The Game : Australia Vs India

[vijay]

When Australian were playing on Indian soul, they encountered never seen before aggression in few Indian players and lot of 'meri gali mein aana.... tujhe dekh lunga' type threatenings were in air by Aussie Players.

Much hyped Indian tour of Australia started with a well-known Indian collapse on foreign soil plus a few bad decisions ( read human error ) by Umpires. So they didn't get any chance to implement their 'game'.

Now, when Indians tried to fightback in Sydney and were in commanding position (134/6), a lot of human errors started popping out one by one untill Aussies were in their comfortable zone. On 5th day, it felt that Umpires were beautifully programmed to commit human errors by default ( obviously against a particular team ).

Last but not least, the shameful conspiracy against Indian Players, by imposing ban on Harbhajan Singh. Is that their real Game what they were looking for ?

Just read Peter Roebuck's article in Sydney Morning Herald about Ricky Ponting and Company.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/cricket/a..._cid=rss_sport



What you think about this Game and what steps should be taken by White Elephant ( Read BCCI ) :

1. Should Team India pullout from the tour right now.
2. Should Team India keep playing cricket in "good spirit" and must respect the wise decisions by Bucknor and Associates. ( ICC denied to remove Bucknor from 3rd test )
3. .................................................. .. ( fill in the option )
4. .................................................. ...( fill in the option )
5. .................................................. ... ( fill in the option ) and so on.

What say ?

[devdahiya]

I think this game has lost its relevence.Emotions get charged for nothing and an EPHORIA gets created as if there is nothing else than cricket.Real madness of highest order.A very few handfuls get benefitted at the cost of millions of people who are in habit of wasting their precious time and money.

Too much of a hype....nothing else Vijay.Why this harbhajan singh was rolling in ground...wasn't that stupid?BUCKNOR hasn't done it first time and Australions are no saints either,don't we know that?

[vijay]

Why this harbhajan singh was rolling in ground...wasn't that stupid?

Every player show their joy in a certain manner. Not only cricket ..... if you watch SOCCER, Hockey, Baseball etc .... maybe you have witnessed many gymnast out there ... i think that jumping or rolling on ground is much sophisticated than commenting or abusing.

If rolling on ground is stupid ... then what you say about Australians ... and almost every SOCCER player round the Globe

[devdahiya]

Every player show their joy in a certain manner. Not only cricket ..... if you watch SOCCER, Hockey, Baseball etc .... maybe you have witnessed many gymnast out there ... i think that jumping or rolling on ground is much sophisticated than commenting or abusing.

If rolling on ground is stupid ... then what you say about Australians ... and almost every SOCCER player round the Globe

I have already said about Australions dear....They do it always which i condemn.Ever game has its rules and rules need to be followed in just manner by all.Soccer has more freedom for showing emotions than cricket.The code of conduct has to be followed keeping the emotions aside.But then some people get away with more stupidities while others buy it faster.That is the way this world is governed.

[shailendra]

...Frankly, I have mixed feelings about answering this! Tell you why-

Look, first things first! Everything else (all these controversies) pale into the distance if you actually talk thru your game, and excel in it... BUT guess what, we lost! Lost a game that we had been playing quite well, and were almost on top of, a lot of times- To lose from such a positive position (not even manage a draw, forget winning altogether!) and make complete heavy weather of it is something only an Indian Team can do!!!...

Having said that (although for me the above statement is still the most deciding factor out of everything else!) let's talk about gamesmanship! (not the umpiring decisions mind you, at least not yet...) and yes; the Australians are being arrogant, uncouth and all that...BUT frankly and disgustingly that is the least of the matters when they are actually committing the worst sin in cricket- being totally UNSPORTING about it!

It's a carnal sin in cricket when you know you nicked and got caught and don't walk (immaterial of the Umpire being blissfully unaware, giving you the benifit of doubt!), similarly if you take a catch that actually hit the ground first and the Umpire's have no idea; and they ask...you say NO, it was not a CLEAN catch...
and as everyone saw none of that happened- in this time and age when everything is caught on TV, the Australians are showing the world that they are Champs and want to be champs by whatever it takes!

FINALLY- Umpiring!?! WHATTHE@#*... this is cricket and agreed you don't question the Umpires decisions... but since when did the umpires (instead of referring it to the third umpire) start asking the players if the catch was taken clean or not??? ...AND if you are gonna do that, why not ask the opposing team too if they think it was taken clean? I mean this is not a 'was it a four' or 'was it a six?' kinda question you are asking afterall!

In a nutshell, and like I said at the very beginning- I think the Indian team should continue the tour and try and play up to their potential that we know they have, and not leave the situation where it seems akin to a loser on the ropes, down and out now trying to cry foul!

[raj_rathee]

If Harbhajan is not cleared, then the Indians should walk out no matter
what. The palyers should stick together regardless of what BCCI
or Sharad Powar do. I'll respect and admire any player who refuses
to go on and stands by Harbhajan.

Regarding the umpiring, I like the idea of allowing each team 3 chances to consult the third umpire. And for each time the decision turns out in their
favor, they be allowed another chance. i.e if they were right they haven't
used up one of their chances.

This will prevent the need for significant change yet allow sides
to appeal bad decisions. Also, it will instantly put pressure on the umpires
to be careful about their decisions.

The Indians should ask for the removal of these two umpires for upcoming
tests...bad umpiring needs to be slapped on the wrist as well. Bucknor
is losing his sight and hearing capabilities it seems.

Baaki, Ponting should wear a bunny suit in the next game. I think he
along with Hanuman Symonds :eek: fabricated the "Monkey" allegations
to get rid of his nemesis.

Vaise bhi, Harbhajan ko shayad pata bhi nahi hoga ki "Monkey" ka racist
matlab nikala jaayega. We Indians use that word to say "silly", "dumbo"...

ANd if the game continues let Yuvraj and Jaffer sit it out. Lagta hai
Yuvraj ko ground mein bhi Deepika Phadkone he deekhti hai. Time
for Sehwag and perhaps Kartick to be given a chance.

[deepakchoudhry]

I watched the game and what a waste of time.

Aussies were desperate to win this game come what may, use every dirty trick in the book.

They have set a new standards in this game.

whatever respect I had for them is gone.

They targetted Harbhajan, they know he is emotional type.

They fingered him and he responded.

And as for "Bucknor" the less I speak the better.

[deepakchoudhry]

India will loose 4-0 it is going to be impossible to come back after this.

[vijay]

Look, first things first! Everything else (all these controversies) pale into the distance if you actually talk thru your game, and excel in it... BUT guess what, we lost! Lost a game that we had been playing quite well, and were almost on top of, a lot of times- To lose from such a positive position (not even manage a draw, forget winning altogether!) and make complete heavy weather of it is something only an Indian Team can do!!!...

Agree with you Shail !

Even India could have lost this game if Umpires were honest enough. They can loose a match at any given situation just like a superstar suddenly start reading the script narrated for a comedian.

But the point is they are playing it off the ground too. Like they definately have problem playing against Harbhajan and hence he is banned. Everybody knows for what and why ?

Harbhajan is not among first ...... in past the champs blamed Murlitharan, Shoab Akhtar, Shane Bond etc. for underarm action ( read chukkar ) and just on Australian soil like it is infectious to the visiting team's bowler only. :rolleyes:

In a nutshell, and like I said at the very beginning- I think the Indian team should continue the tour and try and play up to their potential that we know they have, and not leave the situation where it seems akin to a loser on the ropes, down and out now trying to cry foul!

Winning there in present conditions .... almost negative and even impossible when almighty TRIDEV ( read Umpires ) are playing for them. :rolleyes:

If Harbhajan is banned and Bucknor & associates are still on haunt, i don't see any reason for wasting any time to catch the next flight to India.

[raj2rif]

Dear Members,

Good discussion prompted me to put my views on the subject.

I have following comments to make.

1. Harbhajan needs to be cleared of racist blame. BCCI must do whatever it takes to do that.

2. India should continue playing the series with best of their abilities without making an issue of the umpire in question. I am sure he would be under a lot of pressure now.

3. India / BCCI should try and find out if Buckner is on Australian pay roll or not or has been fixed by Ponting.

4. Nex match open with Sehwag and Karthik, followed by Dravid, Ganguly, Tendulkar, Laxman, Pathan, Harbhajan, Kumble, R P Singh and VRV Singh/ Ishant Sharma/ the other new bowler ( I am not remembering his name at this time) Karthik to keep wicket too. If India is batting second, then Ganguly should open (since he is in the finest form of his career) and Karthik comes down the order after Laxman.

5. After the series, India should not have any further Cricketing relations with Australia that has Ricky Ponting, Symonds, Gilchrist and Michael Clark in the team.

[shailendra]

The thing that irks me about the Harbhajan banning epsiode is, how can they slap that ban on him by just what Symonds, Ricky Ponting, Adam Gilchrist, Matthew Hayden, Michael Clarke and their team manager Steve Bernardas said at the hearing, when both the on-field umpires Steve Bucknor and Mark Benson had gone on record as saying that they had not heard anything offensive being said!!?!!
WHERE is the proof???

And in any case even if we believe that something was said as part of the sledging, then even more intriguing is the fact that they say it was a racial slur against Symonds!
NOW How did Symonds feel that he was racially abused? Symonds is half black and half white... mix breed who was born in england to white mother and black father and migrated to Australia after playing major junior cricket in england. Racism is saying something against a particular race like white, black, hispanic, orientals, red indian etc?

Lastly but not the least; Mark my words .....we all know that the BCCI are a bunch of jokers, so don't be surprised if these spineless people bow down to everything happening there!

Frankly, unfortunately this is not cricket anymore... this has become a national issue for both the countries I think!
Whoever backs off is liable to loose face as a result!

Note: The good thing is and if the newspaper reports are to be believed supposedly even the Australian cricketing junta is a mite peeved at the way their own Cricketers have behaved throughout this unfortunate episode!

[vijay]

Frankly, unfortunately this is not cricket anymore... this has become a national issue for both the countries I think!
Whoever backs off is liable to loose face as a result!

Shail, That's what i wanted to convey here from my first post

Even Australian Media is criticizing Umpire's decisions and the way Ponting and company playing the 'Game'. Australia's most famous sports critic Peter Roebuck concluded that Ponting must be sacked.

Check here to read the article in Sydney Morning Herald :

http://www.smh.com.au/news/cricket/a..._cid=rss_sport


Ironically, it's a pity that even Australian Media is not backing up their players for the injustice while our White Elephant ( BCCI ) is busy in releasing political statements. Whatever BCCI has done in this issue ( appealing against Harbhajan's ban ) is not becoz they care about the Indian Players or National pride but just becoz they got loud and clear message from Indian Dressing Room that every player is with Harbhajan and they mean it.

Sharad Pawar is eyeing at the ICC chaiman's post and i wonder if he will take any firm stand for the National Pride.

BCCI is busy in meetings and don't have any time to release a solid statment against ICC or Australian Team while Australian media is asking for the head of their arrogant Captain.

Only good news is that our players are united and has taken a firm stand for their team mate ... Harbhajan.

[sumitsehrawat]

I think Team India should abandon the tour even if the ban on Bhajji is lifted. Sure, BCCI would have to pay a penalty of around USD 2 million but then with similar calculations Australian Cricket Board is expected to lose USD 50 million. And that, according to me, is the way to answer them. It is not just Ponting or Bucknor or Clarke or Symonds....but the 'not-so-Mr.' Proctor too. Knowing the mounting tension between everyone in Sydney (Crowd included), he later banned based on NO evidence. Ugh! I think he himself should be banned for life.

In this regard, we should respect and follow Inzamam-ul-Haq's decision to lead his team out of the ground on some previous occasion. Our character and dignity should not be compromised. Fines we can pay but let's not sell our self-respect to the cheats. Aussies (present set of cricketers) are hypocrites, they live with false attitude.

Come back Team India.

Disappointed,
Sumit
P.S.: Hoping Bucknor is not the next Bhutto :D!

[asuhag]

We as a nation have long gotten into a habit of forgiving & forgetting things easily. We're so used to taking crap in the name of being peaceful, hospitable and all in the guise of our once golden history that we let everyone take us for a ride and yet, smile. And, worse... its just not on the cricket field!

On the contrary while the umpires screwed up bigtime, its shame on our batsmen that they couldn't last a day or score what even B'desh chases in a one day game! I think instead of cribbing & hiding under various pretexts or being goodie goodie, the Indians need to get bad on the field. That agression & desire to win is seriously missing in our folks!

My coach taught me that on the field it's a war. Winning is everything, for when the win shall be remembered, most would forget how the battle was won! What matters is - it was WON!

[kabir]

A strong stance by the Board on the Harbhajan's issue notwithstanding, I strongly feel the tour must continue.

It's high time we take a leaf out of the Aussies' book. No I am not asking for stooping to the levels of Ponting & Co. but looking up to the Australian team of 1932-33.

During the infamous Bodyline series, as Anglo-Australian relations touched a new ebb, there were calls from all quarters for the Aussies to discontinue the series. But they carried on. And lost. But England, despite a 4-1 scoreline in their favour didn't win either.

If at all, the Indians have all the more reason to carry on. They have the ability to beat this Aussie side, and they amply showed it in Sydney before faltering at the final hurdle.

The spark that the controversy has provided should see the whole bunch taking their game to several notches above. We can't win the Border-Gavaskar series, but we can still, and I believe we will, make the it a healthy 2-2. There would be nothing like it.

Alright, I am getting too optimistic but even 2-1 (with one draw) will be a fair assessment of the strenghths of the two teams.

Let Sehwag and Pathan play, show the door to Jaffer and Yuvraj (they did the job well in India against Pak but tell 'em 'thanks but not thanks'). We are already getting zero for one, we can't be minus one for one. No harm in taking a risk.

[asuhag]

And, nothing could be a more befitting reply if Team India could beat the ba$tards on field. It's high time we pressed on the offensive & played to the potential of a star studded team. If I could pass a message to the men in blue it'd be - "Come home like men & not whimps hiding behind some controversies & decisions going against you".

Afterall, we all learn that at the very grassroot level - Be prepared for the referees playing for the home team. It's every where! I so love the scene from Rocky IV - He takes on his opponent & the crowd and in the end, turns all of them around!

[raj2rif]

We as a nation have long gotten into a habit of forgiving & forgetting things easily. We're so used to taking crap in the name of being peaceful, hospitable and all in the guise of our once golden history that we let everyone take us for a ride and yet, smile. And, worse... its just not on the cricket field!

On the contrary while the umpires screwed up bigtime, its shame on our batsmen that they couldn't last a day or score what even B'desh chases in a one day game! I think instead of cribbing & hiding under various pretexts or being goodie goodie, the Indians need to get bad on the field. That agression & desire to win is seriously missing in our folks!

My coach taught me that on the field it's a war. Winning is everything, for when the win shall be remembered, most would forget how the battle was won! What matters is - it was WON!

I think the meaning of phrase “It is the War our there” has been understood wrongly. If a literally meaning of this phrase is implemented then it does not remain the sports and looses the very charm of it. I also told my players that “ There are no rewards for Runners Up” but runners up do get rewards. Another slogan that we used is “Winner takes it all”, that does not mean that the Winner takes all Gold, Silver and Bronze medals. The game needs to be played in the spirit of it and for entertaining the spectators.

I had played during my life at various levels and was lucky to be the part of the battalion that had excellent sports teams. We remained Regimental Champion from 1982 till I retired in 1998. We missed one in between after my retirement and again won it. The one we lost was not because we did not play the best, but the championship itself was designed to suit a particular team by including only events in which a particular team was good.

While we did train hard and played hard, we never indulged in unfair means. What has happened in the Sydney test is that a particular team had been benefited by grave umpiring errors. Since these errors favored only one team, that hurt the game most.

Regarding Harbhajan’s episode, while it shows the immaturity on part of the bowler, it could quite be a conspiracy by Australian players, because Ricky Ponting has not been able to last long against his bowling. That is one point the BCCI and the panel of Judges listening the appeal must understand.

I still feel that we must not entertain these Australian Players (Ponting, Symonds, Gilchrist, Michael Clark) on our soil. We don’t want to enjoy the game played by the cheats. If BCCI does not take stand we the public must organize protests and tell the Australians Cricket Body and BCCI that no one would watch their games.

Pulling out of Australian tour would also be a very good idea. We can absorb the loss of revenue while it might make Cricket Australia Bankrupt. That would actually be a befitting reply to an arrogant bunch of players who want to win the game by cheating.

[msingh]

their is a joke that came across......

Cricket Awards

2008 AWARDS:

Best Umpire: Ricky Ponting
Best Australian Players: Steve Bucknor, Mark Benson
Honest Team: Australia
Best Actor: Michael Clarke
Honest Player: Symonds


Ponting and Co

Procter: Did you call Symonds as Monkey?
Bhajji: No, I called a monkey as S ymonds.
Procter: So you did
Bhajji : (Silence)
Procter : How dare, you insulted a monkey.You are banned for 3 matches.
Bhajji : Sad
Ponting& Co : !!???
Ponting : hey, Symonds. What he said?
Symonds : Forget it; he is banned for next three matches .You can bat well next game.
Ponting : No, Anil is also there, ask match refree whether he can ban him also.
Symonds : We’ll see in next match, if he takes your wicket, we’ll complain.

(we need to find out another monkey in our team)
Ponting; Then ok. Come.

[coolengineer]

HI frnds

Watch out the video of all the wrong decisons made in this test match and then decide who was fair and unfair
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyaz0g0EBXc

[shailendra]

With all the major hulla-bulla going on about this whole India-Australia series after the Sydney test it is just about such an interesting fact that despite losing two successive Tests the Indian captain Kumble is still respected by the scribes there, while even after creating a winning 16 Tests in a row now, there are calls in his own country for the Australian captain Ponting to be sacked!!! :rolleyes:

That goes a long way in showing and the lesson to be learnt here is that how a team (however great) plays their sport is very very important, (how it conducts itself)!
And so no wonder too that Indian players like Kumble, Tendulkar, Laxman, Dravid, are considered by everyone as men of such fine cricketing manners, and that their decency can never be overrated, and in Sydney it was more than amply evident.
The Indian team while down for the count in both these matches (let's not dilute it with Umpiring decisions too much at this point, cause the facts are facts), yet they have become worthy of support even by the host country simply because in the midst of all this madness they performed with dignity as was seen by all in Sydney.

Another thought though; I think the funny thing was when an utterly disgusted Kumble said "only one team was playing with the spirit of the game" after that infamour Sydney Test, the Australians probably have no clue as to what he could be talking about, and must be totally bewildered, as if to say: What??? I mean come on, we were just doing what we always do. :D:D:D

In the end to continue with the matches against Australia is a good decision after all- Cause in sport, you don't sulk and mop, you simply get up and play on like men.