA)
Saeed Ajmal (Pak)
James Anderson (Eng)

Is this the side you would choose? Chosen by staff of the the world's most thorough and in-depth cricket website, what is the weakness in their choices? Try this on for size: although having writers and branch websites in all the Test playing nations, Cricinfo is still based in England and therefore perhaps there is just the slightest suggestion of bias towards the Poms. Slight suggestion ... who am I kidding?

The following is thecricketragics run at the same exercise. Our Test XI of 2011 would be:

Alastair Cook (Eng) (927 runs at 84; 4 hundreds, HS 294) - okay, a lay down misere for the future England captain as he continued to cause bowlers to check their superannuation plans during breaks in play. His nine hour 294 against India at Edgbaston gave him more runs than the Indians in either of their attempts in losing by an innings and plenty. His bat looks wider than other mere mortals. No argument with his selection.
Kumar Sangakkara (SL) (1034 runs at 49; 4 hundreds, HS 211) - its been a quiet year for openers and whilst I'm an advocate of Mohammad Hafeez, selecting him with less runs at nearly ten less per innings and leaving the Sri Lankan star out of the side because he normally bats at three, would be tantamount to stupidity. With Dilshan opening, Sangakkara has spent a lot of time as a virtual opening batsman anyway. Is it a good move? Ask opposition bowlers who they'd prefer to bowl to!
Rahul Dravid (Ind) (1145 runs at 57; 5 hundreds, HS 146x) - an oldie but still a goody. When others stayed at home to prepare for England, Dravid went to the West Indies and walked the hard yards in a series when he and Ishant Sharma were the difference. Little wonder that he was the only Indian to stand tall in the flogging the English handed them. He has become less flamboyant as the years have advanced, preferring to offer a stout defence for hours on end but heh, its a Test team we are picking. Kirk Edwards may well have this spot next year.
Sachin Tendulkar (Ind) (756 runs at 47; 1 hundred, HS 146) - tough call to fill this position in the order, with Kevin Pietersen unlucky to miss out (731 at 73) and Younis Khan (765 at 85) the other champion contesting the spot. It boiled down to the quality of the opposition they played against and although Pietersen scored the bulk of his runs against India and was one of the three reasons his side won handsomely, Tendulkar even as a fading star in the firmament is still a better bat than Pietersen. Younis Khan's return has lent a lot of spine to Pakistan's improvement but their opposition have been from the second rung all year.
Ian Bell (Eng) (950 runs at 118; 5 hundreds, HS 235) - no question, the best middle order batsman in world cricket, Bell scored five hundreds in just 11 Test innings. He averaged 84 against India, 115 against Australia and 331 against Sri Lanka. His batting was full of his trademark drives and almost casual cutting and he never at any stage, after starting the year with three hundreds in five innings, was dominated by a bowler. Its a long way from being one of Shane Warne's bunnies, a tag he buried in England in 2009 and then punished Australia for ever making the suggestion last summer. Among this batting line up, Bell would be the first batsman I picked.
Misbar-ul-Haq (Pak-Capt) (765 runs at 69; 1 hundred, HS 102x) - as always, captains should be chosen as specialists but Misbar can maintain his position on batting form. Its a mark of his consistency that he could average nearly 70 from 16 innings and only score one hundred. In a side which has often been slow in building their scores, Misbar's ability to provide mid innings acceleration has been crucial. More importantly, his leadership since taking over from Salmon which had gone off, has been remarkable. Like Imran Khan, he is able to pull together the disparate strands which have always been Pakistan and bind them into a stronger cord.
Matt Prior (Eng) (594 runs at 64; 3 hundreds, HS 126; 34cat, 2st) - MS Dhoni has more aggregate dismissals (50 for the year) but Prior has taken his in just eight Tests and has by far the best batting record of any keeper. A ringer for Mo McCackie, he has been a key element in the rise of a robust team morale in the English side.
Stuart Broad (Eng) (33 wickets at 22.30; best 6/46) - he killed the Indians, being too much for them on most occasions. He bounced the ball from a good length on English pitches and moved it through the air at a decent pace. Add a batting average of 39 for the year and you have a difficult customer. Umar Gul was another contender for this spot but Broad is an infinitely better batsman.
Vernon Philander (SA) (24 wickets at 12.38) - I wanted to include one bolter in the line up and despite some excellent candidates (Pat Commins or James Pattinson for instance), Philander gets the nod after just three Tests. His ability to swing and cut the ball both ways and his penchant for taking big wickets hauls (four 5 wicket hauls in just six innings) makes him dangerous in South Africa and England's biggest threat when they host the Sarth Efrikans in May? Big and strong, he is also more than handy with the bat.
Jimmy Anderson (Eng) (35 wickets at 24.86) - once considered a joke in Australia, Anderson has now perfected swing bowling with the new ball. He has a late outswinger Bob Massie would have been proud of but his inswinging yorker to right handers caused just as much havoc. One of those rare tall men who can bowl fast and also take catches in slips, Anderson has safe hands and fast reflexes. The key bowler in the English attack.

Misbar-ul-Haq captains
thecricketragics World XI

Saeed Ajmal (Pak) (50 wickets at 23.86) - the leading wicket taker for the year in Test cricket, he was a long way ahead of the rest. His off spin dominated the West Indies, even on their small grounds and he proved much too classy for Sri Lanka or Bangladesh. The mouth waters at the prospect of the English stroke makers trying to attack him on the usually good batting tracks of the UAE in the next month or so. The only competitor for his position was countryman, left arm orthodox Abdur Rehman, whilst with more control Davendra Bishoo will be a suitable candidate.

So there we have it. The differences - Sangakkara for Hafeez; Tendulkar for Pietersen; Misbar for Bravo; and Philander for Steyn - and I still picked five Poms! They really must be the best in the world.

Unfortunately, still no Aussies. Oh well. A new year starts on Tuesday.

Happy New Year Msg From Lango

2011-12-31T22:41:00.001+11:00

With another year about roll forward into bright sunshine and bad hangovers, thecricketragics would like to thank the increasing number of readers for their faith in trying yet another voice and their loyalty in returning regularly to listen.

This year has been the very flattering in terms of the staggering increase in the readership. I have no idea how many of you are subscribers but the site now has 50 followers on Facebook and 30 something on Twitter as well as the many casual readers who just drop in. This time last year, the site had attracted about 2000 page views in 18 months operation. In the last twelve months that has grown to nearly 14000.

Thank you.

Tomorrow is just another day and Australia plays India soon after. Four pace bowlers? Shane Warne must turning over in his tanning bed. What's worse is that none of them will be from the home state. Outside tip for the Sydney Test: Tendulkar and Ponting to score those elusive hundreds in a high scoring draw.

More later but for now, Happy New Year! Forget about line and length, "just run up and go wang!"

Sri Lanka Breaks Their Hoodoo - South Africa Reinforces Theirs

2011-12-30T11:16:00.000+11:00

The other Boxing Day Test, also in the southern hemisphere, ended with a very different result for the home side. Sri Lanka trounced South Africa by 208 runs with Rangara Herath taking 5-79 and nine wickets for the match and Jacques Kallis bagging a pair.

Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel cleaned up the tail in just eight overs in the morning, giving their batsmen the task of scoring 450 or batting out the best part of 170 overs to save the match. Morkel finished with 5-73 and looks to be closer to the form he was last in twelve months ago.

Ab de Villiers top scored

South Africa started the fourth innings, facing an uphill battle caused by poor batting in the first innings and a huge unnecessary deficit. Graeme Smith left first, unnerved by Fernando's erratic bounce and after jumping about in response to lifting deliveries, he followed one up and edged to slip. He could so easily have dropped his wrists but he was determined to play. Rudolph added 51 with the unflappable Hashim Amla before playing another terrible and unnecessary shot outside his off stump and being caught by a diving Mahel Jayawardene at second slip. Kallis, swept at Herath three overs later and was caught via the helmet at short leg. The DRS claimed him on appeal, as replays showed an edge took the ball to the helmet. It was the first pair of his 149 Test career and as the 4th highest run scorer in Tests, it stood in stark contrast to what No 3, Ricky Ponting, was doing in Melbourne. Amla committed batting suicide, pushing down the ground and calling as he ran for a single that was never there, so that when Ashwell Prince gave him the "heck -no-we-won't-go" treatment, he was run out by half the pitch. Prince was brutalised by some Fernando mongel, a short ball that Prince kept from his head but sent to first slip. Mark Boucher reviewed a ball from Herath that was going to hit middle stump. Had he been Adam Gilchrist, he would have walked.

From 1-88, South Africa had slumped to 6-133 in just 23 overs and when tea was taken three overs later, there was only AB de Villiers and Dale Steyn left and four sessions to bat. The runs calculation was erroneous.

Winners are grinners

At drinks in the last session, de Villiers and Steyn were still there, all stoic defence and proof that batting was possible. de Villers took 67 balls to reach twenty and Steyn 53 but as the session moved on, de Villiers took a few more risks, sweeping Herath to square leg for four and then hitting him over the fence at long off. With just eight overs to go in the day, Sri Lanka took the new ball but kept it in the hands of the spinners. After adding 99 for the 7th wicket, de Villiers went back to a ball from Herath that skidded on and lost the roll of the DRS dice. He was plum. The end took just another 23 deliveries. Morkel went down on one knee to sweep Dilshan, was hit on the thigh and rightly given lbw. Steyn finally played the wrong line and gained a similar fate but to Herath and Marchant de Lange swung and was bowled like a No 11 should.

Herath was named MOTM with figures of 9-128, although Thilan Samaraweera must have been very close with his innings anchoring 102 and then 43 in the second.

For Sri Lanka it was their first win in 18 months and for South Africa, their fourth consecutive loss to touring sides at Kingsmead.

Sri Lanka go to Capetown 1-1.

Australia's Quicks Crush India

2011-12-29T18:09:00.001+11:00

Australia won their first Test against India for four years when they won by 121 in the first Test at the MCG.

Resuming this morning eight down, the Australian tail added 74 runs for the last two wickets, a significant contribution considering the size of the victory. James Pattinson again batted well, being not out for a second time in the match and recorded the highest score in his fledgling career. Zaheer Khan finished with four wickets, including the prizes of Ricky Ponting yesterday and Michael Hussey this morning.

292 was always going to be too steep a mountain for India to climb but romantics might have entertained the thought of it, given the presence of Dravid and Tendulkar. The departure of Sehwag, cutting loosely to Hussey in the gully from Hilfenhaus was exactly the start Australia wanted. It wasn't a great ball and it was a worse shot but such is the quandary of having Sehwag at the top of the order. Siddle came on at first change and had Gambhir in his second over, playing away from his body with feet stuck on the crease and edging at head Height to Ponting's safe hands.

Dravid bowled by Pattinson

The big partnership that was needed from the game's greatest run scorers never came as Pattinson went right through Dravid's defence, mainly thanks to the huge hole he left between bat and pad. There was no stride forward, no wall, just a broken, scattered castle. Pattinson keep VVS Laxman quiet with fast, full deliveries outside his off stump until feeding his favourite shot, flicked forward of square off a ball angling into leg stump. Ed Cowan, positioned perfectly, held the catch by the umpire. Kohli was lbw to Hilfenhaus in the next over and India were surviving on a last chance at the hands of Tendulkar and Dhoni.

Tendulkar played delightfully again and was untroubled by the Australians ... right up until Peter Siddle returned for his third spell and with a warm up ball which had just the right line but 10kms less speed, he claimed Tendulkar for a second time in the match as he appeared to play slightly too early and was caught in the gully by the resurgent Hussey. India 6-81 and the game was over.

Peter Siddle was the leader
of the pace pack in Melbourne

The tail doubled the score through some sensible hitting from Ravi Ashwin, Zaheer Khan and Umesh Yadav and the Australia faster men, Pattinson in particular, didn't like it. There were some unnecessary scenes of Pattinson pulling faces at the batsmen, having too much to say and over doing wicket celebrations - especially when he had Zaheer with a ball that followed him to leg and took the inside edge before flying to Cowan at short leg. The lad appears to be developing some wrong attitudinal elements but lets leave Michael Clarke to sort that out. He has so far. The last thing we need in Sydney is a repeat of four years ago when the Australians turned on the ugliest sporting performance seen on Australian soil in living memory.

This was a startling win by Australia, with Nathan Lyon taking the last wicket to fall - an outstanding running catch at deep long on by David Warner - and the fast bowlers the rest, shared as evenly as could be imagined. Apart from the attack of dropsy with Sehwag in the first innings, the Australians caught and fielded up to the mythical standards expected of cricketers in this country. The batting was again brittle but Cowan, Warner, Clarke and Hussey all made contributions at some stage but in a low scoring match, in a match where batsmen found it hard to go beyond thirty, Ponting's pair of 60's were a mark of class which equalled Tendulkar.

Ponting scored 62 & 60 -
21% of Australia's runs

In consideration of the best of the match, Tendulkar's batting was silken and promises something special for Sydney. In both Indian innings, Tendulkar was superb and his team mates exceedingly ordinary. The three Australian quicks were superb ... Pattinson with bat and ball, Hilfenhaus rediscovering swing and seam at pace and Peter Siddle was always the "go to" man with the ball, removing Tendulkar twice and taking the key wickets. Hussey underwent a soul revival which India will regret in the remaining Tests. For mine, with runs in both innings at times when the side and indeed himself was under the most pressure, my man of the match is Ricky Ponting. He's never been my favourite person - so much so, that I refuse to take the number 14 when allocated it in waiting for meals - and this column has called on him to quit for some time but watching a great champion perform under pressure and against bad habits born of age and weariness, was a warmness which flooded over me in the Test. In the end, the difference between the sides was 122 ... exactly Ponting's contribution.

India have a lot to do in little time. Gambhir looks unlikely on bouncy wickets but pared down touring sides don't often have good option when an opener falls out with his job. Virat Kohli is a wonderful fieldsman but Rohit Sharma by far the better man to be occupying No 6. The bowling was good and needs no tinkering. Yadav was particularly impressive and whilst Zaheer has lost much of his zip, his craft is untarnished and his offerings in Melbourne are only samplers of what is to come. The problem might be Ishant Sharma. He bowled without luck but his ankle can collapse at any time. Ashwin has as ugly an action that any member of the off spin fraternity has ever had but he can bowl. Perhaps he needs to try a little less variation as often and be patient.

This was an excellent win and regardless of what you think of the ICC ratings system, series wins by Australia and South Africa will drop India down to third and within striking distance by Australia. Australia has finished the calendar year with four wins, three losses (including the 5th Test loss against England in Sydney) and two draws. That not bad for a side that is rebuilding its playing staff, its support staff, its administration and rediscovering its supporter base. Changing one thing would have been difficult enough but Australia has changed everything, so those results are encouraging.

Put a tick in Michael Clarke's column now ... go on, he's earned it.

South Africa Too Far Gone

2011-12-29T07:23:00.000+11:00

Sangakkara made 108

As if a deficit of 170 after first innings were decided was not enough, South Africa have been dominated on the third day at Kingsmead, Durban, by an aging champion. To make matters worse, they had him fourth ball of the day but two of their own conspired to flash him the get out of jail free card.

Sri Lanka had lost Dilshan, unnecessarily just before stumps on the second day and resumed in the superior position. South Africa needed a supreme effort from the feared pace attack to reduce any fourth innings to a manageable level. Morne Morkel, with an over to finish when bad light ended play early, bent a beauty past Kumar Sangakkara's searching edge first up and then shook him up with a short ball that fizzed past the bat and through to Mark Boucher. Morkel then bowled the perfect line to a left hander which he edged. Boucher moved to take the catch, perhaps blinding Graeme Smith but the net result was Smith flooring it. It was a miss that haunted South Africa all day and will no doubt stay on their minds when they eventually chase.

It was a slow morning with only 58 runs scored from twenty overs but overnight rain was a factor in reducing the session. Sri Lanka lost Paranavitana after half an hour, caught by a diving Ashwell Prince at fourth slip from Morkel. He had found a line on off stump which was worrying the left handers and he persisted until drinks. Mahela Jayawardene looked fluent but left in Marchant de Lange's third over, padding up and dismissed on review. By lunch, first innings century maker Samaraweera was looking comfortable.

It was the long second session that took any possible long shot South Africa might have had away from them, with Sangakkara fashioning two big partnerships and Sri Lanka losing only two wickets in adding 142. Sangakkara scored half of those, going to his hundred off Jacques Kallis three overs before tea, with a cover drive and push off his pads, both for four and then a square drive for two. It was batting worthy of a man who averages 55 in Test cricket. Kallis is a mystery. He has rarely looked more than a medium pacer with a good bouncer but his record is impeccable.

Sangakkara added 94 with Samaraweera before Imran Tahir slid one through him via the inside edge. Dale Steyn came back at this point in order to blow the tail away but after getting Angelo Mathews to a rubbish short ball outside off which the batsman pulled wildly at and edged to Boucher, there was a 104 run wait which spanned tea and took up most of the shortened last session. Debut wicket keeper, Dinesh Chandimal, got his second fifty of the match in the sixth wicket stand with Sangakkara.

Morkel created the chance which
could have changed the day

Smith used his bowlers evenly throughout the day but perhaps more emphasis could have been placed on Morkel, given his outstanding start to the day. His captaincy, so often touted as inventive and among the best in world cricket, has lacked strength and a personal style to lift his team. At times against Australia and Sri Lanka, he has looked insecure. Steyn is yet to deserve the fearsome reputation he established before South Africa were sent into a long hiatus by programming which kept them out of Test cricket for nearly a year. The effects are obvious, with batsmen rusty and struggling for form, established bowlers searching for rhythm and important catches being dropped.

This game should be lucky 16 for Sri Lanka, still chasing a win since Murali and Vaas left. With two days left and a lead of 426, the odds are stacked heavily in favour of Dilshan's men. The highest fourth innings victory of all time was 418 where a Sarwon and Chanderpaul inspired West Indies beat Australia at Antigua in 2003. At Kingsmead, the highest target set and achieved was by Australia in January of 1950. Trailing by 236 on the first innings after off spinner Hugh Tayfield took 7-23 and rolled them for 75 on a wet wicket, Australia's managed the 336 to win with only five wickets down, after Neil Harvey made 151 not out in playing his greatest innings for his country.

South Africa trailed by less here but doesn't have the same cattle as Lindsay Hassett did, just eighteen months after the Invincibles tour of England, nor does either side have as astute a captain.

This will go to the fifth day on a batting track that is still good but Sri Lanka are specials to square the series.

... but the wicket looks good?

2011-12-28T19:42:00.001+11:00

15 wickets fell and less than 250 runs were scored on the third day at the MCG and yet despite the accuracy of the bowling, there was no vicious seaming, no rapid turn, no signs of varying bounce and no prodigious late swing. What's more, two blokes who were supposed to be out of form and on the verge of being left out with the bins on Friday night, added 115 for Australia when things were at their most wobbly.

What's going on in Melbourne?

Sometimes, two teams below their best can produce such matches: days when wickets fall for no apparent reason and batsmen complain at press conferences of never being really "in". Usually, evidence can be found in deliveries that keep low and bounce high from the same spot or batsmen being caught driving or by the bowler. These variations aren't evident. The only difference is the lack of carry which sees balls falling in front of the slips from otherwise healthy edges but that's a symptom which can be found in any MCG match from the first day.

No, this wicket is still very good to bat on and will remain so tomorrow when this Test will be decided.

If there is a common thread, then footwork will be at the end of it as it unravels. Being bowled of an inside edge is almost always down to the feet not moving into the right position or a backlift that is either too high or angled away from the batsman toward gully. Edges to gully indicate the back foot is not moving across and back so that the batsman is balanced at the time of attempting the stroke. Thinner edges are offered by batsmen who have never learned the technique of dropping their hands out of the way of a rising ball. Generally, batsmen are drawn to the ball more often in the modern game because of the amount of fifty and twenty over cricket they play where bat on ball is the mantra. With more time spent in pursuit of white balls, we can hardly be critical of batsmen or expect them to switch easily between different modes of batsmanship when the different forms of the game co-exist in such tightly packed neighbourhoods.

Hilfenhaus 5-75

Make no mistake, the bowling was good. In the morning, Hilfenhaus made the ball cut more than swing but mostly just bowled a chokingly tight line which found the flaws and profited. He removed Dravid with the second ball of the morning with one that was straight from hand to off stump, full and quick and too much for a batsmen still trying to blink the light back into his eyes. Peter Siddle removed VVS Laxman with his new signature ball soon after - full and moving away - and Hilfenhaus had Kohli playing forward down the wrong line to another straight one to be caught behind. Dhoni played a loose shot straight to Mike Hussey in the gully from a ball short of a length from Hilfenhaus and the Tasmania had resurrected his career with his first five wicket performance in Tests. Siddle and Pattinson cleaned up the scraps, with Ravi Ashwin at least showing some fight.

India were all out 51 short of the Australians after losing 7-68 in 29 overs in the morning session. Hilfenhaus will be hailed as the star with 5-75 but for all those I-told-you-so experts, the real work was again done by Peter Siddle and James Pattinson. Pattinson, in particular, will bowl a lot worse than this in the long list of Test days to come for him and on those days return superior figures. If you are around this game long enough, you soon realise its more about how than how many. For instance, Pattinson beat the bat of Dravid constantly yesterday and worried Tendulkar. Siddle was superb yesterday and bowled both Dravid and Tendulkar, the latter when he was on top of his game.

Australia started disastrously, being 4-27 in the thirteenth over, losing Warner, Cowan, Marsh and Clarke: three of them playing on and Cowan not offering a shot. Again it was Yadav who steamed through the top order, repeating his first innings feat of removing the top three. Warner tried to smash the cover of a shorter ball from Yadav past point, went nowhere on the crease and dragged in down onto the stumps. Cowan shouldered arms and even with DRS would have been plumb. It never ceases to amaze why batsmen won't uses that little wooden thing they walk out with to defend their castle. Marsh was fooled into slashing a drive at a wider, fuller ball from Yadav, got his bat there but not his front foot and wooded it back to the stumps. Clarke played forward without his feet and away from his body and replicated a favourite dismissal of his in 2011, losing his leg bail.

Hussey and Ponting
added 115

Enter Hussey to join that other ancient, Ponting. Hussey was busy and Ponting behind the ball. A batsman's wicket suddenly had a price on it as two men who would have been discarded by the media forgot all that and played from the memory of being heroes in another age. This pitch that you couldn't get in on, this track that had left others scratching their head as they returned to the sheds ... it just looked like a third day wicket, waiting for someone who could bat. They batted to tea, with Hussey dominating, pulling Yadav forward of square, driving Sharma past extra cover in a flash and cutting Zaheer Khan backward of point in his first 16 deliveries. Ponting was all intent, putting only two balls to the fence before tea but both tellingly off Sharma: a punch through cover of the back foot and drive past the bowler.

In the hour after tea, the pair added 61 in eleven overs and supporters thanked the cricket gods that press men don't pick the Test team. If Tendulkar had offered a Master Class on Day 2, Ponting and Hussey provided the shining example that Test caps should be won and then retained by men who understand what it means to fight for their mates and how to stand when the weight of the world bears down on you so hard that staying down seems the easier option. Test cricket should never be about accepting the easiest options.

With drinks due, Ponting again made a simple mistake. Zaheer slanted one across him he might have let go but instead was drawn to. It was too wide and could not be controlled and he steered it to Sehwag in the gully. To his credit, there were no lusty demonstrations to the media centre with a waving bat that months of pressure and a pair of sixties might have entitled him to. Instead, his head was down and his countenance grim as he could think only of an unfinished task he had just left. That's why he's a hard man.

It was procession time again, with Haddin, Siddle and Lyon all coming and going with little impact until Pattinson dropped anchor with the unbeaten Hussey. Yadav and Zaheer were very impressive as part of an Indian attack which has been massively unwritten. They will be hard work over January.

Hussey remained 79x

Mr Cricket is rare one. He was on a hiding in this match. Out first ball in the first innings when the DRS would have comfortably saved him, he dropped a catch early in the Indian innings but such is his way, he kept clapping his hands and encouraging his bowlers. From the outset of his second dig, with Australia 4-27 and in the shadow of recent collapses, most would have wilted and sought caution and a safe place to hide at the bowlers end. Not Mr Cricket. He was busy from the start and pushed along at a run a ball, looking for the strike as often as possible. After losing Ponting, he tried to dominate but kept losing partners. It wasn't until three overs from the end that he made a blemish. Trying to get down the wicket to Ashwin, he presented Dravid with a clear edge which was not difficult in terms of sighting or height but his fellow old timer spilled it and was still shaking his head about it as he left at stumps. He hasn't dropped many but he would have loved to have snared that one.

Australia lead by 230, which is not enough, despite the declining returns trend in innings scores since India's first innings 333. No one has chased more than 300 at the MCG and won, the highest being England's 4-298 more than a hundred years ago when John Brown made 140 and Albert Ward 93 in a partnership of 210 for the third wicket. The wicket wouldn't have been this good. Australia must find another thirty or forty and if they do so, Hussey will have his 16th Test hundred and will avoid dropping his average below 50 for only the second time since his first Test in November 2005.

There's a lot of work still to be done by both sides to draw first blood in what will be an epic series.

Bowlers Give Sri Lanka Some Heart

2011-12-28T10:16:00.003+11:00

Samaraweera reaches his hundred

The second day at Kingsmead was a day when bowlers provided the action and Sri Lanka charged, unexpectedly, back into the Test series against South Africa. 14 wickets fell, ten of them South African, as they collapsed to the left handed combination of fast bowler Chand]aka Welegedara and spinner Rangana Herath.

Sr Lanka added only 49 to their overnight score, with Thilan Samaraweera going on to his first Test hundred for more than a year and his thirteen in a ten year Test career. After stubborn resistance by Herath which added 46, the last three wickets tumbled to Marchant de Lange, giving him a debut return of 7-81and the best figures on debut by a South African.

South Africa looked comfortable until lunch but crashed afterwards, losing its two openers and Kallis before 30 and inside eleven overs. Jacques Rudolph left first, playing am ordinary hook shot off Perera and Welegedara took a good low catch at fine leg. Smith left next, playing a lazy shot outside the off stump to Welegedara and being smartly snapped up by the new keeper, Dinesh Chandimal who dived to his left and Kallis made it three when he was forced to play a beauty from Welegedara and snicked it to Mahela Jayawardene who held the first of three catches.

Welegedara 5-52

AB de Villiers provided Hashim Amla with much needed support and the pair batted safely to tea and raised the hundred. Amla went for long periods hardly scoring, grim in defence of his wickets but interspersed this determination to survive with shots from his classic cupboard - cover drives, cuts in front and behind point and balls sent down the ground with barely a lean and zero footwork. de Villiers was held in check by Herath, using his feet but never able to break free. Only occasionally was he able to attack Fernando and Perera and break the shackles being placed around his normally sparkling footwork. After tea, it all went horribly wrong, with de Villers tempted in the first over to slash a drive at a ball well wide of off stump and he instead deposited the edge to Jayawardene. Two overs later, Amla was beaten on the inside and Chandimal held the catch. Both wickets fell to Welegedara.

From there it was a quick decline which only Dale Steyn held up with some monster heaves, hitting Herath for two big sixes. Herath cut a swath through the lower half and Welegedara returned to take the last and claim his fifth. Chandimal finished with four dismissals on debut, including the stumping of Imran Tahir and South Africa had surrendered yet again at Kingsmead.

Trailing by 170, Dale Steyn had his second delivery slashed over cover point's head by Tillerkaratne Dilshan and found the edge of his bat, only poked at the next ball and flying to Graeme Smith. South Africa are capable of miracle comebacks and Sri Lanka have more crumple zones than the average family sedan so this could yet be an exciting match but don't buy tickets for day four just yet.

Still The Little Master

2011-12-27T23:50:00.000+11:00

Australia did very well on the 2nd day but not as well as India. The tail was perhaps disappointing despite all making contributions but Zaheer Khan proved too much for them, having Peter Siddle and Brad Haddin, both caught behind the stumps inside eight overs. Haddin left on a gentleman's agreement, asking Virender Sehwag if he had held a low catch in the gully and departing upon confirmation. It was something former skipper Ricky Ponting had been calling on international players to bring back into the game for years. Ben Hilfenhaus provided a few old fashioned tail ender giggles with his unconventional hit and miss stuff but he went one swipe too far against Ashwin and lobbed a simple catch to long on, where the safest hands in world cricket, Virat Kohli, took the catch. Nathan Lyon was also knocked over by Aswin with an off break that turned from outside off and bowled him around his legs.

333 was handy but had the look of being light on and for the rest of the day, India made it look just so, despite some very good bowling by the Australians. Gautum Gambhir left in the eighth over, playing a lame waft outside his off stump from Hilfenhaus and the returned soldier from last year Ashes campaign had the first wicket via Haddin's gloves. The celebrations had been mourning three overs earlier when Michael Hussey, unable to take a trick at the moment, couldn't take a catch, dropping a screamer from Sehwag, low and well to his right in the gully. Had he held it, classic catches would have been working overtime to find one to top it this season.

Dravid - a mixed bag

Rahul Dravid arrived and began solidly enough. Known by players as The Wall, his innings would develop into the contents of a student's fridge - some shots that defied description, some that were sweet and pure and many, many that started as off but rapidly became rotten. Dravid must have played and missed ten or more times, inside edged and mistimed shots all afternoon. He was down for the count half an hour before the end with cramp, ankle injuries and numbness in his left forearm but he kept on going. In between these physical and mental battles with the bowlers, he still found exquisite flicks, glides and drives through the on side. When he drives the ball forward of square leg with a those delicate wrists uncocking and in complete control, you know you are watching one of the best ever batsman. He also drove well through the off side.

For most of the time though, James Pattinson, Ben Hilfenhaus and Peter Siddle looked likely to get him out. Siddle did once, jagging an off cutter through a hole in the wall off the inside edge and then pad and onto the stumps with more ricochet's than a John Wayne western. Siddle's sweet was soon sour when video replays showed his left foot on an errand of mercy and crossing the front line. Dravid returned to the battle and stayed to the end.

Sehwag takes Lyon down the ground

His first companion was the impossibly talented and irrepressible Sehwag, who raised his 50 off not many more, crashing drives through cover, over and through slips and smacking Lyon out of the attack by taking him down the ground. Mixed between were chances to Hussey and Haddin, both of Pattinson and many a play and miss from the same bowler. He almost hit Lyon into Warner's hands at long on in the same over he removed him. Last time he was at the MCG he scored 195 in less than a day and he caused mini mayhem by comparison today. His feet move more in practice shots between deliveries than they ever do during the actual execution and one lapse in his eye-hand coordination finally removed him when he lashed at Pattinson and inside edged onto his stumps.

How much joy is there in removing a danger man like Sehwag, only to look up and see Tendulkar walking through the gate? Unlike anyone in the home team including Ponting, Tendulkar had everyone on their feet as he strode to the wicket and the purpose in his stride was unmistakable. Quiet and uncertain before tea, Hussey nearly caused a sensation when Tendulkar played from inside edge to pad and the ball stayed in the air long enough to cause 50000 breaths to be held. Tea came soon after with India 2-99.

Tendulkar made a superb 73

How do you approach the task of bowling to the two highest run scorers in the history of the game and how much does you stomach sink when the first ball after tea, short and rising outside the off stump is up an undered for six behind the slip cordon? You knuckle down and you do your best and that's what the Australians did. Tendulkar, however, is in a different class and this afternoon he showed that. He followed the six with a tuck of his pads for three and in Siddle's next over, took him deliberately over the slips of four and played a cover drive which the crowd will have on a mental video replay for their lives. Hilfenhaus stepped up after Siddle and was leg glanced, cover driven and on driven all for four and all superbly. His half century would have come at a run a ball had it not been for a tight Hilfenhaus over that kept him scoreless and after reaching his fifty, he was more easily kept quiet. Until then, the biggest second day MCG crowd since Bradman made a century in each innings in the New Year of 1948 was given a batting Little Master class. With thirty minutes left in the day, he closed things down and started planning his hundred on the third day. Ian Chappell is right: when he goes quiet he becomes vulnerable.

Siddle bowled Tendulkar
in the last over

In that last half hour, Siddle bowled magnificently, beating the bat with outswingers and threatening both Dravid and Tendulkar with off cutters and all of it at the death of a day of disappointing returns ... and all of it at 145km per hour. This man is a lion who only knows how to roar. He bowled Dravid with what may become a famous no ball but would not yield to the disappointment. Two overs later, bowling the last over of the day, he bowled two short balls high outside Tendulkar's off stump, seemingly having lost the plot. The next, a screamer which was suddenly full, beat Tendulkar for pace and line and took out the Little Bloke's stumps. If his battling had been high class, so were the three balls that removed him.

Patttinson and Siddle were as outstanding as they were unlucky but none of the bowlers suffered from a lack of effort. Michael Clarke pulled rabbits out of hats, bowling Hussey and Warner in an effort to find unexpected wickets and created enough uncertainty but not enough luck. Defensiveness crept in after the last drinks break but generally, Clarke kept his men on task.

Despite all this, Dravid remains, his 37th hundred beckoning in his 279th innings. Of the next four, Laxman, Dhoni and Ashwin all have Test centuries and Kohli is India's most promising batsman.

It could yet be a long haul before Sydney, despite Australia's best efforts.

Sri Lanka Improve Against South Africa

2011-12-27T08:22:00.000+11:00

Marchant de Lange 4 wickets
on debut

In the last Test match of 2011, Sri Lanka put up an improved batting performance, mostly due to a veteran and a rookie and South Africa deputed another exciting fast bowler.

The Sri Lankans dropped Silva, as expected and replaced him with Dishan Chandimal, who earned his first cap after experience in the shorter forms of the game. Vernon Philander failed to recover from his knee injury and Marchant de Lange played his first Test.

Sri Lanka won the toss and batted and were the usual mix of Paranavitana's caution and Dilshan's audacity, adding a run a ball before the former edged a full ball from de Lange which was asking to be driven and Mark Boucher took the catch. de Lange had a second, more prestigious scalp an over later when he took out Kumar Sangakkara in the same manner for a duck. Mahela Jayawardene joined Dilshan and seemed intent on building an innings whilst the madman at the other end kept slapping away, attempting arrogant drives on the up and only just avoiding the edge of his bat. He was out eventually when he took a Imran Tahir full toss from outside leg stump and put it straight into the hands of Morne Morkel at fine leg. It was a reckless, die by the sword shot, so typical of the lack of value Dilshan places on his own wicket and the needs of his team. When Jayawardene went shot crazy, punishing Tahir and then attacking dale Steyn, Morkel sent one through a sizable gap between bat and pad and he lost his off stump.

At 4-117, it was a familiar pattern.

Then two good partnerships which improved the day for Sri Lanka.

Tilhan Samaraweera, who was quiet against the Australians at home and only marginally better in England, was in need of runs and he was joined by the young tyro Angelo Mathews. In a 45 run 5th wicket partnership dominated by Mathews crisp stroke play, Samaraweera regained his confidence against the ferocious South African quicks. Morkel, in particular, was menacing and back to his best after a lean run this summer and third place behind Phillander and Steyn. It was a partnership which was blunting the attack and it was a shock when Mathews got a leading edge of a de Lange full toss and the bowler held a remarkable catch.

The best partnership of the day followed. Chandimal opened with two fours which showcased his talent. The first was a straight drive, down on one knee off Tahir and the other, a controlled glide to third man off de Lange. He would not be intimidated and batted with qualities far greater than the senior players above him. He attacked all of the bowlers and enjoyed a share of luck when he mishit a shot intended to fly midwicket and was dropped by de Lange at mid on - incongruous with the caught and bowled he had snared earlier. He raised his fifty with a slapped four past cover point off de Lange. The partnership of Nelson, 111, ended when he again slashed at an intentionally wide delivery from de Lange and Boucher took the catch. Perera became de Lange's fourth debut wicket when he couldn't manage a short fast ball and that closed the day out.

Samaraweera 86 not out

All the while, Samaraweera kept his head and refused to yield against some quality fast bowling. He patiently moved toward his hundred and has left himself well placed by stumps, offering no chances except a stumping opportunity for Boucher off Tahir when he was 63. The ball turned so far, Kallis caught it at first slip. His 50 came from 115 deliveries and the next 36 runs were even slower, off 103 balls. His batting showed some much needed spine and grit which the other elder statesmen of the Sri Lankan team appear to have traded for audacious stroke play and bravado.

The South Africans bowled well on a track that offered little encouragement - certainly not what was expected of the Durban deck in the lead up to the match. Leg spinner Tahir bowled a lot of overs - 28 on the opening day - a symptom of what may be the reality of this wicket. His leg spin is of the old fashioned variety, with one killer ball per over and one to be hit for six. The quicks still disturbed the Sri Lankans but Dale Steyn was again below his best.

An even day but its hard to imagine the South African batting line up being troubled on this pitch.

Boxing Day Round One

2011-12-26T22:08:00.000+11:00

Ed Cowan top scored with 68

Those jokers who say that Test cricket is dull and predictable have obviously only been to one ODI or a handful of Twenty20 games and the opening day of the first Test between hosts Australia and their Indian guests proved the doom sayers wrong yet again.

The Australian innings was prone to a cycle of collapse and recovery throughout a day extended into the summer evening of Boxing Day after rain took out slightly less than an hour before and after lunch. Michael Clarke won the toss and batted, with Ed Cowan making his debut in place of Phil Hughes and Ben Hilfenhaus replacing Mitchell Starc. Before play, Dean Jones managed three complete sentences in presenting Cowan with his Baggy Green.

Cut and thrust is overused as an analogy but it was an accurate record of events at the MCG. David Warner looked in fabulous touch in dominating the 46 run opening stand with a more conservative Cowan. One big six was smashed over mid wicket in Usman Yadav's 16 run third over, which also included fours straight driven and back foot launched through cover. On the hour, five minutes were lost to rain as players were called back by umpire Ian Gould as soon as they had left the field. First ball after the break, Warner hooked again to a ball which came on to him faster than he expected and gloved a ballooning catch to Dhoni wide down the leg side. The much anticipated first Test on Australian soil went pair-shaped for Shaun Marsh in Yadav's next over as he drove and edged to Kohli, who held a well judged catch in the gully. Australia's good start was now 2-46.

Ponting cuts to raise his fifty

Enter Ricky Ponting to a mixed MCG reception for the first time in his career. Many stood, cheered and clapped him from gate to guard but just as many stayed seated, inanimate and an awful lot of them were not Indian supporters. Second ball, Ponting was nearly in a tangle, attempting a pull shot and having the ball come from his forearm to his helmet and by the time he swivelled, it appeared to be dropping toward the stumps until quick footwork kicked it away. From there, it was all control and the shorter the bowling the better Ponting liked it. His first four boundaries were all pull shots and were all convincing. By the time Ishant Sharma returned, Ponting was closing on fifty with a delightful cut past point and the closest Sharma came was a blow on the pads when Ponting shouldered arms but it was well clear of off stump.

A the other end, two different Cowans played support. Before lunch, it was hard to get an attacking shot from him but after lunch he expanded his range of shots and 70 runs came in 14 overs. After adding 113 for the third wicket, Ponting squared up to Yadav and the ball flew from the shoulder of the bat to be held by Laxman at second slip. Hopefully those in the media might finally note the quality of Ponting's form. This is not someone to discard yet.

Clarke played on again

Clarke looked busy in the short space before tea and the eleven overs after it, cracking four boundaries from point to gully. Zaheer Khan came left arm around, seemingly avoiding the obvious and sending balls away from Clarke repeatedly. With the Aussie captain secure, Zaheer eventually bent one back at him from wide of off stump - an old Wasim Akram trick - and Clarke provide a familiar path from his inside edge back onto the stumps. After adding 46 with the still patient Cowan, Clarke's departure sparked a 3-9 mini collapse. Michael Hussey went first ball to a shocker from umpire Erasmus and provided as good an advertisement for DRS as they could ever be. A short lifter from Hussey reared on his off stump, passing close to his outside edge but well away from his gloves and then arced away until Dhoni held it. All the Indians took to the air in exclamation and Erasmus agreed with them. Hussey wasn't within the Hume Highway of hitting it and was rightly livid as he left the arena. To think your career might ride on such things is unjust. Not long after, Ed Cowan tried to cut Ashwin and like Hussey, no proof could be found that he had hit it.

Peter Siddle joined Haddin and the pair took Australia to stumps with an unbeaten 63 run partnership, Haddin perhaps lucky to survive a confident lbw appeal near stumps.

It was a good day for India with the ball, with each of their four bowlers looking effective throughout the day. Yadav and Zaheer bowled too short after lunch and let the Australian's off the hook but bowl returned good spells at other stages to compensate. Sharma was unlucky not to gain more from the Australians and even though he is bowling on one leg, his work was impressive. Ashwin lost control occasionally but once he adjusts to bowling "the Australian length" he will be a handful.

An even day.

Sri Lanka Slip Sliding Away

2011-12-26T08:28:00.000+11:00

Dilshan

In the post Murali, post Vaas slide which Sri Lanka - in almost Paul Keating parlance - were going to have, no one quite imagined them slipping so far towards the sudden tail bone thump at the end of the slippery dip in such a short time. Now, fifteen Tests later and still without a win, they can't find the bowlers to take twenty wickets and win a Test and when they do find them, they skunk their hair in post modern self-obsession and turn up only when it suits them.

Their batting is aging, the skipper third choice at best, their Board is bankrupt and first class cricket is suspended because there is no money to stage the games. Test players have been waiting for months for back payments and few young players are emerging of Angelo Mathews ilk - players with enough lust for international competition to bridge the other chasm of frailties which is Sri Lankan cricket. It is only now apparent that Murali's greatest contribution in his last three years wasn't his still prolific wicket taking exploits but rather his wallpapering over deep, disturbing cracks which remaining heroes like Kumar Sangakkara can no longer hide.

That's the last fifteen Tests.

Today, the track in Durban is green, South Africa are hot and the tourists are further into the malaise they arrived with. Tillakaratne Dilshan announced player replacements last week but his money strapped Board not only ignored him but denied his claim publicly. Such circus tricks would render captaincy untenable elsewhere. Dhammika Prasad may return to the side, three years since his last Test with a record of 16 wickets in eight Tests at an average of 58. Hhmmm. Dinesh Chandimal, a youngster with fair performances in the shorter forms of the game, may debut for wicketkeeper Silva who has disappointed since replacing Prasanna Jayawardene. The top order is well below its best and the captain can't decide where to bat, having lost the ability to score runs. Sangakkara has been the only light to shine, but even he wasn't switched on until the second half of 2011.

The Jolly Green Giant have the minor injury worry of Vernon Philander: minor, not because he isn't important to the attack but rather because his wounded knee bears none of the seriousness it did for Spotted Elk and his band of North American Indians. The batsmen are full of runs and Villander full of wickets against a side which struggled to 300 runs in spending 20 wickets at the Centurion slaughter house.

The only mitigating factor might be South Africa's poor recent returns at Kingsmead, where Australia, England and India have won the last three Tests since 2009. Even so, a Sri Lankan victory would be the Test cricket equivalent of the Titanic resurfacing and coming back for another go at the iceberg.

The World's Top Ten Cricket Christmas Carols

2011-12-23T23:34:00.002+11:00

Once In Rahul Dravid's City
For God's Sake Rest Him Merry Gentlemen (please don't let Phil Hughes play)
The First No Ball (Salman did say, will be in the third over, first up right away)
Hark The Herald Bracewell Swings (glory to the Kiwi king)
Phil Hughes the Red-Faced Batsman, had a very shiny pose, but when they bowled on off stump, the umpire would foreclose
Ding Dong Murali On High
I Saw Three Slips On Boxing Day
We Three King Pairs, Disoriented Are
While David Shepherd Watches His Flocks In White
Sachin the batsman, was a jolly happy soul. With a hundred tons and more to come, in Australia to take his toll..

(With thanks to a very funny bunch of Tweeters for inspiration and some entries here.)

The World's Most Famous Batsman

2011-12-23T22:53:00.000+11:00

This is a picture of the most famous batsman world cricket has ever known ...

... and the guy with him is Don Bradman.

Australian Selectors Name & Explain

2011-12-21T19:41:00.000+11:00

Ed Cowan - 4 centuries in last 8 innings

John Inverarity this afternoon named the 13 man squad to take on India at the MCG starting on Boxing Day.

Michael Clarke (c), Ed Cowan, David Warner, Shaun Marsh, Ricky Ponting, Michael Hussey, Dan Christian, Brad Haddin, Peter Siddle, James Pattinson, Ben Hilfenhaus, Mitchell Starc & Nathan Lyon.
In: Cowan and Hilfenhaus Out: Phil Hughes and Usman Khawaja
Unavailable: Shane Watson & Ryan Harris

Gone are Phil Hughes, who was dropped by every single one of Australia's 21 million selectors and somewhat more surprisingly, Usman Khawaja. Hughes didn't shoot himself in the foot by the uniformity of his dismissals in the short series against the New Zealanders, he just underlined the ongoing problem he has had since his return against the Englishmen a year ago. His axing was a certainty, especially in consideration of being asked to bat at four in the tour game against India and then have a dash when it didn't matter. Khawaja can consider himself a trifle hard done by but Ed Cowan placed the final straw on his back with a fourth first class hundred this season, scored with impeccable timing on and off the field, against the Indians. Selectors have always smiled on emerging batsmen who score heavily against the touring side and this current crop of meat managers are well and truly over bolts from the blue, otherwise, Chris Rogers would have been a shoe in ... but then, they are probably thinking he's a real Victorian. If only they had remembered he originally wore a blue cap. As good as Khawaja will be under that Baggy Green cap in the future, he hasn't established himself yet with a weight of runs. Until he can turn exquisite twenties and thirties into fifties and beyond, he'll always be facing journeys away from the team.

Shaun Marsh is a long way from being a certainty and if he misses the deadline on Monday morning, Christian will come into the side and Inverarity has already indicated a shuffling in the order. Given that Christian will bat at 6, the Australians will shuffle Ponting, Clarke and Hussey all up a place. This may be okay if Ishant Sharma can't play but it will place a lot of pressure on Ponting who has looked unlikely to handle 3 any more and Clarke, who has never really handled 4. Hussey used to open so why not slot him in a three. He is, after all, the most flexible of all the batsmen in the side. Baring training accidents, Ponting and Hussey will play as Mickey Arthur and Inverarity have made that quite plain.

Back to Ben Hilfenhaus

It's in the bowling that the largest question mark looms. Hilfenhaus, according the the head of selectors, has been chosen to cover Mitchell Starc. Had Harris been fit, he would have taken Starc's spot as Pattinson, Siddle and Lyon are automatic selections. Why go back to Hilfenhaus? He's well placed on first class wickets taken this season but very expensive at over 30! This was the problem last season against the Poms, where the Tasmanian was undoubtedly unlucky but very, very expensive. What's wrong with West Australian Michael Hogan? He heads the first class bowling this season with 32 wickets at under 22 and in his most recent game, he had match figures of 9-84 as South Australia was routed by ten wickets. Sure, he's 30 but then Hilfenhaus is 28 and Cowan 29 and the near-bald, head-banded Jayde Herrick is only 26. After Hobart. most would have thought Starc certain to have a rest but the selectors doubt over Harris' durability changed all that and Ben Cutting's ongoing injury since missing the cut in Brisbane has cost him a Baggy Green for three Tests running.

In the end, the selectors were left with limited choices thanks to the horrendous injury toll which is bearing down on them and making the rebuilding task both difficult and easy at the same time. Difficult because new bodies have to keep being found for the next match but easy because it gives the selectors a licence to experiment.

There are some who have called for Ponting and Hussey to be surgically removed but its too early yet. Strange that this correspondent, who has called for Ponting's head for the last twelve months, should now defend his selection but if form be a guide, he now deserves our perseverance. In two of the last three Tests, he has batted well. He was undone on seaming deck in Hobart but they have always bothered him. Give him Melbourne and the following New Year Test in Sydney against the Indians and then make the call. A factor very much in his favour is the Indians reverence of his ability and their bitter knowledge of him as a competitor which is a factor not to be overlooked. Having him in Clarke's team points an influential bone of past experiences trying to beat this prickly Australian and will make them design their bowling attack around his presence. As for Hussey, he ain't broke yet so don't fix him.

No, this is not our best team but its pretty much the best we have available for now.

Postscript: One last, desperate plea for media and spectators alike to stop moaning about the loss in Hobart as though it were a thrashing. Australia lost by 7 runs and scored the largest innings total of the match batting last. Our bowlers were terrific but our batsmen - Warner aside - weren't. Australia was beaten by what should have been a man of the match performance by Doug Bracewell. No need for blood letting. No need for desperate acts of self abuse in order to cope with a defeat ... or is it having to cop it sweet from Kiwi friends? Its the first time they have beaten us for 18 years, so get over it.

Two-Faced Bangers Get Mashed

2011-12-21T19:30:00.000+11:00

Mushfiqur 53 before going the slog

The two sides of how Bangladesh face up to Test cricket were never more easily identified as on the last day of the final Test of the series against Pakistan played at Mirpur. In the morning, Nasir Hosssain and Mushfiqur Rahim were solid in defence and confident in their stroke play. After lunch, five wickets fell in 18 overs, reckless shots were played and Pakistan raced to their target.

Even though Cheema and Gul started the day for Pakistan after their success on the fourth afternoon, it was obvious the spinners would be the greatest danger. Bangladesh had further favours with the fog returning and moving the starting time back into the morning. The constant interruptions in this test should have convinced authorities that an 8:30am start is impossible in Mirpur, regardless of the concerns with light at the end of the day. After the quicks made little impression, Saeed Ajmal and Abdur Rehman came on and although tightening the scoring, Nasir and Mushfiqur still managed to tick the scoreboard over, edging past slips a few times but gradually building a total. The pair added 86 in the first session.

Time was Pakistan's biggest worry in securing a win and wickets were needed quickly after lunch. Abdur Rehman started what was to be a landslide, bowling Nasir with a Boon special, a nudie which came straight on from the left armer, landing middle and leg and hitting off. It was Nasir's highest score so far in only a four Test career and ended a partnership with his skipper of 117 for the sixth wicket. The spinners applied the pressure and the next six overs produced only nine runs which apparently proved too much for Mushfiqur. After three hours and nearly 150 deliveries, having just bought up his half century, he jumped down the track at Rehman aiming to loft over the long off boundary, was done in flight and simply plopped an undroppable catch to mid off. It was a lame and unpardonable self implosion from a skipper who had lectured his batsmen on circumspection after the first Test.

From there, it was a quick end, with Rehman and Ajmal far too good for the tail and Bangladesh had surrendered 5-22.

Hafeez took control - 47 of 52

Pakistan were against the conditions to reach the winning target but moved with intent at more than five an over, showing that they know where the accelerator is but prefer to conserve first innings fuel by reaching their goal safely. Taufeeq became frustrated after four overs of dots and played a poor shot to leave early. Mohammad Hafeez took control and made a run a ball 47 which was gold in the circumstances, as was Azahr Ali's quickened pace. Both were out close to the end, which Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq made sure of with judicious hitting as the umpires were checking their light meters. Misbah sealed the win with a six over long off from the second ball he faced. The spinners were no answer for the aggression of Pakistan's batsmen, especially given the small target they were defending.

Pakistan won the series 2-0, moving past Sri Lanka on the ICC Test table up to fifth position - something Sri Lanka looks unlikely to change in the remaining Tests of their series against South Africa. Pakistan are now four points behind Australia. To catch them over the summer, Australia would have to lose all of the Tests in the series against India and Pakistan would have to make a huge dent in the world No 1, England, in their three Test series in the UAE in February/March.

Still, stranger things have happened on a country road.

Pakistan Grinding Out A Victory

2011-12-21T09:00:00.001+11:00

Misbah sweeps on his way to 70

Their justification will be the importance of creating a responsible batting order but Pakistan's steady and unrelenting pressure on the fourth day against Bangladesh isn't the sort of bright, result oriented cricket Mark Taylor created with Australia in the 1990's - more Ted Dexter of the first half of the 1960's. Batting with caution first and refusing to yield wickets even when the match required quick runs has, unfortunately for Test cricket, again been rewarded as Bangladesh collapsed in a frenzy late in the day.

The outstanding part of the day was not the Bangladeshi fielding, which followed three dropped chances yesterday with three more today and none of them that difficult. Robiul Islam (mid on), Mahmudullah (slip) and Elias Sunny (mid wicket) all deserve shaming for flooring catches that Test players always hold. Sunny's was the more difficult but no excuses. Stuart Law has a clear indicator where to aim his most urgent practice routines.

The outstanding part of the day was not the Bangladesh second innings. Tamim Iqbal started hurried and ended Billyed: umpire Doctrove sending him on his way after an Umar Gul delivery struck him on the helmet and Misbah-ul-Haq claimed the catch at first slip. If the decision was rude, the appeal was worse. Next ball, one of the first innings heroes, Shahriar Nafees was struck in line but at a questionable height and Billy marched him too. 2-23 chasing a deficit of 118 wasn't good. With Mahmudullah pushing the score along, Abdur Rehman skittled Nazimuddin with a straight, flat ball that went straight through him. Nasir Hossain was dropped at slip early but recovered and he and Mahmudullah were looking comfortable against the spinners. Aziz Cheema's return bought a brain explosion from Muhmudullah who attempted a lofted, thumping drive down the ground but instead sent an outside edge skyward and was caught at point. It was dumb cricket from a batsman who was set. Only a handful of overs later, Cheema claimed the big prize, Bangladesh's player of the match, Shakib Al Hasan, when he cramped him for room on the off stump and Azhar Ali took a good catch in the gully. It was a 35 over disaster.

Shakib took 6-82 with his left arm spin

The outstanding part of the day was not Pakistan adding 178 in 59 overs. It didn't help that Younis Khan was out in the second over but they were too tardy. Misbar constructed probably the best hand of the innings, even though Taufeeq had made a century. At least he attempted to increase the tempo. Shafiq and Akmal both made good contributions until the tail failed to wag, losing the last three wickets for just six.

No, the outstanding part of the day was Shakib taking five of the seven wickets to fall, finishing with a creditable 6-82 from nearly forty one overs. When matched with his first innings 144, he becomes the first player from Bangladesh to score a century and take five or more wickets in an innings in the same Test.

The fourth day was the first to contain all of its overs, with 93 bowled and the rest consumed by the innings break but even a short day on the fifth should be enough for another Pakistan Test victory and a 2-0 series result.

The Days Are Getting Shorter

2011-12-20T06:19:00.000+11:00

Mirpur is an odd place to play cricket. The wicket is as flat and as even as most practice wickets, intended to provide a surface for batsmen, not bowlers. Fog lingers in the early morning because of the early start to try and avoid the bad light in the afternoon. The net result is the same. Not one of the three days has managed to last more than 69 overs, let alone the dyslexic ICC target of 96. For the home side, perhaps the reassurance of a safety net against defeat helps their play - well, innings defeat at least.

Taufeeq Umar made
a lucky 130

In the "light" of this influence over the result, Pakistan's batting on the third day was puzzling but not entirely unexpected. In 69 overs they added 205 runs, losing only two wickets although the small return for Bangladesh was less to do with the batting and more to do with inept fielding. Taufeeq should have been stumped on 56, when Mushfiqur Rahim appealed for a catch down the ledside of the left arm orthodox Shakib Al Hasan and forgot to remove the bails as well with the batsmen well down the pitch. He was dropped on 67 when he cut the first ball after lunch straight into and then out of Nazimuddin's hands in the gully and then on 118 when he sent a difficult but catchable bat pad opportunity to Shahriar Nafeez of Elias Sunny. Younis Khan hoiked to deep mid wicket where Shahadat spilled the catch off Nasir Hossain. The latter two chances came in the first two overs after tea.

Pakistan have batted with caution under Misbah-ul-Haq's leadership, strange considering his own desire to score quickly. Their intention is occupation of the crease and ensuring they can't be beaten by running down the clock, rather than the exuberant yet often reckless stroke play that has always been a hallmark of Pakistani cricket. With 5 wins and 2 losses in 12 Test since their last series loss, its a policy that is hard to argue with. Their top order all have healthy averages in that time, with only Asad Shafiq averaging below 40 and Mohammad Haeez, Taufeeq and Azhar Ali all in the high 40's. The skipper, Misbah checks in at 68 and the old pro Younis has been almost Bradman-like at 87.

Azhar Ali made a slow 57

Taufeeq didn't play a perfect innings here but any century is a good innings. He partnered Azhar to 127, the latter being the most patient of the Pakistanis, making a controlled and chanceless half century. Taufeeq added 95 with Younis before he was eventually out to the best of the Bangaldeshi bowlers, Nazmul Hossain. The tall man's work was good all day, but he took advantage of the second new ball to make things uncomfortable for batsmen who had looked in complete and easy control. Four overs into the new cherry, he decked one across the left handed Taufeeq, found the edge and against the trend, Shahriar held a fine low catch at second slip.

Misbah was busy at the crease, hitting as many fours in his 50 deliveries as Younis had in more than twice that many. Pakistan closed in on Bangladesh as the light inevitably did, in depressing fashion, on the play.

If Pakistan can bat strongly on the fourth day and get a 200 run lead by the close, then a Bangladeshi collapse on the last day is still on the cards.

Where Have All The Punters Gone?

2011-12-19T09:39:00.000+11:00

Mike McKenna - who cares about crowds when we have TV

After more media hype than an Opra visit. Saturation advertising. Free giveaways on Friday and Saturday night. A product made, we have been told, specifically for spectators. Stars galore and even the chance to watch the Sheik of Tweak, the Earl of Twirl, The Mosty of Toasties, Shane (I've Got the Most Famous Bird Here) Warne, back on his beloved "G". He had spent the week tramping like some steroidal ogre through the streets of Melbourne on his way to the ground (I don't know about you but I couldn't get the Stay Puff Marsh Mellow Man from Ghostbusters out of my head). The organisers and commentators had said beforehand that 30 000 at the SCG and 50 000 at the MCG would be the benchmarks, after all, tickets could be had as low as $20 an adult and $5 a child.

Friday night at the SCG drew 12 000 and Saturday night at the MCG drew less than 24 000.

Not entirely an successful crowd return for men such as project manager Mike McKenna, one of the few public faces behind the facade of the Big Bash League.

McKenna and Melbourne Stars CEO Clint Cooper, were quick to point out that crowd figures were down because

it was hot (35C) and who wants to stand around in the heat
a lot of local cricket club Christmas bbq's would have kept people away
Rome wasn't built in a day (and the empire didn't last forever either)
people aren't in the holiday mode yet

Please ... most of have an IQ greater than a fast bowler and wouldn't use toilet paper that thin.

Perhaps if these blokes were fair dinkum, they could add

removing the warm up game in Sydney which was to feature the Australian women's team and sending it to Drumoyne Oval instead ... surely a big winner among a powerful part of the demographic CA was hoping to further woo
trying to manufacture tribalism
relying on the pulling power of ex players at a time when the Australian public - cricket and otherwise - are questioning the continuance of older players in the Test team
placing a new competition whose sole purpose is to make as much money as possible for all concerned, slap bang in Australian cricket prime time
expecting crass commercialism to out way regional loyalties

McKenna crowed over the ratings figures (858 000) on Friday night and given this is a sporting event tailored completely for the television market, so he should. Sooner or later, TV audiences will start to notice the lack of bums on seats, despite the clever marking ploy of having an odd patchwork of coloured seats in modern Australia stadiums which fools the eye into seeing the pattern as people, not empty seats. In Brisbane, for the Test against New Zealand, half of the Gabba was closed every day yet long shots didn't reveal that and TV direction was to only show closer shots on the northern half of the ground.

This event was never about crowds anyway. It was first and foremost an exercise in making as much money as possible and the fastest way to do that is to sell your event to television.Therefore, its the TV numbers McKenna and the eight faceless franchisers will be watching because that will keep the big bucks rolling in. Big numbers will bring Nine executives into negotiations for future seasons, not mum's and dad's and the little urchins coming in from the western suburbs and waving flags to support imaginary allegiances.

Who are the people putting up the money behind these teams anyway? A while ago, Cricket Australia was in an urgent hurry to prevent Indian investment in the Big Bash, apparently fearing a repeat of scandals such as those which surround Indian businessman Lalit Modi. As responsible as that may have been, James Sutherland and Cricket Australia have kept franchise owners from the public. You will find the names of chief executives and managers of each team but try finding the identity of the owners. When even Google is boggled, you can be sure they are not for release. So now, the people behind the greatest change in Australian cricket are invisible vapours. Their only credential is money.

In January of course, the crowds will be bigger because there is no other cricket programmed. Cricket Australia has stacked the cards in favour of that outcome. With only only four Test matches being played, Big Bash will literally be the only game in town. Who wants to run Sheffield Shield at a loss when Fox and eventually Nine will pay a fortune for the TV rights to show an eclectic bunch of the world's rejects play backyard bully against our keenest eyed. Don't get me wrong. I love some slap and tickle as well but not when it comes at such a great cost. Whilst everyone makes dosh from this, the future of Australia cricket is being pushed to one side. Cricket Australia, as parents of the game in this country, are encouraging us to eat the ice cream and cake and ignore the vegetables.

So far, it appears Australian are not that stupid.

Pakistan Clawing Back

2011-12-19T08:04:00.003+11:00

For a second day at Mirpur, Dhaka, play was restricted to below 70 overs by fog in the morning and bad light in the afternoon as the 2nd Test between Pakistan and the home side, Bangladesh, ground its way forward. Pakistan, having been thwarted on the opening day by a long partnership, were again frustrated when play did eventually get underway. Century maker Shakib Al Hasan formed a second good partnership, this time with captain Mushfiqur Rahim, adding 82 for the sixth wicket. Mushfiqur was the more adventurous of the two, taking to the spinners with lofted shots to the outfield. The new ball came and went before lunch to nil effect - Cheema and Gul unable to gain any advantage from the pitch or through the air. The spinners were able to extract more turn with the harder ball but but only Saeed Ajmal looked threatening.

A half hour after lunch, Mushfiqur called Shakib for a quick single, changed his mind and Shakib was unable to beat Taufeeq Umar's throw back. Shakib was an unhappy camper as he left but it got worse. Mishfiqur was out next ball, gloving a ball from Umar Gul down the leg side to keeper Adnan Akmal. Wickets lost in clusters are hard on a side, particularly weaker teams. Bangladesh collapsed, losing 5-33 and were out well short of the 400 hundred total their hard work had deserved.

Nazmul Hossain removes Hafeez

Despite losing Mohammad Hafeez in the fifth over, Pakistan made sound progress until light intervened. Hafeez was out to a regulation ball just outside off stump which he nicked behind. For bowler Nazmul Hossain, bowling his first delivery in Test cricket for seven years, it was nothing but pure joy.Taufeeq used up some luck early, slicing over slips but proceeded to smash anything short and wide of off stump, peppering the boundary either side of point. His better shots came when the ball was fuller and he was driving down the ground. Azi Ali appeared to be prepared to take his time and build. He played one delightful drive through extra cover which had little to do with power and everything to do with timing but survived a raucous appeal for lbw on 10, when he unwisely shouldered arms at a ball which came back at him from Robial Islam. Late in the day, spin was closing the batsmen down but perhaps the impending early close of play had more to do with their batting demeanour than the bowling.

With the conditions likely to remain unchanged, there may be less than 200 overs left to find a result.

Bangladesh Growl Against Pakistan

2011-12-18T13:22:00.001+11:00

Shakib Al Hasan made 108x

Before 1971, Bangladesh was East Pakistan - a disputed and unhappy annex of Pakistan to the east of India, joining Bengali territory. Then a bitter battle which created massive numbers of starving refugees, a UN resolution and two concerts in early August at Maddison Square Garden changed all that.

Much later on, Bangladesh started playing Test cricket. As one might expect, matches against Pakistan have always been philosophically and historically the hardest. In seven Tests since the first played thirty yeas after their separation, Pakistan have always won and usually handsomely. Just last week, they flogged Bangladesh by an innings and 184 runs. Such has been the Pakistani dominance that only once - before yesterday - had a Bangladeshi batsman taken a hundred from the Pakistani bowlers.

The day started and finished in gloom. An hour was lost at either end of the day, with fog being the major cause in the morning. By lunch, it was business as usual for both sides, with Bangladesh reduced to 4-54 and on track for another low first innings score. So many of their Test matches have been decided by tea on the first day after the batting has collapsed. Misbah against sent them in after winning the toss and result were immediate. Nazimuddin (shouldering arms to an off cutter and being plumb), Mahmudullah (bowled through the gate by another off cutter) and Nasir Hossain (nibbling outside off stump) all fell to Aizaz Cheema inside the first fifteen overs and Umar Gul claimed Tamim Iqbal with a bouncer which hit straight to fine leg.

After lunch, the Bengal Tiger roared and the rest of the day belonged to the fifth wicket pair of left handers, Shahriar Nafees and Shakib Al Hasan.

Nafees was unlucky to miss a hundred

In previous times, the lunch time reverse of fortunes may have had one detecting rodents in the air but the steadfast leadership of Misbah and the inclusion of anti-corruption strongman man Younis Khan makes it easier to accept this was one of crickets glorious moments when the underdog bites back. It is one of the greatest of those recent scumbags crimes against our game that we even stop to consider foul play.

Batting with suspicion at a time when their side was already down for a compulsory eight count, both batsmen played with a positivism which surprised the seamers. Their four hour, 180 run partnership netted a Bangladeshi partnership record and was only broken four overs from the bad light end when Nafees tried to avoid a short ball from Gul and it brushed his glove on the way to keeper Adnal Akmal. It seemed an unfair reward for such good batting that he was caught three short of his hundred. Al Hasan went on to only his second career hundred in 26 Tests but it continues the good form he had shown against the West Indies.

Unlike the first Test, the Pakistani spin bowlers had little impact.