India end the streak

A couple of readers have rightly pulled me up for my hasty comment a few days ago that "we all know Australia will still win" in Perth after their poor start. My defence is that the comment was supposed to come across as English pessimism, based on Australia spending almost all my life rescuing lost causes, rather than pro-Australian premature triumphalism.

Like much of the civilised world - and I suspect many Australians too - I was delighted that India ended Australia's winning streak this morning. Not so much the result as the manner of it. India outbowled and, in the main, outbatted Australia each day and their spirit and passion were a joy to see. Both the India and Australia tail supplied some wonderfully carefree batting in the past two days - RP Singh giving India a winning lead and Mitchell Johnson and Stuart Clark doing enough today to make a few hearts flutter at the prospect of a successful chase, although they could have done with the top order making an extra 50 runs or so before the tail came in. Superstitious souls may have noted that Clark was out when Australia needed 87 more runs to win, their bogey number, thus quashing hopes of a thrilling finish like the Edgbaston Test in 2005.

Irfan Pathan was man of the match for my money - and for the match adjudicator - for his feats with bat and ball. You can't ask much more from a strike bowler than that he remove both openers in each innings, but Pathan's wiles also did much to contain the chase and ultimately castrated it. Yet he came into the side to replace Harbhajan Singh and it will be interesting to see the make-up of the side in Adelaide. India may have been tempted to reunite the two spinners again, but it may make sense for Wasim Jaffer to give way, with perhaps Ganguly opening. Pathan is a good enough batsman to compensate.

What is certain is that we now have an electric finale ahead of us. And to think that if only Michael Clarke had not had that inspired/fortunate over in Sydney this would be a series decider.

ps: Peter McGuinness's final day report will appear here soon when I receive it. He sent it to my work computer, which is in the repair shop, and the Word attachment did not bounce on to my home computer.

Comments

[Ann]

'But i am concerned with the spirit in which the indians played the game' - oh, my, that's almost not whingeing.

[Uncle J rod]

As an aussie i was glad the run of 16 came to an end, a team with Mitchell Johnson as the third best bowler shouldn't be breaking any records.

But i am concerned with the spirit in which the indians played the game.

Anil Kumble must have seen the huge inside edge of Symonds, but still decided to appeal.

I say Australia should send India home for playing outside the spirit of cricket and I think Vinod Kambli should be brought in as captain.

I am burning an effigy as Billy Bowden that I drew on a napkin, as we speak.

[Peter McGuinness]

Ha Ha...not quite Urbo, old mate!

In fact, I'd done my piece within minutes of the close of play...technical issues.

THEN, I went on an all night bender. Great stuff. Things were getting a tad tense at the end, but India held it's nerve bravely, for a terrific win, full of character. How good is Pathan??!! I love the bloke.

Now p*ss off! I'm trying to enjoy my hangover.

[Oscar the Grouch]

The two top cricketing nations faced up to each other again; as has been the case with each of these tests, one side had made a better selection for its team than the other. This time it was Australia; it paid for its mistake, and so it should. The umpiring, while not so howlingly bad as in the second test, still contained plenty of errors but the best team certainly came out on top.

Pathan was most deservedly the man of the match and I believe that if there were a next best, surely it would have been Clark. Those two gave us some of the absolute best cricket we have seen for ages. That each did for the other when batting in the second innings was poetic justice; even an atheist might consider that there is a diety of cricket, at least..

There was another small piece of justice, if anybody happened to notice it. Symonds, who from all I have heard from him is a man who simply doesn't consider bullshit worth his time, had been cruelly condemned after the second test for supposedly 'boasting' about not being given out. For those who listened, he actually said 'I was out but not given, I was lucky that time, I won't talk about the bad decisions I have had'. He didn't try to claim he didn't know, or wasn't sure about the nick, he simply told the truth, plain and unadorned, about the incident.

Well, what happened to him was exactly what he was talking about. Enough said.

[Urban_legend]

Was looking forward to Peter McGuiness' report - notwithstanding Patrick's email challeneges - seems like PM is still recovering from a shock and has decided to go on an all night bender at the local dive to drown his sorrows.

[Venkat]

What you said is true in every sense.It was a complete battle as we had everything from quick wickets to unexpected partnerships.But,just like you,even I never expected the Indians to wrap up so easily.After this match I keep wondering what would have happened had the Indians pocketed the previous match which they should have as they played good cricket.Rather they were unfortunate.

Nothing can be done now and even now we can expect a cracker of a contest at Adelaide.