Australia vs India Goes Sour
The test series between Australia and India was supposed to be the two best sides currently playing test cricket and having a cracking series. Well the first test went one sided to Australia, but that was nothing compared with the fallout of the second test in Sydney.
Its difficult to know where to start with with all the things that are going on, but I’ll have a go from an un-biased English fan point of view. If we’re looking at the result first of all, it was a stunning win from the Aussies who showed the desire and belief to score quickly on the final day before bowling the Indians out - with Michael Clarke claiming an almost unbelievable 3-5 from less than two overs! However, there is a lot (and I mean a LOT) of ill feeling about the way that Ponting and his team went about winning. Some bloggers are getting a bit over the top (in my opinion) and claiming the result is fixed, cricket is dead, one showing the ill feeling back in India, amongst them.
On day one, Symonds nicked the ball behind but wasn’t given out and didn’t walk - big deal, this happens all the time and I don’t blame him. Then there was a possible grounded catch an another caught behind that was given in Australia’s favour. So are you telling me that 3 decisions cause all this fallout? Australia play the game hard, we all know that (jees we were on the end of it enough times), but to start moaning, demanding new umpires and then refusing to continue to tour just shows the Indians in a bad light.
The reasoning behind the refusal to continue the tour revolves around a potential racist comment made by Harbhajan Singh to Symonds, and if you believe what you read then there wasn’t an awful lot of evidence for this. However, don’t believe that you know the whole story as you can bet that the match referee made the decision he did for the right reasons - after a heated test he was hardly going to stir things up more just for the sake of it.
Anyway, I’ll probably get some stick for my view but this is a competitive game. Yes, it is a gentleman’s game as well and the boundaries get muddied every now and then but I think this was just an outstanding win for the most successful team for a while.
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3 Responses to “Australia vs India Goes Sour”
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I think the Aussies have given plenty of verbal abuse out to their opposition in the past and they should have kept quiet on the “Singh / Symmonds” issue. As the saying goes what happens out in the field of play should stay on the field of play.
Hi Rich… have responded to your comments and to the ones in the other side of the debate at http://www.cricketfizz.com/cricketblog/behold-the-clash-of-two-viewpoints#more-111
Further to my previous comment I have to say sorry Rich but I have to agree with a lot of what Scorpicity says and for the record I’m an Englishman. However for the basis of a balanced argument we have to avoid the feeling that India have that we won’t play until we get our own way!! Cricket will ultimately be the loser.
In respect of the umpires my opinion is that Bucknor (although was a great umpire in his day) has been past it for the last 3 or 4 years, he’s too old to make good decisions!!
Finally once again regarding the alleged racist slur we do not know if it was said or not but reading autobiographies of cricketers in the past there has been plenty of “sledging” that has occurred that would rival the alleged remark if not surpass it and the Australian’s often give out their fair share. “Sledging” is part of the game and if this episode eliminates this it will be a sad day for cricket!!