Despite the Smith injury after which South Africa lost momentum and the brilliant spell from Tait, South Africa shouldn’t have succumbed the way they did. While Australia had Clarke and Ponting after Hayden was out, South Africa had Kallis - competent batsman but couldn’t hold onto his wicket and play aggressively at the same time.

That was the real difference between two otherwise very evenly matched sides - South Africa had Smith, Australia had Hayden; South Africa had Andrew Hall pegging the run rate in the end, Australia had Tait bowling a superb spell.

The match also shows that Australia will kill you if you give them even the smallest of leeways and why Australia is the best team in the world despite what the ICC rankings will try to tell you.

[Match scorecard]

Update: Visa problems at the last minute means I can’t leave Calcutta. The plan has been cancelled. Maybe some other place for some other sporting event some other time. Sigh.

Just as Sachin hit his 100, I got the idea to go to Kuala Lumpur to watch the matches. After all, it just about three hours journey from Calcutta. So, I will reach Calcutta tomorrow, be in Kuala Lumpur tomorrow evening and in the stadium the day after that to see Sachin bat and India take on Australia.

How long I will be there isn’t decided yet but it should be a lot of fun! Do let me know if you are there in Kuala Lumpur for the matches as well.

So, see you there!

Former Australian cricketer Dean Jones has lost his job over his recent comment as CNN reports:

Former Australian test player Dean Jones was sacked as a commentator on Monday after referring to South African Muslim batsman Hashim Amla as a “terrorist”.

Jones might defend his case saying it was a careless mistake and he didn’t mean it. However, Amla won’t feel the same. You cannot blame him if he is offended. Cricket South Africa, thus, took a stern stance:

“We take the strongest exception to this comment, and we will lodge an official complaint with the host broadcaster, Ten Sports, that employs him,” CSA chief executive Gerald Majola was quoted as saying.

When you are on air, you cannot give excuses for talking gibberish. Ten Sports had no option but to dismiss Jones. I loved Jones as a batsman and he was one of the best batsman in the one day game averaging 44.61. He would be kicking himself over his on air remarks now though. I doubt if there have been more foolish ways by which people have lost their jobs.

Australians are sending a team to assess the situation in Mumbai ahead of the October-November Champions trophy. They are going to hear independent views as well.

Financial Express reports:

“We have a good procedure in place with Cricket Australia to assess overseas destinations,” Marsh said. “We will have a pre-tour visit with Cricket Australia officials to India and we will also rely on independent advice.

What did they do when London bombings took place? If you don’t recall, see this post by Will.

The Australians played a one dayer versus England the same day as the bombings took place. Also, they went on to play the rest of the tour normally.

The Australian government website puts India on exercise caution level even after the blasts in Mumbai. No big deal and same level as UK. So why is the Australian Cricket Board creating commotion over this? The goverment doesn’t put India in reconsider travel list either.

I can already tell them: We cannot guarantee your safety in this world full for terrorism as neither can the USA, UK or any other country. We will provide you the best security in the world and that is it. If you want to come, do so and we will welcome you. If you are still afraid, please don’t come. BCCI should not allow this security analysis in my opinion.

Thank god every one does not think like Cricket Australia.

Update: Cricket Australia (CA) has clarified their stance as this report from DNA informs us. They are indeed going to tour India for the Champions trophy. I was surprised by the initial reports which were being circulated in the media and Cricket Australia must be applauded for coming up with a statement so quickly.

The confusion may have happened in the media because CA conducts such checks as routine procedures as Rick informs.

Natarajan H writes on Ricky Ponting in his own distinct style:

The fact is that Sir Don’s figures are beyond compare. As Vasu Paranjpe once said in his inimitable way: “In any cricketing comparison, Sir Don has to be left out. The great man’s head would go out if you try to fit him in the same frame as the others!” The latest to draw such comparison is Ricky Ponting…

If one splits his Test career into two, it makes interesting read. Till the end of 2001, he had scored 3182 runs in 52 Tests at an average of 44.19; in the 53 matches since, till the first innings of the second Test against Bangladesh in the ongoing series, he has scored 5610 runs, with at an average of 71. It’s in this rapacious mood that he has scored century in each innings of a Test match on three occasions to equal the feat of Sunil Gavaskar. Of course, there is a small difference: Gavaskar’s scored them in a span of eight years; Ponting got it in eight Tests!

I spoke on Ponting versus Dravid a few months ago. I said then:

It is too close to call but I would have Dravid because he adds solidity.

Has Ponting done enough to gain an edge over Dravid since then? Ponting has played all kinds of innings. He has been gritty, aggressive, defensive, sticking on to his wicket, winning matches from tight situations, winning matches without giving the opponents a sniff. Basically, doing whatever it takes to keep the Aussie juggernaut rolling despite a recent inconsistent batting order.

So is Ponting above the shoulders of all his contemporaries. Right now he is definitely the best batsman in world cricket. But it is best left to judge current players till when their careers are over, as Sunil Gavaskar always advocates, lest we do injustice to the modern players.

From Sydney Morning Herald:

Gillespie now has a higher Test score than Mark and Steve Waugh, David Boon, Ian Chappell, Damien Martyn and Lindsay Hassett.

He joins Brad Hodge, Bob Simpson, Sid Barnes and Syd Gregory as the only Australians to pass 200 with their maiden Test centuries.

Jenko is exited. I cannot quite believe it yet.

After a horrible Ashes where the Aussie team saw ghosts and Jason Gillespie became a ghost of a name where the Australian squad was concerned, Jason Gillespie is back. Not only with wickets, but with runs too! The century from Gillespie proves (once again) that any thing is possible in cricket.

Gillespie did not have a great Pura Cup with the bat making 135 runs at an average of 13.50 with a highest of 33. [Stats attained with the aid of Neil.] However, the defense of Gillespie is underestimated. A solid blocker, Gillespie can stick at the wicket for long periods. His stats for staying at the wicket was a little more than 52 before this test match and is bound to improve as he has already faced 300 balls in the current inning.

Osman Saimuddin writes over at Cricinfo:

… For the purposes of records only should he be called a nightwatchman as he became only the third one to score a Test hundred, but he is much more than that; his Chennai rearguard, fifties against Pakistan and New Zealand over the last year say as much.

But a Test hundred? That surely confirms his as one of the best tailenders, in fact, a tailender who actually isn’t. Lest this seem sarcastic, note the credentials please. Including this hundred, he averages 24.65 from his last 16 Tests with two fifties as well, and if he wishes, he can run those by prodigious Michael `Pup’ Clarke, who averages 25.09, with two fifties and no hundreds from the same.

For the statistically minded, this is the highest score by a night watchman in test cricket history. Tony Mann’s almost 30 year record has been broken.

Read the rest of this entry »

Harsha Bhogle writes on the almost-dramatic Bangladesh-Australia test in The Indian Express:

Australia seemed to be in a trance. At most times they make things happen, here in Fatullah, exhausted and with their minds back home, they allowed themselves to believe that things would happen. It is one of the great realities that sport teaches us: if you just turn up you get a kick up your backside… So, a Test match that we believed would end in three days went to five; a side that we thought would turn up to be trampled upon did the dancing for a while and the world champions spent a couple of sleepless nights against the minnows. It was beautiful while it lasted.

A few years ago, Inzamam-ul-Haq denied Bangladesh a test victory. It was Ricky Ponting this time. Or do they have themselves to blame rather than any external factor? Bangladesh have made a huge leap. However, how big a leap is still needed to be taken?

Also, how and when will the bigger leap take place? We will have to wait and watch.

Bangladesh is dominating the test match versus Australia. Who would have thought. Then, who would have thought that Bangladesh would defeat Australia in a one day match on 18th May, 2005?

Angshuman Hazra writes at Different Strokes:

For millions of fans in a nation where cricket is the number one sport the past year or so has been like a generous helping of apple pie after the bitter pills swallowed along the learning curve. They are hoping for the best and urging their team on to another step up the ladder. With that kind of history against the top team in cricket world their prayers may not remain unanswered for long… May Fatullah be the next Sophia Gardens, and much more.

This test match could be the most significant step Bangladesh has taken in international cricket. There have been important steps earlier - Bangladesh’s qualification for the World Cup in 1999, the World Cup 1999 match they won against Pakistan, the Test Status, the near win versus Pakistan in a test, the one day international victory over Australia.  Regardless of the result in this test match, Bangladesh are likely to be taken much more seriously post this test match. Bangladesh have already taken a very big leap.

You made your test debut at 34. You got Botham for a duck. You had too brief a stint for international consciousness as a player. (Australians will disagree and protest he will be remembered for the 1989 Ashes win and his useful bowling though he did have too brief a career). But you got a second inning in Australian cricket as a selector. You were one of the people responsible for turning the Australian cricket team into world champions. Your selection team did make some forgettable decisions off late but over all that is not what we will remember your tenure for. At least you were bold and didn’t flinch in taking tough decisions wherever the need was felt. Most went right though people thought some went wrong. A job well done. Bye Bye.