Well, the Perth test was a good comeback. Both teams, especially Australia, redeemed themselves with a hard fought, competitive cricket match, played in good spirit. All around, good advertisement for test cricket.
So what made this a good game? Watch (or read an account of it by Sambit Bal) rookie-quickie Ishanth Sharma probe and give a hard time to Ricky Ponting, the best batsmen in the world. No stares or bullying. Just bowling on and around the off stump at good pace; sharp inswingers, and an occasional delivery to straighten up, just enough to create doubts in the batsman. The kid is good and I am not referring to merely his bowling. Roebuck and others praised his attitude during the Sydney test match for congratulating Aussie batsmen at the end of each session. Just glad to see a player who is good and civil.
Speaking of decency and civility, I still wonder why Anil Kumble didn’t become the captain of India ten years ago.
The highlights are pretty neat and gave a sense of the drama on the field quite effectively for someone like me, who hadn’t watched any highlights (or lowlights) of the entire series until this morning.
Also, see this Peter Roebuck interview, where he talks to Ravi Shastri and Wasim Akram on the Sydney controversy. He makes an especially good point on the lack of Indian presence in the Aussie media (newspaper, TV or Radio), except for Harsha Bhogle. Contrast that with ghost written columns in all Indian newspapers by Aussie players, former and present, who have nothing insightful to say.
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