Sunday November 23, 2008
The rock among the sandcastles
Simon Katich's innings has been the difference between two ordinary batting sides performing poorly on an improving deck. Alone among the local batsmen in the second outing, the unfashionable lefty sniffed the ball, bided his time, worked the ball into gaps and selected his shots judiciously, writes Peter Roebuck.
Saturday November 22, 2008
The thin edge of the wedge
CRICKET is in worse trouble than the financial markets and nothing seen at the Gabba is going to brighten its mood, writes Peter Roebuck.
Thursday November 20, 2008
Australians don't mind losing; they can't stand not trying to win
AS A new season starts, it is time to talk about the country this
Australian team represents.
Monday November 17, 2008
Symonds is the catch of the day
PROVIDED Andrew Symonds is in the right frame of mind, he must play
in Brisbane. Capable of changing a match with bat, ball or catch,
he has become a formidable competitor, so much so that he fetched
almost as much as a Picasso at the IPL auction, says Peter Roebuck.
Saturday November 15, 2008
Be the punter not the punted
RICKY PONTING needs to reconsider his approach to captaincy.
Otherwise Australia will lose to South Africa and England in the
next nine months, writes Peter Roebuck.
Tuesday November 11, 2008
A victory deserved, but its manner left a lot to be desired
IN THESE times of high emotion and famous victories, it'd be
pleasant to be able to pat backs. No one wants to dampen anyone's
delight, not in the hour of triumph, writes Peter Roebuck.
Monday November 10, 2008
What on earth was he thinking?
IN ONE of the most baffling displays of captaincy seen in the long
and proud history of Australian cricket, Ricky Ponting has denied
his side a deserved chance of securing a famous victory.
Sunday November 9, 2008
A plague on their houses
Does Test cricket want to survive? Does it even care? Nothing has
been more tedious in the current series than the juvenile finger
pointing about negative cricket. And the problem has been that the
accusations have all been justified, writes Peter Roebuck.
Saturday November 8, 2008
Eight on debut for Krejza diamond
A STUNNING and ever-improving intervention from a surprising source has kept alive Australia's hopes of somehow retaining the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Seldom in the history of an improbable game can any player have astonished so many people as did a balding Tasmanian on the opening days of this contest. And it was not just India's careless batsman or bemused tailenders who were taken unawares.
Friday November 7, 2008
No spinning this one, the toss was lost and so is Australia's menace
It was a day of dropped catches and missed opportunities for both
sides. Twice, profligate Indians gave the Australians a chance to
get back into the match. An aberrant hour before lunch cost the
hosts three wickets.
Thursday November 6, 2008
Pussyfoot Ponting must attack with pace and, perhaps, Symonds
AUSTRALIA'S final chance to save the series begins today on a new ground built in the outskirts of Nagpur. The last time the teams met in this neck of the woods, the Australians took advantage of a grassy pitch prepared by local officials disgruntled with their governing body.
Monday November 3, 2008
Crafty old fox times his bye just right, too
ANIL KUMBLE'S retirement was timely. Throughout his career the old
warrior has been a master of worn pitches. In the past few years,
his powers have waned and the sorcerer has become a spent force. He
must have hoped to turn around his fortunes in Delhi, but it was
not to be. Again the pitch did not deteriorate as expected - it is
becoming a trend and it is spoiling the series.
Sunday November 2, 2008
India drop their bundle as dogged Pup makes the most of his chance
FRESH, perky, quick on his pegs, and blessed with a wide range of shots, Michael Clarke is a fine batsman to watch, writes Peter Roebuck.
Saturday November 1, 2008
Better late than never as Hayden runs into long-lost form
CASTING aside the excesses that proved their undoing in the previous engagement, the senior Australian batsmen put up stiff resistance on the third day.
Friday October 31, 2008
Time to toss away computers and bowl from the heart
AUSTRALIA'S bowling lacks mustard. Admittedly, blind Freddy's
mother could work that out from Greenland. But it is not merely a
matter of bulging tallies or even the domination of a formidable
batting order, writes Peter Roebuck.
