The Hindu : Sport : Australia was outclassed

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Oct 23, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Sport

Sport

Australia was outclassed

SYDNEY: “Out-batted, out-bowled, out-captained,” headlined the Sydney Morning Herald.

Perhaps needing to underscore Australia’s heavy loss to India in the second cricket Test, the daily added “outclassed” in a photo caption.

Australia’s 320-run loss on Tuesday in Mohali provided newspapers and commentators with much fodder for criticism on Wednesday.

Peter Roebuck, who has thrown many verbal barbs toward Australia captain Ricky Ponting in the past, had a field day in the Herald, saying “it’s been a long time since they were so comprehensively taken apart.”

“The Australians were humbled,” said Roebuck. “India played an aggressive game with cool heads. With Australia it was the reverse.

“So much for the new age, Ponting proclaimed at the start of the series. So much for the designation of the host as trapped in a time warp. Arrogance of that sort often rebounds.”

Roebuck said improvement might not be coming quickly. Australia next plays India in the third Test beginning on October 29 at New Delhi, where the home side has won the past seven Tests.

“Since the retirement of Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne and Adam Gilchrist, especially, the Australians have been living on borrowed time,” Roebuck said. “It is not possible to replace great cricketers with good cricketers and retain the same standard.”

The match featured an onfield verbal altercation between Ponting and teammate Brett Lee, the fast bowler who became upset when he was not used in the attack on the fourth morning of the Test.

“I guess where it has fallen down a little bit is I didn’t communicate that reason to Brett about 11 o’clock when he wanted to bowl,” Ponting said. “We were five overs down, he couldn’t understand why he wasn’t bowling and I made it clear to him from that moment on those reasons.”

No longer the colossus

Veteran cricket writer Malcolm Conn said in The Australian newspaper, that “the colossus which strode world cricket largely unchallenged for more than a decade is no longer.”

“While captain Ricky Ponting claimed his Monday confrontation with Brett Lee was merely a poorly explained problem with over-rates, which are always too slow, Australia has been seriously outplayed and out-verballed in this match.”

Former Australia captain Ian Chappell said Ponting had only himself to blame for the tension.

“It’s ridiculous for a captain to get himself in that position where he can’t bowl his main bowler because he got behind in the over-rate,” Chappell said. “I hope that he learns his lesson from not being able to bowl his major bowler at a time when he wants to.”

Former Australia fast bowler Bruce Reid said India’s reverse psychology and its superior use of home conditions gave it a major edge. He experienced first hand the struggles of being a foreign paceman in India in 1986, when his two Tests there yielded one wicket at a cost of 222 runs.

“In India, if it’s not swinging it is downright hard work,” he said. “I still believe you need quality spinners.”

Alarming thing

Former Australia spinner Greg Matthews said the difference between the two sides’ bowling was alarming.

“Clearly on this tour the quicks are not knocking them over early,” he said. “We’ve only had four digs, but gee whiz, it looks a bit scary over there.” — AP

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Sport

News Update

Stories in this Section

Big challenge ahead of Australia

Australia was outclassed

Sania Mirza winds up training at Delhi on a positive note

Chance for aspirants to catch the eye

Cricket

Marsh replaces Jaques

All-round show by Yogesh Nagar

Thrilling win for Karnataka

Superstars beats Heroes

Sreesanth not included