Too much is being made of the "negative tactics" - which in any case turned out to be a winning strategy in the end. In the tour of 2004, the Aussies did exactly the same thing bowling one side of the wicket to packed fields. Nasser Hussain did the same with Giles. When batsmen like Sehwag and Hayden are in full flight, setting defensive fields is an attacking option. Dry out the runs and hope they make a mistake. Setting a 3-slip field at that time will be sheer lunacy. It was the smart thing to do and Ponting should have done exactly that in Mohali when India was blazing away in their second dig.

Ridiculous scheduling this. After a long, hard series against the Aussies, there's just a gap of 3 days before England and India lock horns. Forget the players, I am feeling fan-fatigued. Also, it doesn't leave us fans much time to gloat over a famous series win.

Can we have a glum post from an Aussie please? Maybe even some dunking of the aussie players? Suggestions of large scale personnel changes? Dismantling the current selection panel? The only thing we have are effigies. Not quite enough :-)

PennyPacker said: Just been knocking up a few effigies Proph. Got a match?
Is there one of Punter's? Even Clarke, maybe? Seriously, though, can you see any heads rolling as an aftermath? Maybe Hussey named captain and Clarke his deputy? I have Clarke in as the eternal bridesmaid. He ain't no captain, that guy.

What? Not a single Aussie to shake hands with after the game?? Very unsporting of you guys! Where are PennyPacker and co. when you need them?

Hope you Saffas have taken some inspiration from the Indians. Now, it's up to you guys to carry the torch against the Aussies this summer. Hope you don't let us down :-)

Oops! So remiss of me!! Thank you Ponting for the 2-0 result. You are a true Punter.

2-0 has such a nice ring to it. I wouldn't have been too excited with a 1-0 series win. 1-1 would have sucked.

Dazzler said: "Proph, isn't that the same Bangladesh who disposed of India in the World Cup? :-)"
Indeed. And we did not take them seriously back then either :-)

For Ponting's sake I hope Australia does not cross 250. It would mean that his 4th day post-tea foul-up will not have made a difference. Sutherland has already promised to query Ponting on his bizarre strategy when he heads back home.

Apparently, the stump-mic picked up an Indian player shouting "Not looking to win!". Looks like they are riling the Aussies to go for their shots.

Pooch, there's no way India can lose this game, mate. They are just a couple of wickets away from closing it out.

Amit 'Jonty' Mishra, you lil' beauty.

Will folks brought up on cell phones sans T9 please stop abbreviating words? It is downright annoying. cud, wud, r, n, u, etcetera.

Even I have a chance to equal Bradman's record. Just let me play my last game and I promise you, I'll get a duck.

Guys, will you stop treating matches against Bangladesh like they were real matches? Thank you. :-)

What negative cricket? This match is nicely poised and all three results are possible? That's the point, isn't it? I mean, do you analyze the test at the session level or do you look at it from a broader perspective? Isn't that what test cricket is all about? To think that a lot of you are test fans !! It takes a T20 guy to lecture you about test. Bah!

That has to be a first ! Don't think I have ever seen a keeper throw his glove at the ball and get penalized 5 runs !! I mean, whip the glove off and throw it at the ball :-) lol

This forum has focused on Australia's lack of depth in the spin department. But, even more alarming is the lack of depth in their fast-bowling lineup. Johnson bowls fast but hardly generates any movement. His stock-ball is the one bowled wide outside off. Lee, despite a few successes after McGrath left, cannot carry the bowling. Siddle is ok. Australia badly need fast-bowlers who can do something with the ball besides just bowling fast.

marklatham, it was up to the Aussies to create the momentum. What about the post-lunch session? They did away with the 8-1 field and still the Aussies prodded along. A similar tactic was employed by the Aussies in the last tour bowling wide off the stumps to frustrate the Indians. It cuts both ways, mate. Ian Chappell defended their defensive batting by saying that India took them out of the attacking mode and it was difficult to get back to stroke-playing again. Duh - whatever that means. Since when did the bowling team have a commitment to keep the batting team in a particular "mode"?

This MonkeyGate thing is the next JFK case. Reporters never tire of asking and the players never tire of answering questions about it. I think Penny's great-grandchildren will be debating this issue after 50 years.

Penny, you are fishing in troubled waters when you start to dunk Watson. Tuesday has this thing for big blokes.

After watching the highlights, I can say that Krejza has an impressive flight and a great temperament. I think he'll be a different bowler after the Indian tour. I suspect we'll see a lot more of him.

I watched Klusener the other day in one of the ICL matches. Kind of sad to watch this impostor of the erstwhile powerhouse. He wears this Clark Gable style whiskers now.

Australia should go for it now, if they want a result from this match - even if it means declaring within sight of the Indian total. The Indians would be quite happy to continue bowling outside off. The over-rate is pathetic for both teams.

"Proph, you are behaving like the King of Swamp Castle."
It happens to all, when Aussie wickets don't fall.

This rhyme thing sucks. I am reading every post as if it were a rhyme. Damn you, Drizzler ! :-)

A wonderful man is Bhajji
who's always a lil touchy.
Here's a man who can
get away with any ICC ban.
If there's one thing he cant,
it's resist slapping Sreesant.

Here you go, Drizzler. But don't ask for encores, please :-)
Bhajji can get very touchy
When they say he called hunky, a monkey.
While this is not funny,
Bhajji still gets his bunny.

Drizzler, you're bored with the test already? The Aussies are 2 down. Yay!!

You're right, Poochandi. Though he never played a test, he was picked for the 2001 squad. All this, of course, comes right from the top of my head. ;-)

I believe you, ed. :-)

Ed. Hirwani did it in the 1987-88 series. He was long retired by 1999.

It was the Indian leggie Hirwani who had the best debut bowling figures in a test. 16 wickets, 8 in each Innings against West Indies in 1987-88.

This is one crazy test ! 422 for 5 to 441 all-out. Krejza gets a eight-for and equals the world record. Hats off to him.

7 wickets for Krejza, can he get 8 to equal the world record for most wickets on debut? He has already got one under his belt for the most runs conceded. What a match this is turning out to be for him!!

Wow !! Krejza gets a fifer on debut !! Well done.

Omari Banks holds the world record for most runs conceded by a debutant in tests - 204 runs off 40 overs. Will Krejza make the record all his own?

Kumble and the dingo have a lot in common. Both don't bark but pack a vicious bite. Dingos attack babies and Kumble attacks debutants. Both love tails.

Ponting's strategy of "buying" wickets with Krejza might backfire here. He's going for plenty and the Indian total is getting bigger all the time.

Lee's pace has slowed somewhat in this test mainly in the region of 130-135 kmph. Very few up to 140 and above. Johnson has far and away been the quickest on view.

India has plenty of quality youngsters waiting in the wings to replace the "fab four". Virat Kohli, Yuvraj, Rohit Sharma, Badrinath, Shikhar Dhawan and Vijay are all great prospects. The bowling reserves are looking good too. Irfan Pathan, RP Singh and Munaf Patel await their turn. Of the Indian bowlers Munaf is considered as the master of reverse swing ahead of Ishant and Zak. But he is injury prone and his work-ethic leaves a lot to be desired.

I think Australia end the day with a slight edge. They only have to separate this pair and they get to the tail. Anything less than 400 and India will consider it below par considering the start that they had and the bowling did not seem to hold any threats.

Badrinath is a solid player but Rohit is the more talented of the two. He is 21 to Badrinath's 28. That might also count in his favour.

Kurtkz, indeed. Rohit and Yuvraj will be fighting for Ganguly's spot.

Krejzy batting by the Indians. They're going to hand Krejza a fifer on debut.

What about the Aussies' shocking over-rate? With a spinner bowling 6 overs, they just managed 12 an hour. What is the match referee doing? This is the 4th test in a row. Ganguly copped a ban for doing it in 2 tests.

Dravid stretches so far out for the ball that he ends up looking like a Dachshund with a bat. I fear for his family jewels.

Indeed, it is toothchipper. You can still have sledging without obscenities. Why should words that will invite a black eye on the street be acceptable on the cricket ground?

Don't tell me that calling a player an "a**li**er" is not "obscene, offensive or seriously insulting" in nature. I don't see why any cricketer should put up with comments like that. If that is par for the course, it is high time the ICC does something about it.

Despite scoring 120+ in the session, Australia take the first session. Indians went overboard with their attack on Krejza.

I understand that sledging is part of the cricketing culture in Australia, Arrogant. But, it does not make it legal.

Certainly is, Penny.

Penny, cricket does not allow for any "mental disintegration". If the Aussies do it, it is in breach of Law 2.8 and therefore illegal.

In fact, Chess is one game where insults are traded as almost part of the game. Just refer to what World Chess Champion Anand have to say about Kramnik and his abuses.

"Law 2.8 of the ICC Code of Conduct says it is an offence to use language that is obscene, offensive or seriously insulting in nature,"

One Darren Walker asks, when was the last time Australia went into a test match without a single bowler averaging below 30. Not in a long time - if ever, I think.

Krejza in place of Clark? That is a bewildering move.

Vijay is coming in fresh off a double-hundred in a domestic match (in fact the match was underway when he got the call up). Supposedly a good back-foot player with all the strokes in the book. An attacking player who will play his shots. I agree with one of the members who said that it is time the ICC looked at the Aussie strategy of relentlessly targeting select opposition players for verbal abuse if cricketing means fail. That is cheating. Gambhir got what he deserved but there was plenty of unfair play around him.

Kumble's for all his success had surprisingly few weapons in his arsenal. He did not have a classic leg-spinner's delivery and he telegraphed his wrong-un by changing his grip. The flipper was his stock delivery and to think he ended up with 600+ wickets amazes me. Just recently, batsmen started to play him like they would a medium-pacer. He was deadly accurate, though.

Is this McLaren guy really as good as the forum makes him out to be? I get the impression that he is the next big thing.

The decision to uphold Gambhir's ban was a fair one. He deserved it. Ponting denies that his team resorted to verbally targeting batsmen when they realized that they didn't have the bowling to get 20 wickets. I am not so sure about this claim.

Gilly, in his book, does not think that Murali's dodgy action is an optical illusion. Some facts, at last :-)

Apparently, Yousuf has changed his mind yet again. He might not join the ICL after all. Has the PCB dangled the captaincy carrot before him?

After his disastrous outing against the Indian Board XI, I thought Krejza had finally got the monkey off his back. Apparently not.

I think Australia have a more than handy pair of spinners in Katich and Clarke. If they put their time in the nets they can do the job just as well as the ones sitting on the bench. For a very part-time spinner, Katich bowled quite well. India has a huge headache in Dravid.

Pom, I was referring to a pre-match interview with Harmison where he indicated that he'd use the money to "feather the nest" rather than splurge.

saman, the team looks solid. But, they need backup batters for Kallis and Prince in case either or both don't deliver. That's the only soft spot. But, if Kallis hits his straps, the batting will look totally different.

Great timing by Kumble. A wonderful career for a man they said couldn't turn the ball even if his life depended on it. 619 wickets at 4.68 per test is world class.

It is time Dravid is asked to prove his form in domestic matches before being considered for tests.

I wonder what the fuss is all about. After all, the Stanford guy has shelled out $100 mil. OK, he mistook one of the WAGs for a laptop. What's wrong with that?

Oh, poor Harmy ! Now that "feathering the nest" is a distant dream, will he be motivated to continue playing?

MasterG, while Gambhir was way out of line with his elbow, (whether it made any significant contact, is a moot point), I think the right to appeal is embedded in the hearing process as long as the charges are borne by the plaintiff if the verdict is not reversed. I don't think any bending of rules is happening with the appeal. Gambhir deserves to be punished and Katich and Watson deserve to be chastised. If a bowler's intention to cook up a storm is only to break the batsman's concentration if other legitimate means of getting him out fails, it should be construed as unfair play.

PennyPacker said: They have all been important tosses to win, because of the tarmacs that have been prepared.
Tell me, Penny. Which of the tracks so far have been "prepared"? How many Aussie players got out to the pitch doing something extraordinary? There will always be spin in India after the 3rd day just like there will be bounce in Australia. That is the nature of the soil. Aussies self-destructed in Mohali and the 3 wickets that Bhajji took were handed to him on a platter. So, don't go blaming the wickets for the Aussie show. The fact remains that this Aussie outfit is a mere shadow of the team that toured India last. No toss will change that. If a Warne and a McGrath had been here, the results would have been so different.

Australia should declare around 450 and take a crack at the Indian batsmen tomorrow. With the in-form Gambhir out of the next test, all is not lost.

Are the Aussies all-out yet?

Kumble - the formula captain, has 1 slip in place for Mishra bowling to Ponting. You'd think he is defending 213.

Gambhir is banned for 1 test and Watson gets docked 10% of his match fees.

A better yardstick for judging Ponting would be to see how he fares in relation to other Aussie captains like Border, Taylor and Waugh. I would rate them as: 1-Border, 2-Taylor, 3-Waugh, 4-Ponting. I am only judging them by the perception I have of them and not necessarily the results. Wonder how the Aussies rate them.

Thanks, Poochandi. What a pity! If India can roll a couple of them over today, my day will be made :-) Not that it is bad as it is.

Everyone's having a party on this wicket. Australia will be fancying their chances to save this game seeing how easily the Indian tail has batted today.

Teething problems, Gloves, teething problems :-)

Does anyone know if the Stanford Super Series is being telecast in India? The $20mil game is on Saturday, right?

I don't think I have ever had the good fortune of seeing a more insipid Aussie attack EVER! I am loving it, though. It is not often that you can say this of an Aussie attack. I won't mind skipping my T20s to watch the tests in the Aussie summer. Call it Tall-Poppy Syndrome.

In India, K = 'Kamasutra'.

One curious little thing I've noticed is that whenever the Aussies have a below-par day, Ponting lets 'Pup' to front up to the media. On a good day, the man himself turns up. Is Clarke the "Rainy-Day" spokesman?

ArrogantOz, what about Eddie Gilbert, the aboriginal fast-bowler who had the Don hopping? He was allegedly the fastest bowler at that time. His was a particularly sad case.

That wasn't a bad day at the office for the Indians at all. At 27/2 it really looked grim. But what about Gambhir? Another 150 tomorrow and it will be difficult for India to lose from there. Now, will Ponting be banned in the next game for the slow over-rate? Will Katich lose his match fees?

It means "Hail the Modern Game", Penny. 'Modi' is short for 'modern' in Hindi.

White must feel pretty insulted. Taken off after just 4 overs and now, Katich is bowling his chinaman ahead of him.

saman, two reasons why Lee is not being asked to bowl more. 1) He is going at 4.2 an over. 2) Ponting is 11 overs behind in the over-rate.

Penny, you are wrong there, mate. Indians would have said "Jai Hanuman ji ki" (Praise the lord Hanuman).

Great stuff, this. The run-rate is near 3.5 now.

Guys, did you know Jason Gillespie was the first aboriginal cricketer to represent Australia?

Now you guys have made me curious as a monkey. What on earth is the 'K' word?

Every person has a monkey inside of him - including Tuesday.

C'mon, Clark. Be a little generous. 21 runs in 15 overs? That's ridiculous.

Isn't Ponting's middle name 'Thomas'?

Are you watching the match live Poochandi? Is the ball swinging?

Going by the text commentary, Tendulkar looks in good nick. Hope he gets a big one today.

Come on, Bhajji, surely, a sore toe will not stop you from battling your arch rivals!!

kenobee, Azhar WAS making millions at the time that he was found guilty of match-fixing. Why he would risk all those endorsements beats me. Just sheer greed, I guess.

Word is that Krejza might play tomorrow. Forget MonkeyGate, guys. We are in for a cracker of a match. Take a 3-day sicko if you have to.

Pom, it is also true that "monkey" is not a racist word in India. That holds true whether or not Bhajji used the word. That is not to say that he used the word unwittingly - if indeed, he did. Also, "bastard" is a very derogatory term to Indians. That's part of the difference in culture.

Poochandi, you are right. Azharuddin, despite the ban, slipped under the radar. He was as guilty as Cronje and what's more, he was making millions in endorsements.

Again Pom, what you say does not constitute unequivocal evidence. In fact, the person Judge Hanson said had changed his story between Proctor and the hearing was Michael Clarke. Not Sachin. Not anyone else. Do look it up. So, all your arguments hold true only if it were proven that he said it. It is not the question of what your gut feel or mine is. Or what the Aussies think he said.

Gloves, I agree with you. We can do without those nasty sendoffs. But in the heat of battle, these things do happen. I think there should be some leeway for hot-blooded comments. There used to be in the past.

Pom, the C365 Indians also share the same view on racism. If Bhajji did say those words he WAS being a racist. If he didn't he is not. The only bone of contention is "is there enough proof"? I definitely don't trust the Aussie word on it just like they don't trust the Indian word. Unless we have a recording that categorically proves it either way, we'll be arguing about this till the cows come home. Anyway, we I rest my case on this one. Have a test match to fight tomorrow.

Arguments apart, I can tell you from my personal standpoint that I did not know that the word 'monkey' had racial connotations until I traveled out of India. However, I cannot vouchsafe that the crowd was ignorant of this. But the fact remains that in India we use the word to describe someone who is making a fool of himself. Just like 'bastard' is a purportedly friendly jibe in Australia. Blood will be spilled in India if that word is used to greet someone. There are cultural differences and we have to accept them. Apparently, 'f**koff' is blasphemy in Australia going by the way Hayden reacted to it. It is not in India.

Penny, unfortunately, former cricketers are not prophets. It's ODI that is marked for extinction.

cricket4ever, just google for "Zaheer fined over Hayden send-off". It'll take you to an Aussie newspaper and you'll find that Hayden did call the umpire's attention to his send-off.

Tuesday, what do you mean "demonstrative"? Of course, he gestured to him. Now is that where the line is being drawn? Don't tell me that Aussie feelings get hurt with the wave of the arms and an aggressive posture. You guys do it all the time. Zaheer is no Goliath and Hayden's no David. Which manual are you referring to when you say "this is OK and this is not"?

No, roso. It is not hatred. It is going any length to make a point. On a wholly different issue, we may take the same side :-)

The less said about the Aussie motto of "Play hard but play fair", the better. Maybe the Aussie teams of yore did that. But this one under Ponting are a bunch of whingers and squealers because the captain shows them the way. Taylor and Border really stand out in this regard. Ricky is a blot on a proud cricketing tradition.

Right, Enigma. I felt embarrassed watching the crowd that day. It was despicable. But, crowds the world over are wont to do such things. They don't call it "Mob Behaviour" for nothing.

Tuesday, what exactly are you accusing Zaheer of doing? "B*stard" is ok but "f**koff" is not ok? I think you Aussies should publish a whitelist of words that is acceptable to you. Maybe, the opposition will refer to it before sledging. Of course, that does not apply to your precious Aussies. Come off it, Tuesday.

This is not the first time that cricketers have spun yarns to sell their books. Won't be the last either. Good luck to him. But, I think Gilly stole Symonds' thunder. He'll have nothing to write about in his biography. Then again, he might. Just an embellishment here and there and viola, you have a new story !

Aussies have dished out plenty to the opposition but nobody went running to the principal. Suddenly, when they get even a word back, they start to whinge and go to the authorities. So, is sledging something the Aussies have a copyright on? Can't they take it like men? Reporting Zaheer was shameful and does not behove an international cricketer.

PennyPacker, I am not charging Hogg with anything. Just Google the issue and you'll find the word "racism" associated with it.

ArrogantOz, does brevity ring a bell? Here's a clue: It's not something you eat.

PennyPacker, that's what Hogg claims he said. He could be lying. What about Lehmann?

Poochandi, the one man found guilty on a racism charge by the ICC was Darren Lehmann - not surprisingly, an Aussie. Brad Hogg would have had to answer to his racist remarks as well, if Kumble had pressed charges.

poochandi, the Aussie claims of leaving things on the field is a running joke. Did you see how Hayden went crying to the umpire when he got sledged by Zaheer? They are whingers all the way and the only time they want it left of the field is when they dish it out.

All you Aussies are welcome to take an A**licker's word on how things transpired.

PennyPacker said: He should have just called him a monkey then. Or a m***** f*****.
Actually Penny, that is not what "maa ki" stands for. It is less offensive but still unpalatable, nevertheless.

I'm younger than Anil Kumble's grandfather...
Now, that would be an accurate description, ArrogantOz. Keep the words down mate. You are using up too much space. Maybe your couch won't mind it. But we do.

kenobee, he is just a cantankerous old coot. Old as in fossil-old. He will launch into his 2000-word drivel that nobody reads at the drop of a hat. Most of the time he is just ignored. He is well-known for "imagining" 'facts'. When his inconsiderable mind runs out of ideas (which is almost always), he will launch into racial stereotyping. He is the resident idiot in this forum.

Nobody is a saint, Penny - not Tendulkar, not Gilly. But, calling an eminent cricketer a 'liar' in public will elicit recrimination. I think, overall, Sachin has been a better role-model than most cricketers around. You and I calling cricketers names is one thing but Gilly calling Sachin a liar is quite another.

Actually karma_sa, Warne's description of Gilchrist in it's entirety may not pass the gate in this forum. "Licker" is the sanitized half of it.

You bet, everyone will be watching. I think test cricket has nothing to fear. It's ODIs that will feel the heat. If the current test series between India and Aus. is anything to go by, there will always be test cricket.

Oh, and it is now Modi's fault that Sri Lanka has dropped out of the 2009 tour? Did Modi explicitly ask SL to do so? So, what would you have IPL do? Postpone IPL because Sri Lanka is on tour? IPL does not need Sri Lankan players. If at all, you need to rant about anyone, rant over the SL Board's decision. But, then Modi is a favorite whipping boy. The man who generated a billion dollars when nobody knew it existed. Take a poke at Stanford instead. We don't have a Modi XI but we have a Stanford XI. Guess who the megalomaniac is!

Personally, I have never had a chance to see Warne as a captain before the IPL. But, having seen him in action, I can categorically say that he is one of the best captains I have had the privilege of watching.

"I hate being away from home so it's great because I love having family around. She knew I wasn't in a happy place and stayed on to give me extra support." What is with all these english cricketers? Surely, the dreary, grey island cannot hold that much of a charm that cricketers miss home after just a month away. Maybe it is a cultural thing to whine about homesickness started by that whinger of whingers Harmison.

Ahhh... it is all well for you guys to suggest he could have stayed at home and be a wet nurse for his fourth child. But who will pay for the nappies? He needed the appearance money. As if he cares if England won or lost. As long as he has that extra buck, he is happy.

This man is embarrassing. All his whinging and whining on overseas tours is sickening. His very presence can be demoralizing to the team. Just get rid of him and get a youngster with more heart for a fight.

I propose Peter Roebuck as a commissioner :-)

"If I look long-term it (the injury) seems a minor hiccup." Did you say long-term Stuart? Pssst...I'll let you in on a little secret - YOU ARE 36 !!! There IS no long-term for you. Save yourself some money and forget about the surgery. Even if you did have one, the Aussie selectors do not have long-term memory.

Wow !! Finally we get to see some accountability for umpiring decisions. A step in the right direction. But what about Bucknor? If they had done this to him would it have become a race issue ?? One only wonders.

India has struggled in this match just as much as Pakistan did. India's batting in the first innings was equally shaky and the lead was hardly a match-winning one. They just about got their nose ahead on the 4th day. Another 50-60 runs and it might have been anyone's game. I think it will be another ball-game if the two "Y"s come to the party. Cannot wait for the second test to start !!

Er... Alumrock, any comments please? I am like a junkie without his daily fix. I need atleast 1 dose of Alumrock each day.

Er...Alumrock, did you say 4-1? Ahh.. you meant that for India. You ought to be a prophet yourself !! It was the most pathetic display of competitive cricket I have seen from Pakistan. Shoaib is atleast 4-5 years older than he claims he is. Reminds me of Jeff Boycott's comments when Afridi made his debut at "14" years of age - "he probably shaves more often than I do".