A series not to be missed

The four Test series between Australia and India promises to be one hellu'va series, and no quarter is going to be asked or given as the heavy-weights of the game battle it out.

As to the final winners, it would be known only after the completion of the series.

While the two teams have promised to keep the series clean and play it according to the rules, yet in the heat of the moment, things are bound to happen, and as long as it is clean, well and good.

But if racism is resorted to like it happened when the Indians were in Australia, then the laws should apply and who ever the player or whatever power he has, should not stand in the way of action being taken.

Racism like the degrading apartheid should have no place in society. Apartheid was seemingly killed and buried long time back. We hope racism too, is given the same treatment.

In Australia, the Indians held the game to ransom. They even threatened to stall the tour and be homeword bound, if their spin ace Harbhajan was not cleared and allowed to ply his trade.

The visitors even had the audacity to demand that umpire Steve Bucknor not be allowed to stand in the remainder of the series. True, Bucknor committed some sins, but they were not sacrilegious.

Bucknor was also human and only humans commit sin. He erred. He did not cheat. But what was unacceptable and not sporting was when the International Cricket Council, bent backwards to please the Indians.

hen the other man to suffer was match referee Michael Procter. Procter played his part according to the rules and his judgements were based on the evidence provided.

But his judgement and sentence was overuled by the ICC which would sure have made Procter, the former South African allrounder feel bad and made him ask what wrong had he done to suffer this humility.

Anyway those incidents are history now. What matters is the coming series and we hope the two teams will not fashion incidents that would need the ICC to step in, or our own former Sri Lanka captain and now the respected chief of the match referees Ranjan Madugalle to step in and get the two teams to play it straight.

Indians the better side

On paper the Indians led by leg spinner Anil Kumble looks the more formidable side. But yet the Indians have said that would not be underestimating the Kangaroos.

But the Australians with the better captain Ricky Ponting will not want to come out second best. This is the transition phase of Australian cricket, with their stars par excellence, such as spin magician Shane Warne, the nagging Glen McGrath, Justin Langer, Damien Martyn, Adam Gilchrist and a man who could win a match on his own the irrepressible Andrew Symonds missing.

The Aussies are well served in pace with 'blond bomber' Brett Lee to drop devastating pace bombs on the Indian batsmen. It is in the spin department that the Assuies would be found wanting in.

The batting should be able to hold its own.

As for the Indians, this series would be crucial for their fab five - Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourvay Ganguly, V.V.S. Laxman and Anil Kumble. They were just also rans in Sri Lanka and unless they make runs and big runs at that could find themselves in the company of also playeds. Kumble too needs to be among the wickets.

The Indians forte will be spin with skipper Kumble and Harbhajn Singh to make it hell for the batsmen. With the Aussies to gamble with pace, the Indians will fire spin and one need not be a curator to predict that the wickets would be spin friendly.

Where have the referrals gone?

Where has the referral system, that was introduced and trialed during the Sri Lanka-India Test series gone? That is a pertinent question to ask the ICC shieks in Dubai.

The ICC made a big song and dance about it, and even sent their emissary Dave Richardson to come here and preach about it. To the credit of Richardson it must be said he did a good job for his masters.

When this columnist lashed out on this system, it is said that Richardson, the moment he read the constructive comments, had jumped out of his bed and wanted to speak to the columnist. But that attempt proved futile.

The sacred cows in the big league objected to this referral system. They said it had no place in big time cricket and said that they would reject any attempt to introduce it.

With the big fellas in the Test scene rejecting it, it looks as through the referrals has seen the end of the road. Good. Cricket must be played the way it was first asked to be played and we still insist that it must be played with the umpire's word being law.

That the ICC could not ask the Aussies and India to trial the referral in the series beginning soon, does not speak well of the sheiks in Dubai. The Aussies, we are sure would have told them what to do with it.

The Aussies are insisting that the fielder's word be made law where disputed catches are held and are hoping that the Indians would reciprocate.

While there were 'yes' and 'nos', after this system was trialed in Sri Lanka, cricket fans are wondering when the ICC will again force this system down the throats of some Test playing nations willing to swallow this bitter pill.

Whether this system will die a natural death or be introduced again will depend on how the Australia-India series goes.

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