So Austraila and NZL had to endure a "Bad Test wicket" for the first Test. A monster of a pitch, no less! 40 wickets tumbling in just over 3 days! And, as if that wasn't enough, poor Matty Hayden had to encounter delays while the sightscreen was being adjusted, hands on his hips, frustration mounting et al...damn you Third World, destroying everything cricket stands for with this substandard stuff!!
Oh wait...the match was not being played in the Indian subcontinent? It was played in Brisbane? In Australia? So, no vicious spin? Really? Ah, everything is alright then. Excellent, excellent pitch. Exciting cricket played over 3 days. All's well with the world.
In other news, Ponting is fined for slow over rates, again, and Symonds is in trouble after a fight in a pub, again...Dare I mention the phrase "Serial Offender"?
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Bad habits die hard. From unpopular champions, Ozzies have become poor losers now. Ponting fined for slow over-rate, Symonds exchanging blows in a pub and Australia complaining about conditions -- things like these don't surprise anyone anymore.
Nice blog Megha, blogrolling you.
For God's sake, we have a satellite orbiting the moon - third world huh?
I agree with Som, these are the words of a sore loser. The Oz cricket empire is imploding - and some (perhaps many) of them are not liking it.
What's for dinner folks?
"Humble pie"
This Australian team is used to winning. They just dont know what to do when they lose.
@Som
True. And this is why, even with 3 WCs under their belt and 2 strings of 16 successive Test wins, I still don't consider them to be the best team of all times.
Thanks for blogrolling me :)
@Chinaman
Well, nobody seems to be taking the Chandraayan news very well. The UK papers never fail to mention that India is one the poorest countries in the world and gently suggest that the funds could have been used to eradicate poverty instead! Seems they don't want to break the stereotypical image they have of India..
@Scorpicity
Hope they like the taste, coz there are many more headed their way!! A Humble Pie Tikka Masala to go please....
@Trideep
Talking less might help methinks..
Megha
Nice blog! lately been traversing the web and have come across many blogs by Indians on cricket. Most of the writing's on the blogs would put many a cricket reporter to shame. Some of guys have a knack of writing it good.
Right, onto the Aussies. Sure lately they have been whining too much - I am an Indian but been an Aussie cricket fan to the core since 1992. Right now they are experiencing a change which is normal for any great team. They have ruled the roost for 13 years and somewhere down the line there had to be a dip and it is now. But I'm fairly certain that they would still remain the benchmark for others.
You simply cannot win three world cups on the trot, have a 16 unbeaten run and then a 15* ( I wouldn't count Sydney 2008) unbeaten room without being great. Even the great West Indies couldn't pull it off.
You have to admit, the Australian's have simply changed the face of cricket. Prior to Tugga's team , did you ever see 4 rpo in tests on a day to day basis? They've revolutionised cricket and for that they deserve to be known as one of the best ever. All time best? Tough call but having Warne simply gives them a X factor that no other team has/had.
Hayden tried to make up for his comment by saying "in india, you can find a guy selling peanuts for 1cent a month and is still happy as if he's earning 2mn$ a month". I just want to ask Hayden to get off the weed! If I meet him && he shrinks by 50% && I become bigger by 35%, I am going to kick his ass :D (I mean, seriously, that guy is HUGGGGEEEE - saw him in adelaide)
@Tifosi guy
Welcome to the blog and thank you for your appreciation. We do have some fantastic bloggers. More power to the internet I say!
There is no doubt that Australia changed the way Test cricket is played much like SL changed the approach to ODIs. There is no other team barring the West Indies that has dominated the scene for so long and so comprehensively. I do love (and hate!) the fact that you can never ever count them out of any game. And yes, it is true that they are experiencing a change, which makes them a little vulnerable these days, though they are still better than most teams.
But, my point was that, for me at least, the Aussies don't command the respect a champion team should. It is not just the whining. They are not sportsmen. They act like soldiers on war who have to win by hook or crook. They twist and bend rules when it suits them, sledge incessantly and talk/write rubbish in general. But they put on halos and run and tell Mommy on other teams if they feel they have been hard done. I am not very good with stats and dates but I remember they took their own sweet time chasing a measly score in a WC match so that they could edge out NZ on run rate. And they were not even sorry for it. But God forbid if India should try an 8-1 field against them! Pot..kettle...black...you get the drift. I think they are arrogant pigs. And that takes away any X-factor they have.
@Dr. GG
Thanks for dropping by and hope to see you here frequently :)
You go kick Hayden's ass! and I will be there to support you..er...right behind u :D. But seriously, I really couldn't make out if his explanation was actually a compliment or another snide remark.
Thanks Megha,
I know, it annoys many to find India at par, if not ahead ... and as if the US of A eradicated poverty before putting men on the moon.
The same Hayden will have to return to the same 'third world' country to earn - like he can never earn anywhere else.
Set aside all definitions of 'third world' - one thing is now certain, India alone is first world in global cricket.
Megha
Appreciate your points and it's fair on pretty much all you say. I don't know and maybe I'm also wrong on this count but Champion Teams/players get away with pretty much everything. I think it comes with them being champions :)
Case in point being what M Schumacher got away with in Formula One. Don't know if you follow F1 but the guy was a genius and he could pretty get away with most things - read up on how he won his first championship back in 1994!. Jordan used to get away with fouls, others would be called for. Brazilian football teams are not angels - remember Rivaldo 2002 WC against Turkey ??
You could say the Aussie behaviour has become worse under Ponting and that is simply due to the fact that Ponting is a true ' in your face' cricketer! Tugga was so much more subtle on most things besides Slater 2001/Mcgrath 2003. Plus he had that statemanly air about him. Ponting just looks like he wants to fight each time he steps on the field!
Btw, the match you were referring to on the go slow tactics was (gulp under Tugga!!!) in WC'99. Aus vs West Indies. Aus played slow to get West Indies into Super Six rather than NZ. Didn't work and thanks to that we had two great ODI games. Aus * S Af super six ( do/die for Aussies and Tugga hits 120*) and of course THAT semifinal.
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