Sydney - The Michael Clarke Test

The 2012 New Year’s Test at Sydney Cricket Ground was special for the hallowed ground. It was hosting its 100^th Test. The SCG as always provided great cricketing action. This is however quite simply, The Michael Clarke Test. He started off by predicting that Ricky Ponting will come good and he was right. If only he could say what he was about to do !

Ricky Ponting came into the series with his career hanging on the slightest of threads. The owner of the most beautiful pull shot in the game had not reached 3 figures since his 209 in Hobart in January 2010. He was struggling, but then he was prepared for a scrape and fight out in the middle and then he found his game at Sydney. His 134 may have been only the third highest score behind Michael Clarke’s 329* and Michael Hussey's 150* , but it gave the most emotional moment of the test. He knew he had misjudged the single and was a direct hit away from being stranded at 99. The way he scampered to reach from 99 to 100 and diving full stretch showed his desire to breach the mark. His helmet was askew, his jersey muddied and he had dirt in his mouth. But the ball hadn’t clattered the stumps. Assured that he had made the single, Ricky got up and removed his helmet to acknowledge the crowd. He didn’t curse, shout or point fingers at the press box. The smile plastered on his face was that of relieved happiness of realising the flaming talent in himself. This was unlike any of his 39 hundreds overall or 5 previous ones at SCG in an emotional sense. This was a different Ricky Ponting.

And it was wonderful to watch him get that hundred.

And local boy and Aussie skipper Michael ‘Pup’Clarke couldn’t have chosen a better script for himself. Hammering the first triple century at SCG in the 100^th Test being played here while leading his team to an innings victory. At this point does he even care that he played without a bat contract? Heck no. For he, taught quite a few lessons to India on how to play the game. He was cheeky and unselfish in his declaration of the Australian innings. The Indians had all but resigned to the fact that a 400 was about to be scored against them. But at the drinks in the second session of Day 3 , Clarke and Hussey walked past the drinks trolley and kept on walking .There was the declaration. He had caught the opposition off-guard !

But where Michael Clarke really gained respect from cricket fraternity was when he declared when he had Brian Lara’s 400 within reach. Yet, he declared as Hussey had reached 150. Why ? Well he thought he had enough of a lead and wanted to give his bowlers enough chance to bowl out India the second time. That India folded over in 3 ½ session is another matter , with Clarke notably scalping Sachin on 80. But he saw ahead in the match, anticipated better and then you can’t complain if luck favours such a captain, can you?

Remember, you can never discount a sudden spell of showers in Sydney. It clearly reflected his priorities- to win the match and not personal achievements and erasing landmarks. Very few people would do that, especially sub-continental players. The sub-continent is obsessed with numbers, who won’t let Sachin Tendulkar bat in peace by building the hype around a made-up term called ‘international centuries’.

It’s not a great time to criticise a team when it is in shambles. But this is a clear opportunity to set things in motions about the future. The team shows some resistance and stomach for a battle but its will is punctured against sustained aggression and skill. Gradually the problems have compounded. As Harsha Bhogle points out, it is unpardonable for this generation of players to be unathletic. VVS Laxman won’t ever run a three and bowlers have weak throwing arms. Players are not agile and don't dive. Do they worry that they will be forced to do the dirty laundry themselves? For India, this is a big problem as they have just one athletic guy in Virat Kohli in the team, and he prefers to show the finger to the crowd.

India has got a decent pace battery, but this decline in Tests was always coming. It is harking back to the times in the 90s when on overseas tours, India followed one collapse by another batting debacle soon after. The other teams have learned to play in India and its dustbowls and it won’t be long before India stops dominating at home and continues capitulating abroad. It would be worse than lions at home, lambs abroad. They would be hyenas at home, winning against the weakest while settling for scraps against better teams. Tests are won by teams that have a will to guts it out, not by teams whose spine is missing half a dozen vertebrae.

India and cricketing finance are directly related, but it seems only Australia and England care about the Tests. And once Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar leave, its assured that cricket following will take a massive hit. Its futile to talk about rebuilding this team, because that process should have started 4 years ago. They haven’t even found a replacement for Sourav Ganguly! Teams lose a lot when built up from scratch, however that would be part of a long term plan to have the best Test side and there is no shame in that .The pity is in maintaining status quo and being the ostrich , even when you lose 6 overseas test in a row and that too by thumping margins.

For a start, fire Duncan Fletcher and hire Stephen Fleming as soon as possible.

Sydney -an advertisement of Test cricket

Yesterday saw the incredible and seemingly improbable close to one of the finest test matches that you could choose to begin a decade with .A decade where the young upstart format has challenged the intermediate format of ODI’s already.

The New Year’s test started on a cloudy and gloomy note as the rain sprayed the first two sessions and Ponting was inviting criticism when he chose to bat first on such a pitch in such conditions. The Pakistani attack performed admirably and within no time, the aussies were folded up for a mere 127.I woke up a little late and dreary eyed, I opened the television to see Pakistan at 0/14 and I surmised that it must have rained and had a late start .But then I registered what havoc Asif,Sami and Gul had wrecked on a waning Aussie batting line up .The next day saw typical Australian grit that restricted the Pakistanis to lead of just over 200.The third day ,now christened the Jane McGrath day witnessed Australians climb back and finally ending with a lead of 80 with just two wickets remaining .Fourth day came and history beckoned for Pakistan, first test victory over Australia since in over 15 years. But Hussey brilliantly shepherded the tailenders especially Peter Siddle en route to a chanceless century that more than doubled their lead and set up 176 as the target.

In effect, on all four days, it was Pakistan’s test for the taking. All through Australia were playing catch up and catch up they did and astonishingly overtook the opponents when the time came .Pak rolled over to just 139.So chasing in Sydney is difficult as Ricky Ponting had thought at the toss on day one. In a sense it was the bowlers won it for Australia, with their tail wagging and inspiring and supremely confident spells. Special mention for Brad Haddin for that stupendous catch down the leg side that started the downside. Australians are lucky to have had keepers like Healy, Gilchrist and now Haddin over the last two decades. They continue to eke out victories despite having lost half a dozen legends over the last 3-4 years.

This Sydney test follows last year’s test against South Africa which was yet another last day nail-biter ,preceded of course by the acrimonious but brilliant Test against India in 2008.If anything, the Sydney Cricket Ground with out fail produces a true sporting wicket ,every time that guarantees cricket of thrilling nature and most of the times of highest quality.

It was a wonderful advertisement of the truest form of the sport and a delight for neutral like me, but I am neutral for all matches whether India play or not .Kudos, the best ground in the world- SCG!!!