The reason that catch wasn’t referred to the third umpire was because before the series started Kumble had agreed with Ponting that the captains would have the final say on contentious catches. So, you can’t change the rules midway. Benson should have however consulted Bucknor.
Bad umpiring decisions have been a part and parcel of the game throughout the history of this game. Indian umpiring has never been up to the mark and many teams have suffered defeats at their hands, teams have complained in the past but not as much as the Indians do. Their whining is only second to the Australians. The Aussies are definitely the biggest whiners.
One needs to admit that in the second innings the Indians played badly except for Kumble who fought till the end they all played reckless shots and got out, Jaffer, Tendulkar, Yuvraj and in the end even Dhoni who was playing well needlessly threw away his wicket. The penultimate over of the day by MJ was simply superb. He is such a dangerous player that when he failed in batting, he out-performed everyone with the span of 5 deliveries that he bowled and won snatched a victory for Australia from no where. With 8 overs remaining, 4 wickets in hand, Dhoni and Kumble batting, I was contemplating on flipping the TV channel to watch a movie, Dhoni’s sudden departure made me glue to the TV and I must say it was a thriller.
India must stop this team selection based on fanfare and popularity contest. Enough is enough, Yuvraj doesn’t deserve a spot in the test side unless he change his attitude. Sehwag should be given a chance and Ishant should be replaced by IK Pathan. Its a shame that Pathan is always treated unfairly by the selectors. He is not only a good bowler but his batting is an asset and he is anytime better than Ishant Sharma. It was such a poor and pathetic show by Sharma when he came out to bat in the second innings carried a wrong pair of batting gloves, which may have been a real mistake but, it was so obvious that he was trying to delay the proceedings and wanted to steal the possibility of an extra over. And that is not the kinda sporting spirit one would like to see. In the end it proved that those who remained calm and composed they’ve won the game.
Ps.
I have seen the entire match. Except for Roy Symonds first innings controversial caught behind decision by Steve Bucknor, there wasn’t any major bad decision by him. Also, in the first innings Mark Benson did not give Ricky Ponting out when he was and then he gave him out when he was not out, in a way it got compensated, but that is not the way we accept umpiring decisions.
In any case it is easy criticize the umpires after seeing the replay on TV in slow motion and from different angles. Everything happens so fast and umpires have hardly a fraction of a second to decide. I don’t think this was a match that India lost due to poor umpiring, they lost because of bad batting in the second innings. India has won many in similar fashion and they never complained about those umpiring decisions that went in their favour. Mais, c’est la vie.
‘Umpiring defeats India by 122 runs’ is what the headlines read in most of the news channels. On day 5 too, two of India’s main batsmen, Dravid and Sourav were out because of some rather curious decisions by the umps. Especially Sourav. I think Benson should have consulted with the other umpire and referred to the third umpire if necessary, instead of asking Ponting. And the Symmo-Bucknor combination also got rid of Dravid.
I do not think Bucknor, Benson or the 3rd umpire are fit enough to officiate matches at this level. I am certainly not suggesting that the umps may have been bribed by the Aussies, but I do think the ICC should see that umpiring standards improve and also see that those umps who consistently give bad decisions be barred from appearing in matches that feature Full Member teams.
I also feel that the MOM should have been given to Hussey and not Symonds, since the latter was virtually gifted a century by the umpires and also was very lucky to get the wicket of Dravid.
And lastly, while many might not agree with me, I do think India did not deserve to lose this match.
Only two sessions to endure for India, all the pundits had predicted the likely outcome to be a draw. And so it seemed as one would expect from such vaunted batting line up and how the experienced players had found their touch in the first innings.
Only one thing was sure, India will not go for the win because of their defensive mentality. Had they not be so defensive they might have been in a better position to save the match as Ganguly indeed proved by making the highest score in the process.
Umpiring was atrocious on the last day and indeed throughout the match and favoured Australia the most as it always does against all visiting teams when they play at home. The time has come for Bucknor to retire as the pressure will no doubt grow. Mukul is bound to raise this issue and would be swarmed by all messages of “I am agree” which no doubt will please his Cricinfo bosses for achieving millions of hits.
In the dying moments there were still three wickets in hand and India only had to endure a couple of overs but what Michael Clarke managed was a dream over for Australia. That was simply outstanding. He did the same once in India and got something like 7 wickets on a spinning track.
This defeat, in the manner it came when it should have been a draw, is definitely going to hurt India in a big way. That manner is the failure of not being able to last two sessions, the hurt of bad umpiring and three wickets to a part time spinner that was only his second and the last over of the match.
The champions again showed why they are at the top of the world by playing aggressive cricket on the last day again. Now I see no other outcome but a comfortable series win for Australia. Whether its 3-0, 4-0 or 3-1 is academic.
I was really impressed with Ishant Sharma’s bowling on the last day. When the need was for Australia to accelerate the scoring, every batsman found it difficult to score runs freely off him. He was really unlucky not to get a wicket.
On the other hand Yuvraj has turned out to be a complete failure in the two tests thus far. After the Pakistan series, he was making noises that the number six position in the tests is now his god given right. It’s a good wake up call for him to realise that there is a difference in playing at home flat tracks and tough overseas conditions.
During the first match, I mentioned this is the test where I thought some of the seasoned Indian batters would eventually come good and get used to the conditions but will find the going tough again at Perth next. All experienced players did well hence that resulted in India amassing a big score. My thought that Yuv and Dhoni are flat track bullies was proved correct again.
On the first day of this match when Australia was at 134-6, the conditions were the best for bowlers. The score of 463 at the end was really commendable. Had it been India batting, they would not have been able to get out of jail had they been at 134-6 instead. That’s what the champions are made of. When India’s turn came to bat they had the best conditions.
The match is in such a balance that the most likely scenario is definitely a draw. It’s going to be a difficult call for Australia when to declare. South Africa in their 2nd test have raced to victory scoring at a rate of about 5.5 an over. But the Punter will definitely take an interesting punt to try for a victory.
That’s what aggression means. How Australian batted and how they take a calculated risk. Kumble on the other hand has proved to be a defensive captain as he showed against Pakistan. So a draw is my call. Sreesanth and Bhajia on the other hand think aggression means bad mouthing only. Bahaji may suffer as a result by getting a ban. That should only please Ponting as Bhaji got his scalp once again. It was interesting to notice, it was Ponting who made the complaint but as a captain it was perhaps his job anyway.
On the final day assuming 90 overs will be bowled, Australia in my view need to bat for about 15-20 overs and in those they must look to attack and make around 125 runs. A good position for Aussies would be to set India the type of target where India need to make around 4.5 runs an over to chase. Because if they set India 4 runs per over to chase, India has the batting ability to do that. If they set India 5 runs per over to chase, India won’t bother and they will play for a draw. So the middle way is the best one for Aussies.
I am talking about aggressive cricket here obviously. I think Australia need to play 20 overs, make about 5.5 runs per over and set India about 325 to win. India will have to make just over 4.5 runs per over to achieve that. It will be most interesting to see how the Indian top order plays- will it be willing to take risks or will it simply play for the draw? From India’s perspective they need to ensure they have some sort of strategy because if they don’t follow a gameplan, they will start losing wickets anyway. They must play according to a target- they can’t afford to play their natural game where they look to defend good balls and wait for the poor ball to hit a boundary.
i am amazed how defensive Australian batsmen have looked in this sydney match. they should attack, why are they defending? australian batsmen have not given their best this series.
JAVED A KHAN
Is Shabbu your nick name.
nadeem
All I can say to you is, you need Shabbu to say “Allah Raju” to you.
I certainly will pay heed to a blind mans request but I believe you need more than just the eyes.
nadeem
write in your will that you will donate me your eyes and I will then get mine replaced with yours and I promise that I will watch this match again.
Javed A khan you need to watch the match again. atleast 5 decisions went against India.
Samy
The reason that catch wasn’t referred to the third umpire was because before the series started Kumble had agreed with Ponting that the captains would have the final say on contentious catches. So, you can’t change the rules midway. Benson should have however consulted Bucknor.
Bad umpiring decisions have been a part and parcel of the game throughout the history of this game. Indian umpiring has never been up to the mark and many teams have suffered defeats at their hands, teams have complained in the past but not as much as the Indians do. Their whining is only second to the Australians. The Aussies are definitely the biggest whiners.
One needs to admit that in the second innings the Indians played badly except for Kumble who fought till the end they all played reckless shots and got out, Jaffer, Tendulkar, Yuvraj and in the end even Dhoni who was playing well needlessly threw away his wicket. The penultimate over of the day by MJ was simply superb. He is such a dangerous player that when he failed in batting, he out-performed everyone with the span of 5 deliveries that he bowled and won snatched a victory for Australia from no where. With 8 overs remaining, 4 wickets in hand, Dhoni and Kumble batting, I was contemplating on flipping the TV channel to watch a movie, Dhoni’s sudden departure made me glue to the TV and I must say it was a thriller.
India must stop this team selection based on fanfare and popularity contest. Enough is enough, Yuvraj doesn’t deserve a spot in the test side unless he change his attitude. Sehwag should be given a chance and Ishant should be replaced by IK Pathan. Its a shame that Pathan is always treated unfairly by the selectors. He is not only a good bowler but his batting is an asset and he is anytime better than Ishant Sharma. It was such a poor and pathetic show by Sharma when he came out to bat in the second innings carried a wrong pair of batting gloves, which may have been a real mistake but, it was so obvious that he was trying to delay the proceedings and wanted to steal the possibility of an extra over. And that is not the kinda sporting spirit one would like to see. In the end it proved that those who remained calm and composed they’ve won the game.
Ps.
I have seen the entire match. Except for Roy Symonds first innings controversial caught behind decision by Steve Bucknor, there wasn’t any major bad decision by him. Also, in the first innings Mark Benson did not give Ricky Ponting out when he was and then he gave him out when he was not out, in a way it got compensated, but that is not the way we accept umpiring decisions.
In any case it is easy criticize the umpires after seeing the replay on TV in slow motion and from different angles. Everything happens so fast and umpires have hardly a fraction of a second to decide. I don’t think this was a match that India lost due to poor umpiring, they lost because of bad batting in the second innings. India has won many in similar fashion and they never complained about those umpiring decisions that went in their favour. Mais, c’est la vie.
‘Umpiring defeats India by 122 runs’ is what the headlines read in most of the news channels. On day 5 too, two of India’s main batsmen, Dravid and Sourav were out because of some rather curious decisions by the umps. Especially Sourav. I think Benson should have consulted with the other umpire and referred to the third umpire if necessary, instead of asking Ponting. And the Symmo-Bucknor combination also got rid of Dravid.
I do not think Bucknor, Benson or the 3rd umpire are fit enough to officiate matches at this level. I am certainly not suggesting that the umps may have been bribed by the Aussies, but I do think the ICC should see that umpiring standards improve and also see that those umps who consistently give bad decisions be barred from appearing in matches that feature Full Member teams.
I also feel that the MOM should have been given to Hussey and not Symonds, since the latter was virtually gifted a century by the umpires and also was very lucky to get the wicket of Dravid.
And lastly, while many might not agree with me, I do think India did not deserve to lose this match.
Only two sessions to endure for India, all the pundits had predicted the likely outcome to be a draw. And so it seemed as one would expect from such vaunted batting line up and how the experienced players had found their touch in the first innings.
Only one thing was sure, India will not go for the win because of their defensive mentality. Had they not be so defensive they might have been in a better position to save the match as Ganguly indeed proved by making the highest score in the process.
Umpiring was atrocious on the last day and indeed throughout the match and favoured Australia the most as it always does against all visiting teams when they play at home. The time has come for Bucknor to retire as the pressure will no doubt grow. Mukul is bound to raise this issue and would be swarmed by all messages of “I am agree” which no doubt will please his Cricinfo bosses for achieving millions of hits.
In the dying moments there were still three wickets in hand and India only had to endure a couple of overs but what Michael Clarke managed was a dream over for Australia. That was simply outstanding. He did the same once in India and got something like 7 wickets on a spinning track.
This defeat, in the manner it came when it should have been a draw, is definitely going to hurt India in a big way. That manner is the failure of not being able to last two sessions, the hurt of bad umpiring and three wickets to a part time spinner that was only his second and the last over of the match.
The champions again showed why they are at the top of the world by playing aggressive cricket on the last day again. Now I see no other outcome but a comfortable series win for Australia. Whether its 3-0, 4-0 or 3-1 is academic.
I was really impressed with Ishant Sharma’s bowling on the last day. When the need was for Australia to accelerate the scoring, every batsman found it difficult to score runs freely off him. He was really unlucky not to get a wicket.
On the other hand Yuvraj has turned out to be a complete failure in the two tests thus far. After the Pakistan series, he was making noises that the number six position in the tests is now his god given right. It’s a good wake up call for him to realise that there is a difference in playing at home flat tracks and tough overseas conditions.
During the first match, I mentioned this is the test where I thought some of the seasoned Indian batters would eventually come good and get used to the conditions but will find the going tough again at Perth next. All experienced players did well hence that resulted in India amassing a big score. My thought that Yuv and Dhoni are flat track bullies was proved correct again.
On the first day of this match when Australia was at 134-6, the conditions were the best for bowlers. The score of 463 at the end was really commendable. Had it been India batting, they would not have been able to get out of jail had they been at 134-6 instead. That’s what the champions are made of. When India’s turn came to bat they had the best conditions.
The match is in such a balance that the most likely scenario is definitely a draw. It’s going to be a difficult call for Australia when to declare. South Africa in their 2nd test have raced to victory scoring at a rate of about 5.5 an over. But the Punter will definitely take an interesting punt to try for a victory.
That’s what aggression means. How Australian batted and how they take a calculated risk. Kumble on the other hand has proved to be a defensive captain as he showed against Pakistan. So a draw is my call. Sreesanth and Bhajia on the other hand think aggression means bad mouthing only. Bahaji may suffer as a result by getting a ban. That should only please Ponting as Bhaji got his scalp once again. It was interesting to notice, it was Ponting who made the complaint but as a captain it was perhaps his job anyway.
On the final day assuming 90 overs will be bowled, Australia in my view need to bat for about 15-20 overs and in those they must look to attack and make around 125 runs. A good position for Aussies would be to set India the type of target where India need to make around 4.5 runs an over to chase. Because if they set India 4 runs per over to chase, India has the batting ability to do that. If they set India 5 runs per over to chase, India won’t bother and they will play for a draw. So the middle way is the best one for Aussies.
I am talking about aggressive cricket here obviously. I think Australia need to play 20 overs, make about 5.5 runs per over and set India about 325 to win. India will have to make just over 4.5 runs per over to achieve that. It will be most interesting to see how the Indian top order plays- will it be willing to take risks or will it simply play for the draw? From India’s perspective they need to ensure they have some sort of strategy because if they don’t follow a gameplan, they will start losing wickets anyway. They must play according to a target- they can’t afford to play their natural game where they look to defend good balls and wait for the poor ball to hit a boundary.
i am amazed how defensive Australian batsmen have looked in this sydney match. they should attack, why are they defending? australian batsmen have not given their best this series.