Cricket: Pride goes before a fall.

Aussies lost pride before losing the Perth test and now seem to have lost the plot and surely have lost the series to an unassailable SAfs 2-0 lead. They are busy garnering public sympathy rather than axing soon to be dead wood, injured players, out of form players, whoever, whatever Ponting called passengers. There is no spinner in the horizon, someone who can keep tight.

The Challengers: South African’s, SAfs from now on.

SAfs have a tremendous run of past couple of years, since there disastrous tour to Sri Lanka. But they have to managed, to unearth Steyn, DeVillers, Amla, Morkel Brothers. Greame Smith himself has scored tones of runs. They won against England and Bangladesh and drew series against India in India no mean task that. They beat Aussies chasing a record total, the Aussies looked visitors to Perth, and SAfs walked easy and bought the cake home. Smith, DeVilliers smashed century, Kallis the talisman, scored runs, gave break through and got wickets, took some catches. This series has again reconfirmed by belief that comparing the bowling and batting may separate ordinary teams but it is the fielding which really differentiates great teams. SAfs took some stunning catches and almost made look Aussies an ordinary team.
SAfs kept coming from behind, much like the Aussies did for more than a decade and half, but since 2005, the English, Indians and SAfs have learnt the trick and maintain at times to count attack from positions unlikely positions of going for the kill. SAfs were 196 for 7 and 198 runs behind played the whole days with Harris and Steyn scoring runs and JP Duminy made a majestic 166. A position that dented Aussies hopes. Hayden being out of form Ponting impressed with 99, but Greame Smith showed more proactive and more incisive approach. He was unnerved with taking tough calls. But he can be better, but he will get there. The only thing SAfs have is to safe guard against complacency. I say go for the kill; take em out 3-Nil.
Hayden and Ponting will want to forget 2008. Ponting did score some centuries, but then two he scored against India ended in draws, India remains a land of mystery to him. He suggested that since lot of spin is bowled you are likely to be claimed by spinners, something Ishant Sharma took to heart as he was all over Ponting in Australia and India.
The next India SAfs tussle would be real fun.

The losers, Aussie cricket team.

You win you lose, in a cricket contest one team will win and one will lose. Drawes and tie matches are exceptions. You lose or you out manoeuvred. Ponting for now is not only losing but being out manoeuvred, which are of a greater concerned. It is easy to accuse Ponting of everything, but as compared to Mark Taylor and Steve Waugh his tenure as captain is tougher simply because during Taylor and Waugh’s captaincy the Aussie teams was in ascendancy, there were bunch of players which were coming up the core consisted of solid openers with like of Taylor, Slater, Blewett, Elliot, then Langer and Hayden the non a good strong middle order of Waugh brothers, Ponting, Martyn, Warne and seamers like McGrath, Gillespie, Kasprowicsz, Refiel, Fleming, Lee.
Five times in five tests. Hayden not giving those flying starts made Australia work double hard and yielded very ordinary result. Clarke impatient was exposed, Hussey succumbed to impatience, Symonds to alcohol, Ponting to some ingenious. Katich remains a pleasant exception he has consolidated. Other players crashed out due to injuries.
The openers are struggling, Hayden used to score in bulk but know rests most of time cooling is heels for as long as Aussies bat. The bowling looks paltry, catches taken with some difficulty. Instead of moving ahead with the game they seem to be looking back, hoping something good happens rather then looking inwards and marching forwards. I wonder why Pomersbach or Shaun Marsh opened in with Hayden, Katich should have bowled more often and played instead of White.
But going ahead will be tougher if they cannot put behind whatever happened and play for pride. If they lose the next match, it would be right time for Hayden to put his hand up, and hand his gloves, Ponting should give up the obsession of captaincy and stop calling shots. In drastic times especially this year when things have turned upside down each and everyone was shaken and stirred in more ways then one.

Indian hand in Aussie downfall.

I am glad that SAfs won the battle of the South Hemisphere. On current form they are the number one side by far. But I think SAfs have completed what the Indian team started. We should have drawn if not lost the Test match. It will be remember for all the wrong reasons. Symonds, the Racism row, the immense money muscles that BCCI flexed. The pull out was a hype all right never the less the Aussies may have felt the ripples if not repercussions from Indians on that tour. Then the IPL which say Aussies queuing up for mega bucks and witness the mega hysteria over the duration of the summer.
Kumble swept the carpet while Ponting harping all sorts of negative vibes. Aussies lost the next match at Perth starting this year then played a dead rubber to save the series and then when the rot had started. If I am not wrong Indians played Aussies 6 times this year, we have won three and drawn three. Aussies zilch.
The racism row proved to be heave guilt of many Aussies. Then big tough players like Symonds took up drinking and fishing to fins a way through. The chinks were beginning to exposed when one of the pace demons, bowled some ordinary medium pace in Perth, then citied psychiatric problems to take a break. I think I haven’t heard of him since then, I am worried if still going therapy. The Aussie were mentaly dragged and degraded and I think gave up soon.