Hayden and the love to hate

So Matthew Hayden calls it a day... Like most Australian cricketers, you often do not need to attach an extra word to that phrase called "finally". A lesson which no Indian cricketer, specifically the batsmen, can ever get to understand. They liked to be pushed and ejected out with a crowbar and some cool character assassination slanders thrown in. If indeed Matthew Hayden wanted to carry on till the next ashes, he perhaps should have done what most high-profile batsmen in various other c...

Australia trashed, lost and strung-out

Day 5 and there was no Alexi Laiho doing a swan song for Australia with a draw.  Zaheer mopped them up in pretty quick time. Johnson might have done a 'dizzy' but couldn't. Australia was truly trashed. I am deeply disappointed with the way Australia played. It is the not the first time Australia has lost a test match and nor will be the last, but I have never seen an Australian team stop short of literally playing the fiddle... No spirit, no fight... So un-Australian. Hell, even in that Perth...

A great series amidst hollywood melodrama

Before the start of this series, my expectations on the performance of the Indian team would have been a series draw and sadly however hard you try to not read the score line, it shows Australia wins. So am I disappointed with the fabulous 5 aging Indian batsmen and the young bowlers... Not really? If things were sane in that fateful second test match, the score line would have been dramatically different but at the end of the day, you accept results as they are. India fought well to yet again c...

Hayden’s ton and the umpiring saga continues

Mathew Hayden notched up yet another century and as much as I dislike him, the fact is I cannot ignore him for what he has done for world cricket through his batting. After he gets a start, it is almost written that he will be out only by his own doing almost every time again and again. As for Hussey's innings, I will rubbish it considering he should have been gone on numerous occasions with the pathetic show of the umpires continuing. I have always tried to look at umpiring from a not-so-cri...

Day 1 – A promising match Folks!

What an interesting day of play! The first test match of the India-Australia series has shown signs of a competitive test series. Now this match really looks alive and kicking isn't it? Not yet though! To start with, I was pleased to see Kumble go in with two spinners because somehow it made sense to play to your strengths and utilize all the experience in hand. I really thought that India should use a two spin attack for the series and exit from their earlier modes in Australia. The pitch wa...