ASHES

For the past three weeks or so, my house in gurgaon has had drops of electricity. It usually comes for about 5-7 hours a day. Writing a post is unthinkable; I barely get to check emails. I think I have some time today to reflect upon these past few weeks.

A lot has been said already about the Sydney test match, that my writing something will really not help in adding value to the discussions going on. But I think some of you may be interested in knowing my perspective to it also. I think there are two ways of looking at the issue. The first is a very objective way, practical approach which will keep the future of the game as the top priority. Going by this approach, Kumble’s recent decision to drop charges against Hogg, is most welcome. Ofcouse the cancellation of the ‘agreement’ with Ponting is even more welcome. Hopefully the Australians can let go the charges against Bhajji and we can have a good test match at Perth.

The second approach is to look at it in detail and being emotionally involved with what happened on the field and what those incidents represent. In fact a deeper analysis of those incidents will showcase just why this approach is better for the game in the longer run. There are three separate issues as most experts have analysed. First is the awesome umpiring, second the Bhajji racism row and the third Australia’s integrity and gamesmanship.

The umpiring was not sub standard, it just looked like it was a sabotage. If you are trying to tell me that Bucknor thought Dravid nicked that ball on the final day, then either it was not Steve Bucknor standing there or as I suspect there was some money exchanging hands. I will not be surprised if Ricky Ponting had another pact with the umpires regarding close catches and close in catches. A lot was at stake for Ricky Ponting in this test match as he is now possibly only three cricket days away from entering history books for his extraordinary leadership. This suspicion may be out of place but I think there should be a demand for an enquiry into chances of match fixing. If so many mistakes would have been made by an Indian player or worse still a Pakistani player there would have been commissions set up by now to carry out investigations. I think Steve Bucknor should atleast be quizzed for it no matter if he comes out of it clean. Honestly, I hope he does. Mark Benson was equally supportive of Bucknor in setting the benchmark of the worst umpiring ever and probably in any sport. I mean Indian and Pakistani umpires used to give shockers as well but they used to be intended. This performance from Buck and Ben, we are to believe, was unintentional and spontaneous, so it has to qualify as the worst ever. And the third umpire, said why should I stay behind. Shit, I mean nobody is talking about him, his license to be third umpire should be cancelled. After years of watching slow mo replays even my sister and mother could tell that was out. How he missed it, is in fact not a mystery to me.

The racism row – all I can say is well played Ricky Ponting. He is a shrewd man who will go to any depths in winning matches. I don’t care even if Bhajji called him a monkey, I mean symonds looks like a monkey whats so surprising in that. But Ponting leveraged it to create an issue, brought it to the public and Mike Procter said ‘humme bhi to khidmat ka mauka do’ and like a nice doggie gave harbhajan a ban, saying that he is certain beyond any reasonable doubt that Sachin Tendulkar is lying and Andrew Symonds the direct descendant of Raja Harishchandra is telling the truth. I think Sachin needs to come out and let the world know exactly what he heard and what he didn’t. The players should understand that there is a furore in the country against this ban. If eventually it turned out that bhajji was guilty this could turn very ugly and the constant silence from the Indian team is fuelling this feeling that something more is cooking beneath. I think in light of these charges, India should not have withdrawn charges on Hogg. I mean what was the point of filing that complaint in the first place. Ponting is not taking the complaint back, he in fact turned down the offer of apology to douse the potential fire. Why is India accommodating so much. For the sake of what? Cricket? Do they really think that there was cricket being played on that field? Cricket may be above an individual but it is not above the honour and self respect of an individual. India should take the whole cricketing fraternity to ransom and demand a clarification on the charges first and then on exactly what evidence did Mike Procter hand over the ban in the first place.

The third issue is of the integrity and here I think Ricky Ponting lost a lot of points. I mean all Australian players will support him blindly, but others who can see the TV and see the ball hit the turf will not be able to back him for too long. I feel sorry for Ponting there that he could not direct that play very well. Although the acting was top class, whether it was the outrageous appeal for Dhoni’s catch, or the ‘I asked Clarke and he said he was a 100 percent certain it carried’ or the best of the lot ‘as it turned out it was given not out, am I right or wrong? Am I right or wrong? Some exquisite piece of bollywood style vigour and josh.

But his ‘puppets’ couldn’t quite carry the show, and it’s an irony because some of them are being groomed, as they say, to be the next Ponting. Clarke made a nice fool of himself by standing at the crease after he gloved the ball to first slip. His expressions were not right, they said I know I am out, but I think Bucks cheque has cleared, in’it ump? As it turned out the cheque had not cleared and the ump gave him out. Had he not given that out he might have had Kumble’s fist go right through his face.

Ricky Ponting has brought shame to the game of cricket and as Kumble put it ‘its for everyone to see’. I think the best way to move on from here is to remember this test match. And we don’t need to remember it for too long, Austrlians will be in India this year, and we should not mince words or anything at all in giving it back to them. What always happens in a fight is that the first mover makes the blow and then a third party intervenes to sort things out. The wounded person is not able to take revenge and then the whole world will tell him to be the bigger man and move on. I say forget the move on, changing an umpire and putting a stay on bhajji’s ban doesn’t give us back the Sydney test. We have to ensure that when Australians come here, the third umpire is an Indian. Steve Waugh was very smart in saying that only the best umpires should stand in big matches. Which means that he doesn’t want to give India a chance of getting their revenge back. In any case there is no Indian umpire on the elite panel and the best umpire is an Australian so he can say that as much as he wants but that should not happen. Bloody Ian Chappel and Michael Slater say on TV ‘I have no problems with that catch, I think he caught that and had it covered’, it makes no fucking difference what you think mates, as an expert commentator tell the world what the laws of the game say. Or do you not know about the laws or any such thing. Let me come their and do the commentary. Ian Chappel says that the clipping is inconclusive whether that’s out or not out. I mean, I didn’t know he was blind. The TV showed it clearly enough that it was a one tip two hand catch. I think Ian Chappell will be ok with that also.

The major problem of this entire controversy was summed up by Sunil Gavaskar during his comments on TV. He said, that when he was part of the Bombay Ranji team, his team always used to get the 50-50 decisions in their favour. They were the best team and strongest team so umpires used to give decisions in their favour more often. I can understand that happening, but if Sunil Gavaskar realizes this then as an ICC panel member he should already be doing something about it. All we need right now is a win, just beat Australia once and it will all come crumbling down, the period of their dominance is now near its end. And there is a chance for a new team to establish itself at the top of the world. Lets see who it will be this time, but I have strong feeling that this time it will be a subcontinent team and/or the one that wins the 2011 world cup.

As for the Perth test, I will go with the following 11 players and bat for as many overs as possible. If possible 2-3 days just keep batting and draw the test match.