India's Historic Win - International Media Reports Roundup

[Kartikey]

"What goes around comes around, mate." - Irfan's statement http://ibnlive.com/news/what-goes-around-comes-around-pathan-tells-oz/60599-5.html Brisbane: Pacer Irfan Pathan, who kept his nerves to bowl the nail-biting last over of the tri-series final, has made it clear that the fall-out over a summer of discontent would be felt on the subcontinent when Australia tours in October. Asked what Australia could expect when it arrives in India, Pathan said: "What goes around comes around, mate." "Of course we could claim No.1 status. Obviously from the way we played, beating Australia in Australia 2-0 is amazing," Pathan said. Veteran batsman Virender Sehwag backed Pathan's call. "We beat the world champions so at the moment we are on the top." India continued the mind games by insisting that it could claim to be the world one-day champion after downing Australia on its home turf. Former BCCI President Inderjit Singh Bindra claimed that the Indians had acquired Australia's winning qualities and had beaten the world champions at their own game. More than the decline in Australian team the Indian team is on the up. They are taking the qualities one used to associate with the Australian team," The Australian quoted Bindra, as saying. "They are fighters on the field, they learned from the Australians and I think it will be good for the game if there is competition on the field,†he said.

[talksport]

Oh Yes, England were world champions when they beat Australia in last year CB series

[qoolss]

England were not world champions mate as they won only in finals and were flattened in test matches earlier along with league matches. This series have been a different story.

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Controversies made us more determined: Rohit Rohit Sharma said the plethora of controversies Down Under made the players more determined resulting in India's triumph in the cricket tri-series over world champions Australia. More... Controversies made us more determined: Rohit Agencies Posted online: Thursday , March 06, 2008 at 1722 hrs IST New Delhi, March 6:: Young middle-order batsman Rohit Sharma said the plethora of controversies Down Under made the players more determined resulting in India's triumph in the cricket tri-series over world champions Australia. "All the controversies motivated us to do well. We tried to keep it simple and tried to enjoy our game," Rohit said. "It's a great feeling to be back after winning. The credit goes to all the players, especially the youngsters," he said. The Mumbai batsman said he enjoyed his crucial partnership with Sachin Tendulkar in the first final in Sydney and tried to make best use of the elite company in the middle. "It was a great feeling. I tried to enjoy each and every moment. He told me to play my natural game," Rohit said.

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Its a fantastic win, about me ask selectors: Ganguly Lauding the Dhoni-led Indian team for the victory in the tri-series in Aus, Ganguly said it was a 'fantastic win' Down Under. More... It’s a fantastic win, about me ask selectors: Ganguly Agencies Posted online: Thursday , March 06, 2008 at 1713 hrs IST Kolkata, March 6:: Lauding the M S Dhoni-led Indian team for the victory in the tri-series in Australia, Sourav Ganguly said it was a 'fantastic win' Down Under. "It's a fantastic win. It's a great victory. It's good for the game in India," Ganguly said on the sidelines of a programme. Ganguly would be leaving for Bangalore on Friday for a fitness test ahead of the Test series against South Africa. The BCCI has decreed that the players who were part of the Test squad in Australia, but not members of the victorious ODI team, would have to undergo a fitness-specific assessment in Bangalore at the National Cricket Academy on Friday. Apart from Ganguly, Test skipper Anil Kumble, Rahul Dravid, V V S Laxman and Wasim Jaffer had returned from Australia at the conclusion of the Test rubber in January-end. Injured speedsters Zaheer Khan, who has gone to South Africa for treatment of his ankle, and R P Singh would also have to undergo a similar fitness assessment prior to the March 17 selection panel meeting. Asked whether it was proper on the part of the BCCI to ask seniors to undergo a fitness assessment though they carried no injury, Ganguly said, "It is not a case of juniors and seniors. All those who did not play the ODIs have been asked to give the test. There is nothing wrong in that." Ganguly brushed aside a query on his chances of returning to the ODI team, saying "Please put this question to the selectors". Ganguly pleaded with the newspersons to let young talent Shreevats Goswami, the wicketkeeper-batsman of the World Cup winning Indian Under-19 squad, play the game undisturbed. "Please leave him. Please let him play the game," said Ganguly, who has been badgered with posers on Goswami over the last few days. "I cannot say whether he should be drafted into the Bengal Ranji Trophy team. That's for the selectors to decide. And, I have watched him play on a very few occasions. So, I can't talk about these things," he said. On the upcoming second auction of players for BCCI's multi-million dollar Indian Premier League, Ganguly said the decisions on player recruitment for the Kolkata team would be taken by the side's owners Red Chillies Entertainment of Shah Rukh Khan.

[Bumper]

Oh Yes' date=' England were world champions when they beat Australia in last year CB series[/quote'] So much is being made of England's victory last time. Neither of those victories were convincing. The first game was close (Collingwood bailed them out I think). The second was decided by D/L method. The key difference though, is England won the two games with the same rubbish team that was losing forever in ODIs. So a turnaround in fortunes for them, was merely built on hopes. OTOH, India has been able to do it with a team of youngsters, who can only go up from here. There is more reason to be optimistic, IMO

[goose]

Greg Baum sums it up beautifully for The Age http://www.theage.com.au/news/cricket/out-with-the-old-in-with-the-new/2008/03/05/1204402555749.html Out with the old, in with the new.

[Bumper]

Great article, thanks for the url

[Mr. Wicket]

Between this and his 'headmaster's office' piece on Symonds/Harbhajan, my respect for Baum's gone up exponentially. He's one of the very few journalists who has managed to keep his head in all the idiocy and chaos dominating the cricket in the last few weeks, and his pieces have always been fair, accurate and worth reading.

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Goodbye to the summer of spite The comedian Billy Connolly jokes the Queen must think the world smells of fresh paint because everything is new wherever she visits. Until the first week in January, Australia also felt they were adored throughout their country. . More... Goodbye to the summer of spite Some lessons for India and Australia following three months of controversy and drama that overshadowed some wonderful cricket March 7, 2008 The seriousness of some - but not all - of Harbhajan Singh's exploits during India's tour were exaggerated © Getty Images The comedian Billy Connolly jokes the Queen must think the world smells of fresh paint because everything is new wherever she visits. Until the first week in January, Australia also felt they were adored throughout their country. Crowds always roar when they play, spectators crowd them for autographs and they are pestered for interviews and corporate deals. So they were stunned when the opinions of many dissenters emerged after the dramatic and spectacular Sydney Test victory. Following issues involving umpiring, race, catching, walking, ungracious celebrations and Anil Kumble's claim only one side was playing in the spirit of the game, the shock self-analysis began. Australia thought about their behaviour and their results started stuttering. Ricky Ponting, who nobody seriously believed should have been sacked after the second Test, has a delicate period ahead as he balances a win-at-all-costs outlook with his desire for the universal acclaim of his nation. Lesser of two evils India celebrated when Harbhajan Singh was finally cleared of racially abusing Andrew Symonds during the SCG Test. Instead he was only found guilty of swearing something at Symonds that was so insulting, an embarrassed Sachin Tendulkar struggled to define it during the Adelaide hearing. When Harbhajan's verdict was announced there was collective joy in India for the saving of a hero's reputation. Whatever the outcome, there should have been mourning for the public decline of player standards on both sides. Through the entire situation, from the moment Symonds argued with Harbhajan after he touched Brett Lee's bottom, none of those closely involved could have been proud of their actions. Stupid ... or worse? The final controversial act in a summer when the seriousness of some - but not all - of Harbhajan's exploits were exaggerated, particularly in Australia, was his ape-like gestures at a section of the SCG crowd last Sunday. If Harbhajan, who was originally reported during the Sydney Test for calling Symonds a monkey, did make the moves toward the predominately white spectators - he denies it, of course, and the ICC did not rule it worthy of a hearing - does this eliminate the race aspect of the original claim? A man who behaves the same to people of all colours might be classed an idiot, but not a racist. D is for Denial As the world's financial powerhouse - a feat they may soon match on the field - India must start taking responsibility. A culture of denial seems to operate from top to bottom. Senior officials say there are no racism problems in the country, they never discussed a boycott of the tour, and a plane wasn't chartered to fly them straight home after the second Harbhajan hearing. Quotes coming from board figures or team managers were often only a day from being disregarded as nonsense, and the players' claims that their words were misheard because they were said in another language were tiring. There is no longer room for India's poor-little-rich-kid act. Turn up the volume Australia's line when challenged about their mental disintegration - "What is sledging anyway?" - falls into the same category as India's denials. After forming a document on the spirit of cricket, the Australians consider themselves the game's moral guardians, a stance which opposition teams would find hilarious if it didn't make them so angry. Indian board officials want sledging banned, which contrasts with its team's desire to become as good as the Australians, who struggle to understand why other sides are offended by their words. Arjuna Ranatunga's suggestion to turn up the microphones will allow everyone to judge every team's spirit. Due to the problems with technology, the on-field umpires need to deal with low catches instead of relying on the word of the players © Getty Images Not very appealing The most outrageous leg-before-wicket appeal was conducted by Anil Kumble, who shouted for Brad Hogg's wicket in Sydney even though he hit the ball to cover and ran two. Australians believe India yell for anything and after watching Harbhajan regularly turn to the umpire after balls pitched a long way outside leg, it was tempting to wonder if he knew the rules. The frequency of Australia's requests have dropped since Shane Warne retired, but they are still well - or cleverly or sneakily, depending on your view - orchestrated. Rahul Dravid rediscovered this when he went courtesy of an "edge" behind to a ball that brushed his pad on the final day at the SCG. With the officials, Mark Benson and Steve Bucknor, already flustered from a hectic Test, the Australians leaned on them throughout the final day and ultimately won. (A lot of skill was involved as well, but a couple of controversial calls certainly helped.) India learned quickly and their appeal against Michael Clarke in the first CB Series final, when Rudi Koertzen gave him out off his pad, was an excellent case of imitation. Drop the catching pact One of Ponting's most treasured ideas is an honesty system over low-to-the-ground catches, but in the current technological climate it is impossible for a player's word to be accepted. It is a shame that the inconclusiveness of the television replay creates so much conjecture over dismissals that are more obvious live than in slow-motion replays. If a player claims one that looks suspicious on television his ethics are challenged, which Clarke realised in Sydney. Wonderful catches - the view of Australia - taken by Andrew Symonds and Michael Hussey during the CB Series were doubted by much of India despite the certainty of the umpires. This is one area where the on-field officials should be handed more power even if it means they are occasionally incorrect. Hooray for Sri Lanka It slipped the notice of many, but there was a third team in Australia over the past five months and they are welcome any time. Sri Lanka struggled on the field and had their usual unfortunate batch of Muttiah Muralitharan-related incidents - including an unorthodox one when he was part of a group hit by egg throwers in Hobart. Despite the issues there were no complaints and their gentlemanly representatives were fine ambassadors. At the moment there isn't a spot on the Future Tours Program for their next visit to Australia, but please come back soon. And then there was cricket Stripped of all the controversy, it was an incredibly fulfilling summer on the field. Ishant Sharma's bowling to Ponting in Perth was the spell of the season and he is so talented that he should leave the sledging and sendoffs to the mortals. Lee's bowling was immense throughout both series and Matthew Hayden's three centuries were crucial to Australia's 2-1 Test win. And it will be hard to forget Clarke's three wickets in the final over at the SCG and VVS Laxman's flicked and driven boundaries earlier in the game. Or the joy of India's celebrations when the Test victory was sealed in Perth and the CB Trophy was collected in Brisbane. However, the most memorable moments were the receptions given to Tendulkar and Adam Gilchrist whenever they entered or exited a ground. The heartwarming events can be forgotten easily in the emotional haze generated by the heat between the teams. India host Australia in October and an eight-month break might not be long enough. Peter English is the Australasia editor of Cricinfo

[Desi Cartman]

Indian board must thank Chappell now - Dean Jones Congratulations India on a superb performance. I know this might shock a few people, but the BCCI must thank ex-coach Greg Chappell for making them aware of their flaws and offering them the solution in selecting youngsters. Chappell was adamant that the World Cup Team in 2007 was far too old and they needed to be more aggressive and select youngsters even at the expense of some of the great Indian players. “Ignore youth at your own peril,” said Chappell and he is now been vindicated. It was just 12 months ago that India performed miserably in the World Cup. This shocking performance was a rude wake-up call for the Indian selectors who decided to stick to the policy of selecting talented boys. That policy worked brilliantly in South Africa at the T20 World Cup. The other key is that the selectors chose a captain in MS Dhoni who the kids love for his powerful batting and his coolness on the field. The Indian selectors have made six changes since that fateful World Cup match against Sri Lanka in Trinidad some 12 months ago. Omitted were icons like Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, Virender Sehwag, Ajit Agarkar and Zaheer Khan. These greats have been replaced by youngsters like Gautam Gambhir, Rohit Sharma, Ishant Sharma, Praveen Kumar, Piyush Chawla and Sree Santh. Who would have thought these “no names” would decimate this tough and hard Australian One-Day team on their own soil? India’s success came through some wonderful efforts with the ball. Normally it is the batsmen who do the damage but the young Indian bowlers were never intimidated by this great Australian team. Praveen Kumar and Ishant Sharma were just terrific. Both these boys continued to knock over the dangerous top order and always took wickets at important times to stop the Aussie batsmen from making big scores. Sree Santh is still struggling with injuries but he is learning to hurt the opposition by engaging his brain when he is not 100% fit. He will only get better. Harbhajan got better as the tour wore on. He got under the tough hides of Hayden and Symonds and loved every battle. Bhajji might be hated by the Australian fans for his on and off field controversies, but he is more respected for his ability as a tough cricketer for his efforts on this tour. Pathan was expensive right throughout the series but still took 11 vital wickets in the series. Piyush Chawla was very good in the finals and would learn what is required to beat top teams from just being out in the middle. This series is priceless for his development. India can thank Tendulkar for setting up these two great wins in the finals. But first, Tendulkar must thank Gambhir, Dhoni and Rohit for batting so well in the games leading up to the finals. The great Sachin was very average at times during the qualifiers but he turned it around when he was really needed, and finally made some big scores. Tendulkar might not be as daring as he used to be with his stroke-play, but he played so well and his first century in Sydney was a masterpiece. It is nice to see you back ‘Sir’ at your best.

[udaydewan]

Thank that nut chapell for what? for the World Cup Debacle. Mad Chapell should leave India and the whole of India would thank him for that.

[Desi Cartman]

couple of my sri lanka friends were telling me the same thing yesterday that Chappel changed team India .. He did nothing .. he just tried to run the team ... he wanted to be the man in charge

[Willow_on_fire]

Indian fans are not that bad http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23326560-2882,00.html SHAMEFUL cricket crowds and pathetic security have delivered a embarrassing blot on Australia, which is kidding itself if it thinks it does not have a serious problem on its hands. Crowds here are now the ugliest in the world, and that is no small statement considering some of the behaviour from fans at Indian grounds. In the ancient Indian city of Bangalore, ground officials string up fishing nets on ropes to separate fans from the players. In Kolkata, they have taken the extraordinary step to ban water bottles because they are considered a potential weapon that can be thrown at players. It is a terribly sad thing to say, but maybe we need to consider such measures here because unruly fans in Bangalore and Kolkata are not a patch on some of the crowd idiots in this country. In Brisbane on Tuesday, there were Indian fans bashed in the stands and the ugly scene of an Australian fan wiping his backside with the Indian flag. And don't forget the two streakers who ran on to the field in a major security breach which only a thundering shoulder charge from Andrew Symonds was able to halt. The second of the drunken buffoons ran close to Harbhajan Singh, taunting him, and it was thankful he did not make contact with the Indian. We have complained about Indian player behaviour all summer - and they have acted like whingers - but no one would have blamed them if they had walked off the Gabba and refused to return. Not only is crowd behaviour a massive concern, but so are the security officials who were slow to stop the trouble. After a combustible summer of cricket, how was it possible that a couple of drunks were able to run all the way to the pitch and potentially put player safety at risk? At one stage, about 10 security guards were gathered near the Gabba players' race, while only one was shadowing Harbhajan who was fielding near the boundary. Life bans and big fines are already in place for pitch invaders and Australian grounds have been repeatedly warned they can be stripped of their international status if crowd trouble persists. It does not seem to be doing any good. If there is any more trouble next summer, International Cricket Council officials should make good on their threat and wipe some grounds from the international schedule. Maybe only then will the yobbos get the message.

[udaydewan]

couple of my sri lanka friends were telling me the same thing yesterday that Chappel changed team India .. He did nothing .. he just tried to run the team ... he wanted to be the man in charge

yeah Mad Chapell was acting like CEO of Indian Cricket which created conflicts between him and the senior members of the team. He should had just stuck to his job of coaching the team like John Wright did. Instead he ended messing up the Indian Team.

[DomainK]

Chappel brought a truckload of ego with himself, created some undesirable controversies and left Indian cricket in disarray. That bloody idiot should have been fired from the first signs. I hope Kirsten will be different.

[King]

I still hope people will understand Greg Chappell almost ended Tendulkar's career. Tendulkar was the first ones that was going to be shafted if Greg was still around. Tendulkar was the top scorer in the two finals in the CB series. That says it all.

[flamy]

wonder how dhoni would have handled chappel... :finger:

[Rajan]

Deano is talking thru his hat. QUOTE: The Indian selectors have made six changes since that fateful World Cup match against Sri Lanka in Trinidad some 12 months ago. Omitted were icons like Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, Virender Sehwag, Ajit Agarkar and Zaheer Khan. Truth: sehwag very much played in the CB series and test series too. Zak was not dropped, he was injured. Qote: These greats have been replaced by youngsters like Gautam Gambhir, Rohit Sharma, Ishant Sharma, Praveen Kumar, Piyush Chawla and Sree Santh Truth:Gambhir, Sree santh were already in the team before the Aussie series.they played even when Dravid, Ganguly, Sehwag were in the team on earlier occasions. I understand he wants to appreciate a fellow aussie, but if he had made some effort to remember the facts it would be better. Even in the earlier stages of CB series, SRT was in decent nick, before he was adjudged LBW off Lee wrongly once, got out hit wicket once, played on once,got out trying to force the pace with lofted shot in the rain curtailed match against SL. Yes, he came back big time, i for one, do not believe he was woefully pathetic like Ponting in most matches.

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It's a beginning for India, says Sreesanth India medium pacer Sreesanth said he was happy to be part of the team that defeated the Aussies. More... It's a beginning for India, says Sreesanth Agencies Posted online: Friday , March 07, 2008 at 1527 hrs IST Kochi, March 7:: Returning home after the historic tri-series win in Australia, India medium pacer Shantakumaran Sreesanth on Friday said he was happy to be part of the team that defeated the Aussies and attributed the success to the players' focusing on playing cricket. "Australia were number one in the world for the last 10 to 15 years, but that has been changed now. It is a beginning for India," Sreesanth, known for his aggressive bowling, said. Asked about the controversies during the tour, he said "the players never discussed such things.We just concentrated on cricket.Our job was to perform," he said. On Praveen Kumar who won the Man of the Match award in the second tri-series final match, Sreesanth said, 'I know him from Ireland series. Kumar has been a revelation, while Ishant Sharma, another success on the tour, has the height advantage". Speaking to reporters at the International Airport near here, Sreesanth, who arrived from Delhi this morning, said he was not bothered about the runs he conceded. “I am basically a wicket taking bowler.I concentrate on my bowling and not on how much runs I concede.My job is to take wickets. The team also wants the same." Sreesanth, who was not sure of playing in Australia following a shoulder injury, said his family and friends supported him while he was undergoing Ayurveda treatment. "I was not sure of playing in Australia.I am grateful to my family members and friends for supporting me during that time which gave me full confidence." On the coming South Africa series at home, he expressed the hope that India would do well against South Africa. Asked why no officials from the Kerala Cricket Association were there to receive him, Sreesanth said "my family members and friends are here." KCA officials when contacted said they were told that Sreesanth would be arriving by a 12.50 pm flight but were not informed about the change in his travel plans and arrival by an earlier flight.