New twist in Harbhajan case?

Appeals commissioner hints at new evidence

New twist in Harbhajan case?



A new dimension has been added to the Harbhajan Singh's appeal case with Justice John Hansen, the judge who is scheduled the hear the appeal, suggesting that new evidence in the shape of recordings from the stump microphone could be used.

Harbhajan, the Indian offspinner, is appealing against a three-Test ban imposed by Mike Procter, the match referee, who upheld a charge laid by the Australian team that Harbhajan had racially abused Andrew Symmonds by calling him a monkey. Harbhajan has denied the charge.

Justice Hansen, who briefed the media about the hearing but didn't entertain questions, said "there may also be some additional evidence, such as transcript available from the stump microphone, which was not available to Mr Procter."

The Indian team management described the new development as strange and wondered if evidence had existed why it had not been used earlier. "If any new evidence is to be used, then they will have to show it us first," a team spokesman said.

Another curious information to have emerged today is that the feed to the stump microphone was withdrawn from ESPN-Star by Channel 9, the host broadcaster, on the third morning of the Sydney Test, the day which the exchange between Harbhajan and Symonds took place.

"Through the first Test and on the first two days in Sydney there was uninterrupted feed from the stump microphone," a source in ESPN-Star, the Indian broadcaster, told Cricinfo. "But on that morning it was deemed fit that only the host broadcaster should have the complete feed, while we could have access it to it during play."

While outlining the procedures for the hearing, set to be held at the Federal Court in Adelaide, Hansen added, "in accordance with normal sporting disciplinary hearings, and previous appeals, the hearing will be in private." He confirmed that the evidence will not be under oath.

"It will be a re-hearing," said Hansen, "with evidence being given by all those witnesses who gave evidence to the adjudicator, Mr Procter." Australia will have six representatives at the hearing: Ricky Ponting, Adam Gilchrist, Symonds, Matthew Hayden, Michael Clarke and manager Steve Bernard. India will be represented by Anil Kumble, Harbhajan, Sachin Tendulkar, manager Chetan Chauhan and assistant manager Sridhar. Umpires Mark Benson and Steve Bucknor are expected to be part of the hearing by means of video link.

Nothing sinister in Gilchrist retirement

Adam Gilchrist insists there is nothing sinister to his surprise retirement and has promised to reveal all after his final Test finishes on Monday. Thoughts of walking away began on Thursday night and Gilchrist called his parents on Friday, telling them to fly to Adelaide to see his last days in whites.

Gilchrist was feeling "really happy but a bit confused" after the response to his decision and he wanted to avoid the hype to keep the focus on Australia as they push for a series win. "There's nothing sinister or anything to hide," Gilchrist told Nine before the start of the fourth day. "There's no reason why I'm not talking openly, but I can't wait till the end of the game to share it then."

The demand for Gilchrist is high, but he asked his supporters to "hang with me for another day" before he discussed the decision and his career in depth. "It's just been unbelievable," he said. "I want to say to the cricketing public: I just can't wait to focus on the Test and at the end I can't wait to share it with everyone."

Gilchrist's mother, father, sister and brother are in Adelaide and the only person that doesn't seem to know about the call is his brother Glenn, who is camping in country Queensland. "He's out of range, so if someone sees him please tell him," Gilchrist said. "I want to track him down, I'd love him to be here."

Ian Healy said Gilchrist was not pushed from the team, but the choice was made because he didn't have the energy to escape a "mini-glitch" in form. "It hasn't forced the move, but I think it has made it very clear on what he should be doing," Healy said. "It cleared everything in his mind. He decided 'that's it, I haven't got the energy to get myself back up out of this sort of mini-glitch'.

"He is not a thoughtful cricketer, he is a very natural cricketer. He is an instinctive cricketer and that that had been dulled a little bit for him."

New Zealand terminate Bond contract

Board does not rule out fast bowler"s return

New Zealand terminate Bond contract

New Zealand Cricket has terminated Shane Bond's national contract because of his desire to play in the Indian Cricket League (ICL), but the board has not ruled out allowing the fast bowler to return in the future. Bond, who has been involved in lengthy discussions over the deal, is now free to appear in the lucrative but unofficial Twenty20 tournament in April.

NZC considered Bond's request for a release in October but wanted him to fulfil his internationals obligations until his current agreement expired in May. An ICC decision last October prevented any contracted player from appearing in an unsanctioned event without the global body's consent.

"This is a difficult situation and we must comply with ICC regulations and support other Member Countries and as a consequence can no longer entertain Shane playing for New Zealand," Justin Vaughan, the NZC chief executive, said. "At some stage in the future we may be able to welcome Shane back in, either when he is no longer playing for the ICL, or when that competition does not exist."

Bond, who will reportedly be paid whether he is injured or not, will only be required for short stints with the ICL, which did not stand in the way of his international commitments. "I believed I could continue for the term of my contract while also taking up the ICL opportunity," Bond said. "Given what has happened, I want to do the right thing by NZC, so at their request I have terminated my contract."

He has played 17 Tests and 67 ODIs and hopes to add to his tally. "I will continue to be available to play for New Zealand," he said, "and look forward to doing so once again when NZC deems this appropriate."

Sachin Tendulkar reached a quite brilliant 39th Test hundred

The thin line between hard and fair

The thin line between hard and fair
You don't need to give lip to play tough. After the ructions of Sydney, Australia got it just right in Perth



What a difference a Test can make. In the first week of the new year, cricket was left wounded and dishonoured. Now, after a hard-fought and enthralling game in Perth, the sport seems to have reclaimed not only its dignity but also its health.

The events in Sydney tested loyalties. The mood of the moment demanded that positions be taken, and no one was immune to the pressure. But Perth has perhaps made it easy for all of us to view Sydney in the right perspective. Cricket, like any other sport, is a fiercely competitive activity worth getting passionate about; but there is a line beyond which lies ugliness and chauvinism. That line was breached in Sydney.

"Spirit of cricket" is a much used, much misunderstood term. But it can be said that spirit was glimpsed and felt in Perth. There was grace in defeat and humility in victory. Australians have rarely made excuses for defeats, and Ricky Ponting, who was baffled and wounded by accusations that he was arrogant and lacked comprehension about what the fuss in Sydney was really about, conducted himself marvellously at the post-match press conference. He was relaxed and forthright, gave his opponents fulsome credit, accepted his team's failure, and made not a mention about umpiring errors.

While Australia were being put under the cosh on the first day, a senior Australian journalist wondered aloud if the burden of having to watch their behaviour had had an effect on their game. Certainly, some appeals ended abruptly, and Shaun Tait even did the unthinkable by apologising to Sachin Tendulkar for having appealed for a caught-behind after the ball had brushed the elbow guard. And on the second day, an English journalist worried if the loss of the Perth Test would put pressure on Australia to go back to their snarling ways.

But sometimes a point is missed. Australia were no less formidable or tough a team under Mark Taylor, who didn't need to be profane in order to be aggressive. It was he who took a bunch of rookie bowlers to the West Indies and beat the champions in their den. And it was he who fashioned the idea of scoring four runs an over in Test cricket. The credit for turning the Australians ugly will go to Steve Waugh: mental disintegration is his unfortunate legacy.

A word or two has always been exchanged in the heat of battle and it will continue to remain so. No one wants a hard game to become antiseptic, but no cricket match is won by swearing at the opponents. Australia lost in Perth not because their attitude was soft. It was their skills that let them down.

Perth has possibly been an interesting learning experience for the Australians, for they were forced to conform to the code of conduct even when they were cornered. There has been a perception that the natural instincts of the Australian players fits oddly with the image Cricket Australia has been desperate to project, and in Sydney the wall simply collapsed when it got tight. The balance between "hard" and "fair" is difficult to maintain at the best of times; it's far tougher when your idea of fairness contrasts with that of the rest of the world.

India is a nation bursting with energy and bristling with confidence. But it also faces the risk of losing its humility, which some confuse as weakness. There is a fine line between assertiveness and arrogance, between firmness and being rigid, and between standing up for what is right and bulldozing

In Perth, Australia managed to walk the line without losing their footing. Brett Lee was the embodiment of the kind of aggression that should be seen on the cricket field. He steamed in over after over and whistled balls past retreating heads; he got Tendulkar by attacking his stumps, and exchanged glares and words with Irfan Pathan, who had let Lee have a few on the first day. It was the perfect example of hostility without nastiness. Tait talked the talk before the match, but couldn't walk the walk when it mattered. By the end of the match even tailenders were lining him up.

There is a lesson in this for misguided Indian players who seem to think that to challenge Australia it is necessary to match them with words. Not being adept in these matters - Australia have practised and mastered the art over years - they end up looking far more crude. It's a fake and shallow aggression that is merely a distraction. Sreesanth, a talented but temperamental swing bowler, once bowled a bouncer to Sachin Tendulkar in a domestic match and charged down the pitch to glare the batsman down. The next ball disappeared over his head as Tendulkar let him know where he stood.

If the young Indian players ever needed a lesson in playing it tough, they needn't look beyond their own dressing room. In Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Anil Kumble, India have had three of the toughest ever cricketers, who haven't ever needed to lose their manners to compete. Does Harbhajan Singh ever wonder why even the worst sledgers keep their thoughts to themselves when Tendulkar or Dravid is batting? Those who are easily provoked merely reveal a weakness of character. In any case, there are far worthier things to learn from the Australians.

India at the moment is a nation bursting with energy and bristling with confidence. But it is also faces the risk of losing its humility, which some confuse as weakness. In the words of a perceptive colleague, India is a nation that has found its voice after years of being told to shut up. But there is a fine line between assertiveness and arrogance, between firmness and being rigid, and between standing up for what is right and bulldozing. There is no doubt about India's financial might in cricket. And that the mightiest rules is as much the law of the jungle as it is of civil society. But some leaders are respected while some are feared and loathed. It is up to India to choose where to stand.

IPL announces franchise owners

Mumbai most expensive team costing US$111.9 million

IPL announces franchise owners



The Indian Premier League (IPL) took a huge step forward on Thursday with the naming of the eight city franchises and their owners. The names were decided by auction, fetching the IPL - which is backed by the Indian board - US$723.59 million, almost double the combined base price of US$400 million. Mumbai was the most expensive team, costing over US$111.9 million.

The franchisees come from several areas previously unconnected with cricket, testifying to the sport's growing profile as a blue-chip investment in India. Among the successful bidders were Bollywood's top stars Shah Rukh Khan and Preity Zinta, a Hyderabad-based newspaper group, a UK-based media rights company and the regular big players Reliance Industries and Vijay Mallya's UB group. The failed bidders included Deutsche Bank and construction major DLF, and among those disqualified was ICICI Ventures.

"We can say that all the hard work fructified and the IPL is here to stay," the IPL chairman and commissioner, Lalit Modi, said. The league, which has the ICC's sanction, sees the teams play on a home-and-away basis and is due to begin on April 18.

A large part of the IPL's success will depend on its entertainment value as much as its sporting value and the involvement of Khan, Zinta and Juhi Chawla -Khan's partner in the Kolkata franchise - will add a huge glamour quotient. Zinta's presence alone at the BCCI office in Mumbai saw a larger-than-usual media turnout.

Khan said he would take expert help before putting together a winning combination. "I have already decided on the entertainment part but we have not decided on the core and content of the team," he told the news channel CNN-IBN. We want to put together a winning combination ... [but] I hope Ganguly leads my team."

The sporting element was established last month, when the IPL unveiled its roster of more than 70 international cricketers. They included some of the biggest names in current limited-overs cricket, and some from the recent past: Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Kumar Sangakkara and Graeme Smith. The affiliation of these players, and the Indian players involved, will be decided by a draft pick; it was originally slated for February 7 but will be finalised after consultation with the franchisees

However, four top Indian players - Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and Yuvraj Singh - will not be included in the auction but will play for their home teams, to ensure maximum support.

The next step is for the IPL to be marketed, and Modi spoke of a multi-million-dollar campaign, with US$15 million coming from the media deal with the Sony Entertainment Television-World Sports Group combine and the IPL chipping in as well.

The one sour note was struck when Modi was asked whether there was a conflict of interests in Indian Cements, of which BCCI treasurer N Srinivasan is vice-chairman and managing director, becoming a team owner. "Mr Srinivasan is just a stakeholder there, he is not the owner," Modi said. "So there is no conflict of interests."

The list of franchise owners are (all amounts in US$): Vijay Mallya's UB group (Bangalore, 111.6 million), India Cements (Chennai, 91 million), GMR group (Delhi 84 million), Deccan Chronicle (Hyderabad, 107 million), a consortium led by Emerging Media (Jaipur, 67 million), Shah Rukh Khan's Red Chillies Entertainment (Kolkata, 75.09 million), Preity Zinta, Ness Wadia, Karan Paul and Dabur's Mohit Burman (Mohali, 76 million) and Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries Limited (Mumbai, 111.9 million).

Tendulkar does a Don in Adelaide

There's a statue of Don Bradman at the Cathedral End of the Adelaide Oval, where he appears to be dancing down the track and lofting the ball straight over the bowler's head. The bat is above his left ear, his knees are bent and the eyes are looking upwards, watching the ball soar into the horizon of his home ground. It was fitting that Sachin Tendulkar chose the venue to bring up an immaculately-crafted hundred, the kind which is said to have put Bradman so far ahead of the rest.

If anyone missed Tendulkar's innings in the first three Tests they should have simply landed up here. He was attacking in Melbourne, authoritative in Sydney, and innovative in Perth but this was the combination of them all. It had the moments of adrenaline-fuelled strokeplay, a hint of chance, a dash of inventiveness and tons of intelligence. Bringing out his percentage game against a high-quality bowling attack, he stood alone.

It wasn't an innings with any distinct shade, rather one that covered the entire spectrum. Walking in to a standing ovation, he didn't score off the first 18 balls. Soon after he had eased into first gear, he set the stage with a flurry of fours. The first was a simple, yet glorious straight drive off Brett Lee; the fourth was hammered past Mitchell Johnson, the bowler. The skies were clear but it would have been fitting if a rainbow hung over the arena.

Bradman rated his 254 at Lord's as his finest innings, simply because each stroke went exactly where he intended. It was interesting to hear Tendulkar talk about the first couple of straight drives here, saying how the ball travelled precisely where he wanted it to go. "These are phases which come and go," he said, "and you know when you're hitting the ball well. You need to wait for that moment."

It wasn't a flawless innings. He was in trouble against Brad Hogg, padding up without offering a stroke, and had his nervy moments while facing Lee and Johnson. A few moments before tea, with Johnson bowling the 53rd over, he was bounced twice before being beaten on the move. The next ball, pitched on the same length like the previous one, was left alone. The final ball, straighter and swinging away, was edged short of first slip.

Through the innings, he showed the ease with which he could adjust. By paddle-sweeping Hogg, he altered his line towards the off stump. Soon he tapped it away to the off. Against Lee, while facing a brilliant late-afternoon spell, Tendulkar subtly changed his stance after each miss, shifting an inch or so either way. Good balls were followed by a little nod, as if to suggest that he was enjoying the battle.


Through the innings, he showed the ease with which he could adjust. By paddle-sweeping Hogg, he altered his line towards the off stump. Soon he tapped it away to the off. Against Lee, while facing a brilliant late-afternoon spell, Tendulkar subtly changed his stance after each miss, shifting an inch or so either way.

It was an innings where the good balls were put away, amply illustrated when Hogg said his "best ball of the day" had been struck for six. Stuart Clark saw a good away-goer race past gully, simply because Tendulkar had known exactly when to open to the face of the bat.

What he also did was to bring out a shot that he's rarely played in recent Tests: the charge against the spinners to launch them back into the stands. It used to be one of his signature strokes and often came with an air of dominance, dismissing the good balls with quicksilver footwork. Twice he stepped out and smashed the spinners over their heads, revealing yet again how he could change his game depending on the situation. He signed off with a cheeky ramp over the slips, making full use of Lee's pace and bounce, and rounded off an innings which had almost everything.

On-field umpires should be given more powers

With the cricket world's attention on sledging after the controversial Sydney Test, former Australian captain Ian Chappell, Sri Lankan wicketkeeper-batsman Kumar Sangakkara and former Indian batsman Sanjay Manjrekar said the problem could be tackled if more power was given to on-field umpires, and called for players to act with more responsibility.

"If you have a CEO who is not even in the country and not even in the ground trying to call in and say, 'Well I saw this', that is never going to work," Sangakkara said during Cricinfo's Round Table, a fortnightly audio show. "Even a match referee is quite far removed from where the action is. The two guys who are in charge are the umpires and they should be allowed to handle it as they see fit."

Chappell was critical of the ICC for undermining the authority of the on-field umpires. "[The ICC have] diluted the decision-making process of the umpires on the field and in doing that, they have diluted the authority of the umpires on the field. They have also put layers of officials between the umpires and the players."

The three thought that while banter on the field was always going to be present, there are lines which should not be crossed. Sangakkara said a player's colour, race, country or family should not be dragged into the debate. Chappell agreed, "There is gamesmanship, which has always been around and there's always place in the game for that. But there's no path for personal abuse or inane chatter."

Sangakkara also stressed that incidents should be left on the field. "Players have to be very honest with themselves that if they do engage in gamesmanship and banter, that is always something you can leave on the field. You should not go running around and complaining to the media or to the match referees."

Manjrekar was of the opinion that television was also a contributing factor to players displaying more aggression on the field. "Some players have realised that if they behaved in a certain manner, if they said some things or glared at the opposition, they would get a lot of attention via the television cameras," he said. "Obviously, this is the cricketer who perhaps doesn't get enough wickets or runs to get the attention. So he realises: 'If I behave in a certain fashion that is slightly over the top, I tend to get lot of attention'."

When Sachin cracked the Perth Test

When Sachin cracked the Perth Test

Take the fastest wicket in the world, add some bounce and cracks to it, and it's enough to test any batsman. In 1991-92, Sachin Tendulkar, not yet 19, passed the Perth Test

Interviews by Nagraj Gollapudi

Perth is not the place you want to go to with tired bowlers and a 0-3 scoreline. India did just that in 1991-92 and were outplayed, as expected, by Australia. India, though, had one light shining through the gloom, an innings those who watched still swear by. Sachin Tendulkar, not yet 19, scored a century many unhestitatingly describe as one of the best they have ever seen.



'At Perth, you should be looking to attack from the back foot, to cut and pull, and that's what Sachin did well': Mark Taylor


Australia 346 (Boon 107, Border 59, Prabhakar 5-101) and 367 for 6 dec. (Jones 150*, Moody 101) beat India 272 (Tendulkar 114, More 43, Whitney 4-68) and 141 (Srikkanth 38, Whitney 7-27) by 300 runs
Scorecard

Inauspicious build-up for Australia

Mark Taylor It was a strange Test for the reason that Geoff Marsh, my opening partner, got dropped. Allan Border wasn't happy with that and didn't want to go to Perth. The Perth locals, too, were very disappointed that Geoff had been dropped. It was very difficult for Wayne Philips who had a tough initiation and he just played that one Test match.

Mike Whitney On the last morning of the fourth Test in Adelaide, as we were warming up, Bobby Simpson announced Geoff, the vice-captain, and Mark Waugh would be dropped for the final Test in Perth. We were like, "What the f***?" Allan was really disappointed and angry and rang Lawrie Sawle, the chairman of selectors. When we went out to bowl on the last day Allan didn't come out for about 45 minutes and Marsh led the side. At the end of the Test the rest of the team flew straight to Perth, but Allan didn't come for about a day and a half. He was very angry as to why none of the selectors had spoken to him about dropping Marsh.

If it's the WACA, balls will fly around

Kiran More The wicket had a lot of bounce. Later on it developed a lot of cracks. Definitely not a wicket the Indians like. It was totally different from anything most of us had encountered.

Whitney The wicket was a little slower compared to in the 1980s. That said, it still had a fair bit of bounce and pace and carry. There were a number of the catches taken by our team as flies [well above their heads] where the balls hit high on the bat and really flew.

Most of the Indian batsmen had failed to get big scores in the series, as the 0-3 scoreline going into the fifth Test suggested, and the same was the case at the WACA

Whitney India had a solid batting line-up, but we exerted a lot of pressure on them throughout the series - Craig McDermott, Merv Hughes and myself were among the wickets. They drew one Test in Sydney, when Ravi Shastri got a double-hundred and Sachin got 148, two amazing innings.

More Playing in Australia is always difficult. They had a better bowling attack, and were well equipped to take advantage of the conditions. We were not at our best; we were struggling.

Stumpy and Captain Grumpy make India pay

After two early wickets David Boon and Allan Border showed how to bat on a bouncy track. They shared a 117-run stand; Boon scored 107 and Border 59 as the Indian bowlers failed to use the conditions to their advantage.

Venkatapathy Raju Our attack was basically made up of swing bowlers. Yes, Srinath was there, but we were all exhausted after so much losing. And Boon played amazingly, he was cutting from over his head!

More Border was special, too. He cut and pulled very well. They knew how to leave the ball. Balls pitching relatively up, on middle and off, will go over the stumps, that's the beauty of the Perth wicket. We tend to try and get in line and play. But it is difficult to do that, you have to basically play beside the line. You need to have a lot of room to play cut and pull.

Meanwhile, India started poorly again

By the time India reached 130, all their specialist batsmen, bar Tendulkar, were out

Taylor The strategy generally in Perth is: don't bowl too short. You have got to bowl fuller so the extra bounce worries the batsmen. Australia just did that and took advantage.



Sydney was more like an Indian wicket, but the way he batted at Perth you can only dream about it
Venkatapathy Raju on Tendulkar's knock



Small man, big innings

Taylor Sachin's 148 at Sydney was a bit of a warning. I saw Sachin and Sanjay Manjrekar at Lismore in the lead-up to first Test and we knew they had a couple of good youngsters. We knew Sachin had made a hundred in a Test match already, against England, and we thought this kid must be pretty special. And when he got a hundred at the SCG, we all thought this guy is a good player and his technique was compact.

Whitney Sachin was only 19, but he was beyond his years. He came over with this reputation of a schoolboy wunderkind who'd scored a triple century at school, and who played for Bombay when he was 15. That Sydney innings confirmed his status.

Taylor But we thought the extra pace and extra bounce would sort him out. You could expect an Indian player to make a century at the SCG where it's slower and lower, but at the WACA it takes a special player to pick up the bounce and pace of the wicket in such a short time and Sachin was able to do that. It proved that he was always going to be a player for the future.

Sachin picked up the length very quickly. At the WACA, if you are uncomfortable playing off the back foot, you can let the ball go and that's what Sachin did well. At the same time you should be looking to attack from the back foot, to cut and pull, and that's again what Sachin did well.

Whitney He hit all round the wicket, his timing was exquisite. He looked in full control. He nicked one off me to Tom Moody and that was only chance he gave. The wicket was bouncing a lot and there were nicks and edges, but he played a fantastic innings.

One who will

At 159 for 8 and soon running out of partners, Tendulkar found support in More, who was making a comeback after a hamstring injury had kept him out for about a month.

More I think I saw one of the best innings among all those hundreds he has scored. Especially because he was playing at Perth for the first time. Any batsman who plays there for the first time will find it difficult. The shots he played straight through the covers off the back foot were special. On that wicket if you play on back foot, most of the shots go square and fine, but he was playing front of the wicket, through extra cover, and cover. Those were typical Sachin back-foot punches through the cover. For any batsman, those shots are difficult to play on that wicket, and Sachin is a short person. He was playing those shots easily.



When he didn't need to dare: Whitney got 11 wickets in the match because he bowled the right lengths


Whitney His best shot was the punch off the back foot through off side. He showed a lot of respect and humility. There were glimpses of his greatness on that tour.

Taylor Whitney was pushing the ball across and Sachin would lean slightly forward and would hit it back past him even before Whitney could get his right hand down. Right then I knew it was the mark of a special player.

More It was special to watch him from the other end and also score against fast bowlers and prove myself. For me it was a selection issue for the World Cup too as I was coming back from injury.

Raju For that age, the way Sachin played was amazing. It was one of the greatest knocks I have seen. Sydney was more like an Indian wicket, but the way he batted at Perth you can only dream about it.

Having a crack at India

India had managed to stay competitive, thanks to Tendulkar's innings, but worse was to follow. Dean Jones, who'd had an ordinary series till then, and Tom Moody toyed with the deflated Indian bowling and set India a target of 442. Whitney finished the Indians off with 7 for 27 in the second innings.

More It was always going to be difficult, with cracks get bigger and wider. One ball from Whitney pitched on leg and middle went straight to second slip.

Raju The wicket had big cracks right in front of you when you take your stance. That affected us psychologically. Whitney just kept it up, and it was going through your mind that something might happen off the cracks.

Whitney I kept four slips and two gullies and got some quick early wickets and I was on a roll. There are probably half a dozen games where I would have bowled as well as I did then, but that day was a magic day. I bowled 12.2 overs and got 7 for 27.

'We are desperate to get the 17th win' - Gilchrist

India in Australia 2007-08

'We are desperate to get the 17th win' - Gilchrist


Adam Gilchrist believes that though Australia have retained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, there is still plenty to play for in the last two Tests of the series. Speaking after the end of the team's practice session at the WACA two days ahead of the third Test, Gilchrist said the players were hungry for the record 17th successive victory.

"We're desperately keen to get the 17th, we also want to win the series. We don't want a drawn one even though we've retained the trophy." Gilchrist, who was part of the team which set the original record, said he had initially thought that the mark would never be broken.

Even though Gilchrist has not been in great form with the bat so far, he has achieved some important landmarks during the series. At the MCG, he went past Ian Healy's record tally of 395 victims and followed that by breaking Rahul Dravid's mark of having played the most number of Tests (93) in a row. Gilchrist said it was nice to have played 94 straight Tests and remembered what Justin Langer, his former colleague, had to say. "Langer always said the greatest characteristic of a true champion is longevity - because they've been there long enough to show their skills in a variety of conditions. It's a big thrill, a big honour."

Eight days after the tumultuous Sydney Test, Gilchrist was of the opinion that the Perth game would have "a bit of build-up, a bit of fire in everyone's belly in the start but both teams are professional enough to know that once the ball is bowled, they'll just get back into cricket mode".

He insisted Australia had moved on from the incidents of the previous week. "We are all big boys and we can all get on with it. They [The Indian team] let off their steam after the game and we let off our steam and now let's just get on with the next game.

"Everyone is sensible enough to have understood the issues. Obviously it was discussed at yesterday's and today's meetings but not at any great length. Everyone had the opportunity if they'd something to offload or talk about but no-one really did. Ricky came in and as usual showed great leadership, spoke about his week and putting that behind and moving on now. It was put to bed very quickly." Gilchrist also played it safe when asked if the ICC was right to step in, saying that as the governing body, it had the right to coordinate with the teams.

As for the BCCI's decision to call off the tour if they felt the Harbhajan case was not settled to their interest, Gilchrist voiced his captain's opinion. "I saw Ricky comment that it would be sort of an extreme action. It would be a big move to do that, a big call to make on the basis of just what's happened. But I'm not going to tell Indian cricket what and what not to do, that's up to them."

Instead Gilchrist was disappointed at the failure of the media to highlight the performance of the Australian team on the field. "It's a bit frustrating and disappointing to see how little has been written about the quality of cricket that was on offer in the Test. It was an amazing match. Any Test that goes to the last session to the last hour and then to last over is quite a Test match."

Gilchrist also said that despite all the controversies, the focus of the team had never shifted from the cricket, and the target was now the 17th win. The team has had motivational sessions with Ray McLean, the man who inspired Geelong and Sydney Swans to the premiership titles in the Australian Football League, and Mark Taylor, the former Australian captain.

McLean, a renowned motivational guru in Australia, was present during the Australian camp held in Coolong a few months ago. "It's just about a whole host of things about the team, the direction of the team, very minimal about on-field stuff," said Gilchrist. "It was more about our unit and what our team environment is. It was really good, really positive."

Pacy Perth has tongues wagging

India tour of Australia 2007-08

Pacy Perth has tongues wagging



Chris Rogers has called it hellish and Adam Gilchrist thinks it has the fire to shock. Gary Kirsten, India's coach in waiting, has included it in the document he's prepared for the team. Dennis Lillee has ensured it regains some of its old glory and, going by all the chatter, Shaun Tait is obviously licking his lips. Welcome to the WACA, the ground that houses the world's most popular pitch.

So quick is it supposed to be that Australia are likely to go in without a specialist spinner for the first time in 16 years. The last time it happened was at this ground against the same opponent, back in 1992, when left-arm quick Mike Whitney ran through the batting line-up with 7 for 27 in the second innings. It's fondly remembered as the Test where Sachin Tendulkar played his finest innings but the result was quite gruesome: India crushed by 300 runs.

The pitch at Perth has slowed down over the years but the sight of the ball flying around in Australia's recent Twenty20 game against New Zealand has triggered a hype. "This particular wicket has been relaid with some of the soil that they had at the WACA when it was in its heyday in the late 1970s and early 80s," Whitney told Cricinfo. "So this wicket will be bouncy."

Cameron Sutherland, the curator, tries his best to play down the build-up but drops enough hints to suggest a red-hot surface. "We did relay the pitches in April last year and there will be a bit more pace than a couple of years back but nothing extraordinary," he said. "There has been a fair bit of pressure [in] the past two-and-a-half years I have been here, and some of the wickets have just not worked out for us. The pitch we are using has had its top taken off and [we have] relaid some of that soil over the top and regrassed it.

"It was probably as hard this morning as it was on day one of the Ashes last year, two days out it is just about playing around with the surface now - it is pretty solid. I think it will have a bit more pace. We like to think it will keep its pace more over the four or five days. Last year after day three it became a bit hard toil for the bowlers when it slowed down a bit."

Gilchrist, who's played most of his cricket here, hoped his side could open up a few scars from the past. Only Tendulkar has played a Test here but others have experienced a one-day hammering on their tours in 2004 and 2000.

"A number of these players played a ODI here a few years ago and that pitch had plenty of fire," said Gilchrist. "We would be looking to open up any little scars or wounds that they might have had from that day because we bowled them out quite comprehensively. It's probably the bounce that's the main thing that surprises you when you first come out here."

The strip to be used for the Test hasn't been played on this season. A domestic Twenty20 final was held on the adjacent track, one that produced a high-scoring game. Kirsten hoped India's batsmen don't overly analyse the pitch and urged them to draw on their experience of various conditions instead. "You can get beaten up about it and it can affect you," he said. "That was exactly what I experienced. If you got in it became the most magnificent place to bat. There was pace on the pitch and you didn't have to hit the ball too hard, something I wasn't very good at."

Sourav Ganguly, meanwhile, was again down with fever - the third such instance in six weeks - and did not participate in India's net session. He was taken to a local Perth doctor, accompanied by Chetan Chauhan, the Indian manager, and physio John Gloster. "He's changed the medicines and, if I'm not better by the morning, then I've got to undergo a blood test," Ganguly, who also has a sore throat, told cricket brains.

Captains promise a memorable contest

India in Australia 2007-08

Captains promise a memorable contest



Ricky Ponting, the Australian captain, has said his side haven't discussed the racism charge against Harbhajan Singh and hoped they could decide on a course of action over the next few weeks. Both he and Anil Kumble want the teams to renew their healthy rivalry in the third Test in Perth and promised fans a memorable contest.

With India dropping their charge against Brad Hogg it had led to speculation over Australia softening their stance on Harbhajan but Ponting felt it was best to wait, now that the hearing date had been set for January 29 and 30.

"The Hogg issue was withdrawn only last night," Ponting said at the WACA. "We have a pretty important Test match to play in a few hours time and that [Harbhajan issue] hasn't been spoken about at all in the group. My feeling is that the hearing wouldn't be until after the Adelaide game anyway, so there would probably be some time for the hierarchy to sit back and discuss anything that hasn't been [talked about] so far."

Ponting reiterated that plenty of positives had come out of his interaction with Kumble on Monday evening. "It's good that Anil and I sat down like two grown men yesterday and had a good chat," he said. "I feel a lot happier after yesterday's meeting and I am sure Anil does the same. Both of us have been under a lot of pressure this week.

"I can only go by the word of Anil who said there wasn't [any bad blood between the two teams] and I said the same thing. No doubt you will see this game played in terrific spirit, like the Melbourne Test and the majority of Sydney Test as well. We are happy to leave everything behind us and with India withdrawing their charge against Hogg last night, they have shown that they really want to move on with things as well."

Kumble echoed Ponting's sentiments. "It's important that we ensure that people remember the cricket. That didn't happen unfortunately in Sydney. We've left that behind and it's time to move on."

The only issue which Ponting didn't seem happy about was the catching agreement being scrapped at the meeting. However, he hoped that the close decisions would be made by the on-field umpires themselves, instead of referring to the third official. "It's been scrapped, as of yesterday," he said. "And that wasn't the way I wanted to play. But the feeling through the Indian team, and probably not just Anil's thoughts on it, was that they would like it to go back and be in the hands of the on-field umpires.

"I've just had a chat with the umpires out on the ground now about the whole thing and they'll be endeavouring to make the call between themselves on the field rather than referring everything. That's the way it's going to be, I think, for the rest of the series."

Kumble wasn't aware that a final decision had been taken but welcomed it all the same. "I had said earlier that the agreement will be reviewed. If the match referee has communicated it to Ricky, that's the way it is."

'Disappointed' Bucknor returns home'

India in Australia, 2007-08

'Disappointed' Bucknor returns home



The umpire Steve Bucknor has returned home to Jamaica after being sacked from the fractious Test series between India and Australia. He said he was disappointed not to be continuing but that he respected the ICC nonetheless.

A dignified Bucknor took the moral high ground and told AFP: "I respect ICC's authority in the matter. To err is human, to forgive divine, as the old saying goes. However, I consider it a sad day to see umpires sidelined after making only two wrong decisions out of a record of 35 appeals."

Bucknor, 61, was dumped by the ICC after India complained over his performance in last week's last-gasp victory for Australia in the second Test in Sydney. Several wrong decisions by Bucknor swung the odds against the Indians. He has been replaced by Billy Bowden.

The most experienced Test umpire in the Elite Panel, Bucknor made a quiet return home to Jamaica over the weekend, managing to elude the glare of the local press and a group that had planned to meet him at the airport to show their support for him.

To date he has stood in 120 Tests and five straight World Cup finals including the most recent in the Caribbean. His contract runs out in March.

Bucknor's removal was announced by ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed who also acknowledged that some people would be unhappy given India had requested Bucknor be stood down. "I can understand that people will take that view,'' he said. "It is an extraordinary set of circumstances and we want to take some of the tension out of the situation.''

He was confident Bucknor would umpire again at Test level.

Published reports estimated that as many as eight of 11 questionable decisions made by Bucknor and fellow umpire Mark Benson went against India. The dismissal of India's Rahul Dravid on day five, and Andrew Symonds' admission he was out on 30 before scoring 162 not out in the first innings, particularly embarrassed Bucknor.

The string of incorrect decisions during the match prompted calls from some commentators for administrators to make better use of technology in aiding umpires in their verdicts.

Kirsten: Dravid best suited for No. 3

India tour of Australia, 2007-08

Kirsten: Dravid best suited for No. 3



Gary Kirsten, soon to take over as India's Test coach, says he personally feels Rahul Dravid is better suited to the No.3 position. Kirsten, who landed in Perth a couple of days back, felt "specialists" were very important in Tests and expected the team to discuss this issue over the next couple of days.

"Rahul is probably more suited batting at No.3 and that's certainly something that will be discussed over the next few days," he said in his first press conference since landing in Australia. "Sehwag's spot will be discussed. He has got a big hundred and also has the respects of the Australians, the way he plays. It will become a part of the decision marking."

Dravid opened the batting for the first two Tests, with the team accommodating Yuvraj Singh at No.6. However, Yuvraj's failure in six innings have reopened the debate, Dravid likely to return to the middle order.

"We have discussed various options at a very informal level. After today we'll have a little bit more discussion about what to look at. From my own personal view, specialists in Test match cricket are very important. Let's see what happens. I'm sure you'll know in maybe a day. But again I'm not involved in the selection process but someone who's opinion is taken."

Kirsten also felt the team would face a "tough dilemma" regarding Harbhajan Singh, their offspinner who's been in the centre of the controversy over the last week. "He's been very much involved in the last week," he said, "but the thing that I enjoyed about was his batting performance in Sydney. We've identified that it's very important that members of the lower order make a contribution with the bat and did that in the Test."

Would the team pick him in the playing XI, considering the pacy pitch prepared at the WACA? "I'm not sure," he said. "History says that two spinners are unlikely at the WACA but Harbhajan is one of our strengths. We might look to play him but I certainly haven't discussed it with them."


Kirsten also felt the players, who he termed as "custodians of the game", needed to come together to ensure that the spirit of the game is maintained. "I think we need to put this behind us," he said of the recent events. "Yes it's lingering on but I had a long chat to Anil Kumble about it. At the end of the day players can sort this issue out."


Kirsten is expected to stay with the team for three weeks, during the next two Tests. He will also help them prepare for the one-day tri-series that follows. "I have a few commitments with the Warriors franchise in Eastern cape in South Africa. I need to go back to spend some time with them. It hasn't been discussed yet but there is a chance of returning for the second half of the one-day series."

Pollock announces retirement

Allrounder ends career

Pollock announces retirement



Shaun Pollock, the South Africa allrounder, has announced his retirement from international cricket following the second day's play against West Indies in Durban. The current Test, his 108th, will be his last and the one-day series that follows the final matches for his country.

"I'd like to thank Cricket South Africa for allowing me the opportunity of representing my country for the last 12 years," Pollock told a press conference after the day's play. "I thoroughly enjoy the honour and privilege of wearing the Protea badge and take with me some remarkable memories having played against some great players.

"I made the decision at the start of the season that the West Indies series would be my last," he said. "I have been fortunate to be in a team that has had the calibre of players to beat any opposition on any given day. I have made some wonderful friendships and have played against some remarkable characters."

Pollock, 34, regained his Test place for the deciding match against West Indies after not playing in the five-day game since January 2007. He currently stands on 420 Test wickets, the most by a South African, and 387 in ODIs. There is a chance he will finish with 400 in both forms depending on his success in the one-day series against West Indies.

Pollock was thrust into the captaincy of South Africa in April 2000 when Hansie Cronje was drummed out of the game, and he faced the biggest challenge of his career - to lift a shocked and demoralised South African side. However, after a solid start to his captaincy, he lost some credibility after a 3-0 drubbing in Australia in 2001-02, and was later blamed for South Africa's disastrous World Cup in which they failed to qualify for the Super Sixes.

As a result, Pollock immediately lost the captaincy and was replaced by Graeme Smith. Though his nagging brilliance around off stump remained, his pace and ability to take wickets at the top of the order dipped in latter years.

"I realise I have been blessed by God," he said, "and feel I have nurtured my talents to the best of my abilities."

'Tour of Australia is a mental battle' - Kirsten

India's consultant wants both teams to stop blame game

'Tour of Australia is a mental battle' - Kirsten





Gary Kirsten, the former South African batsman who will take over as the India coach on March 1, feels this a good time to join the Indian team, mid-way through an Australian tour marred by controversy.

"Maybe it's not a bad position to be in because I've been so far removed from what's been going on," said Kirsten, who arrived in Perth on Saturday to join the team in his interim capacity as a consultant coach ahead of the third Test, starting on January 16.

Kirsten, who had flown from Johannesburg, appeared fresh this morning and, along with his wife Deborah, awaited the arrival of the Indian team from Canberra. "It's probably a healthy position and I bring a fresh perspective," he told Cricinfo. "The important thing for me is to focus the Indian players back on cricket. I would certainly want the Indian players to play their brand of cricket on Australian soil. I don't want them to play any other brand; they must play to their strengths. I'm sure they are already doing that."

Kirsten says the only way the Indians can now bounce back into the series, which they currently trail 0-2, is to stay calm. "It's a cricket tour full of emotion but one needs to calm oneself and create some composure; that's the only way you can be at your best. If you sidetrack to the other issues you are going to have problems. I'm a looking at it from a distance so I was trying to look at it very objectively as to what went right and what went wrong."

So where did it go wrong for India in Sydney? "The Indians are naturally disappointed with the last game. There's no doubt that they came over here to win a Test series. They can't anymore. That's why they felt that at the SCG they were back in the series after being outplayed in Melbourne. And they felt they were right in the Sydney Test and naturally the emotions started to run high when things didn't go their way.

"They played well and they played like anyone knows that they can play," he said of VVS Laxman, Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly. "For a period of time India dominated that game. That's what they were looking to do and they were able to achieve that."



I have tremendous respect for Kumble's captaincy and he has certainly led by example, taking plenty of wickets. Equally his performance in the last hour-and-a-half in Sydney was testament to his character as a person where you could see he was desperate to save that game



Having said that, he was critical of the way they approached their second innings, considering how dependent they are on their batsmen. "When you get to the last day of a Test match and Australia are still batting you always have to be aware of these guys, that they are capable of doing something and knocking teams over very quickly. It was disappointing to see India get bowled out in effectively two sessions and I am sure the players would have been hit hard.

"At the MCG we lost in the first innings after being bowled out in the 100s. You are dead [after that], aren't you? Then you really have to bowl very, very well. But we know the strength of the Indian team is weighted towards their batsmen and they knew from the outset that their batsmen needed to be in good form."

India, who were crushed by 337 runs in the opening match in Melbourne, took refuge in their lack of preparation ahead of the game. Kirsten, though, doesn't think the argument holds water. "More time helps but players are fully aware that one can't use that as an excuse for losing a game," he said, not wanting to come across as harsh. "It's uncontrollable."

Kirsten felt Anil Kumble had towered over the rest in this series, picking up 15 wickets in the first two Tests. "I have tremendous respect for his captaincy and he has certainly led by example, taking plenty of wickets," he said, revealing that he had been exchanging text messages with Kumble throughout the series. "Equally his performance in the last hour-and-a-half in Sydney was testament to his character as a person, where you could see he was desperate to save that game. I'm sure he would have an influence on other players in the team.

"The tour of Australia is a very much a mental battle," he said, drawing on his experience of touring Australia three times, in which he managed a healthy average of 43. He said he had prepared a report for the players once he went back to South Africa after his brief visit to Bangalore during the Pakistan series. That visit, he said, was to acquaint himself with the players; they hadn't much discussed the Australian tour.

"Before the Australia series began I sent a document with my thoughts of the experiences I'd had in Australia," he said. "It was quite lengthy but for their benefit, with my opinions and my ideas of how I think things are going to pan out on a tour like this and maybe how they should play against the Australians.

"They have to start thinking very seriously about how they can win the next two Tests. The only message I'm going to pass on is: 'You must believe you can win the next two'. It would be crazy to try and just exist in the next two Test matches. Each individual needs to think seriously about what special thing he can do to come back."