There are some things in your life which you never forget, I have some of my cricketing memories too, but the one incident I witnessed yesterday has left a very bad impression. It is day 5 for India Australia test match, Saurav Ganguly is playing and he edges a ball to second slip. The ball takes a bounce and Clark takes the catch (?). Umpires are unsure, so instead of going to the third umpire (mandatory), Mr. Mark Benson ask Ricky Ponting, and he does the most unbelievable and shameful thing, he points toward himself and then raises his finger, suggesting, I Ricky Ponting, captain of Australian cricket team declares OUT! Who are you Mr. Ponting to give someone out? Who are you to bully umpires in a way that they trust you more than the third umpire?

The story does not end here, Mr. Steve Bucknor and Mr. Benson along with the third umpire and match referee Mark Proctor mocked the entire world for five days, played with sentiments of a hundred million Indians and cricket lovers all over the world, while 11 Indian heroes were fighting a battle which was already over. Seven wrong decisions, all against one team except one could have crumbled all hopes and anger would have flared up, but the team did not buzz they were still trying to save the game. This proves that, still gentlemen are playing the game, and the future is safe if we can keep Australia away.

There is more, after the match we had hearing for Harbhajan Singh’s racial remarks. It was known to everyone that after losing the session to India, it was the only thing they could do, complain and put India under pressure. These Australian players who are known all over for their sledging, having a planned abusive attack on players to distract them from the game are acting like ‘cry babies’. There was no evidence against Bhajji except the Australian players who were supporting what their captain has come up with. God of Cricket, Sachin Tendulkar was also in the middle and was a key witness, but his hearing did not matter, how could it when the decision was already made. This is understandable if anyone would have seen the animated conversation between Ricky Ponting and Mike Proctor, where anyone could see how Mike Proctor was bullied by Ponting.

How can someone play the game in these conditions? How can we even think of winning the game when the same GANG will be present to pounce on us like hungry dogs? How can we come clean with allegation as bad as racism?

If there is someone who should be blamed, definitely it would be you Mr. Ponting, you are the mastermind behind all this. You surly wanted to be God of the game but came out as a Dog. You forgot the world is watching every action you take; every expression is read and understood. You can hide anywhere, but your deeds are known. You should resign as a captain rather than asking press to get out of the conference. You asked ‘Do you question my integrity’…ha ha, we don’t need to answer you, we know the answer and you know it too. Why don’t you accept that you are Bhajji bunny and he will always get you out, and to save yourself you went ahead to remove him out of the tour itself. Mind it Mr. Ponting if you accuse someone of racism wrongly then you are racist.

“RICKY Ponting must be sacked as captain of the Australian cricket team. He has shown not the slightest interest in the wellbeing of the game, not the slightest sign of diplomatic skill, not a single mark of respect for his accomplished and widely admired opponents. In the past few days, the Australian captain has presided over a performance that dragged the game into the pits. He turned a group of professional cricketers into a pack of wild dogs.

Probably the worst aspect of the Australians’ performance was their conduct at the end. When the last catch was taken they formed into a huddle and started jumping up and down like teenagers at a rave. It was not euphoria. It was ecstasy. They had swallowed a pill called Vengeance, among the most dangerous on the shelves. Not one player so much as thought about shaking hands with the defeated and departing.” - Peter Roebuck (Source)

I am happy for two things after this incident. First the way the international media has supported us and for once have stopped supporting the bullies of world cricket and secondly all the cricket lovers, ex-players, critics have united together in support of Harbhajan Singh and Team India.

I would like to say ‘Team, come back, we don’t play cricket with cheaters”

A nice rhyme on Jhonny’s integrity

Mr Ponting,

You have lost all the respect you gained that you have earned in last few year, you might a fine batsmen but we do not need you in gentlemen’s game. A person, who can bully umpires, who can lie repeatedly in front of millions of fans, who can appealing for a catch which was on ground for more than 2 seconds and can still claim that the game was played in gamesmen sprit does not deserve to play this game again, we do not wish to see you on field again.

You have wrongly accused Harbhajan for racial comments and managed to get him punished by bullying Mark Proctor, Mark Benson and Steve Bucknor and I do not need to say who is on the receiving end of racial abuse. You should be penalized for the abuse.

You have forgotten about the sportsmen ship in the blind race of breaking the record, your media had already talked about street-fighter instincts and still you could not maintain the dignity on final day and worse you took it to a new depth. Even though we have lost this test match but Indians have emerged as heroes by fighting in a test match played against 14 players and technology.

- Cricket fan

Congratulations Sachin for 400th Match.

One Doubt : Why are only sub-continent players in the list of most number of matches played??? Are they really good or we don’t have enough talent to keep the show going??

Update

prsn India at 43/5 after 10 over – whoa – what has the team come to !!

veetrag cricinfo after we lost 5th wkt : are India in trouble or what?….they still believe we can win the match

anarahari @prsn @veetrag i think these guys have lost their minds .. what are they thinking!
prsn brave SRT – he is still on the pitch playing – sad that no one is supporting his 400th knock. He should have taken a rest off I feel !!

veetrag @prsn This is how we appreciate someone’s contribution to cricket. We can’t play a normal game also for him

veetrag @prsn and at the same time he has to come ahead and say ‘performance shud be criterion not age’…sad for Ind cricket

The most unexpected thing that happened to Indian cricket last weekend was Dravid’s resignation. After Vengsarkar’s remark I had expected Dravid to reply back but never thought he would leave captaincy. Was it the pressure from Mumbai lobby or it was becoming “too hot” to handle senior players? Whatever it was I feel it was a right decision at least for him if not for Indian cricket. This incident also sent a strong message to selectors that ‘do not question the authority of captain’. It was happening for long time that, some or other selector would doubt in captains decision that too in public to gain some publicity that he is concerned for cricket.

Honi ho gayee anhonee aur main ban gaya Dhoni, aur ab main ban gaya Captain. It’s really a very fast journey for Dhoni. But can our selectors justify his promotion? I guess the only reason would be he is one of senior players amongst younger players and selectors might plan to groom him for next 2 world cups. If that is the case why Yuvraj was not selected? Is he not properly disciplined (as few people complain) or he is being punished for his previous mistakes? Whatever is the case, I wish Dhoni is not affected with his new responsibility.

Update: was it media and its irresponsible comments that pushed Dravid of his captaincy?

· Don’t bowl him bad balls, he hits the good ones for fours: Michael Kasprowicz

· In terms of technique and compactness, Tendulkar is the best: Desmond Haynes.

· I have watched a lot of Tendulkar and we have spoken to each other a lot. He has it in him to be among the very best: Sir Garfield Sobers.

· He is 99.5 per cent perfect. I’d pay to see him: Viv Richards.

· I saw him playing on television and was struck by his technique, so I asked my wife to come look at him. Now I never saw myself play, but I feel that this player is playing much the same as I used to play, and she looked at him on Television and said yes, there is a similarity between the two… his compactness, technique, stroke production… it all seemed to gel: Sir Donald Bradman.

· Technically he stands out as the best because of his ability to increase the pace at will: David Boon.

· There is no shame being beaten by such a great player, Sachin is perhaps only next to the Don: Steve Waugh.

· Sachin is cricket’s God: Barry Richards

· India’s fortune will depend on how many runs the little champion scores. There is no doubt Tendulkar is the real thing: Sunil Gavaskar.

· A complete batsman — he’s the best in the business: Mohinder Amarnath.

· Sachin is an attacker. He has much more power than Sunny. He wants to be the one to set the pace. He has to be on top. That’s the buzz about him: Jeff Thompson.

· If I’ve to bowl to Sachin, I’ll bowl with my helmet on. He hits the ball so hard: Dennis Lillee.

· You take Don Bradman away and he is next up I reckon: Steve Waugh.

· I’ll be going to bed having nightmares of Sachin just running down the wicket and belting me back over the head for six. He was unstoppable. I don’t think anyone, apart from Don Bradman, is in the same class as Sachin Tendulkar. He is just an amazing player: Shane Warne.

· When it comes to judging the best among these fabulous band of batsmen, my vote goes to Tendulkar. He has an uncanny ability to come out on top under different circumstances and under different conditions, whether it is Test cricket or one-day internationals. And more importantly, he has done this so young: Shane Warne.

· Hell, if he had stayed, even at 11 an over he would have got it: Allan Border (after India won the Coca-Cola cup in Sharjah).

· He is a perfectly balanced batsman and knows perfectly well when to attack and when to play defensive cricket. He has developed the ability to treat bowlers all over the world with contempt and can destroy any attack with utmost ease: Greg Chappell.

· It’s scary, where the hell do we bowl to him: Allan Border. Yeah mate, but that’s with all great players: Ian Chappell.

· Imagine what he’ll be like when he’s 28: Allan Border.

· I’d like to see him go out and bat one day with a stump. I tell you he’d do okay: Greg Chappell.

· Sachin’s best; Lara is more risky outside the off stump: Mark Waugh.

· You have to decide for yourself whether you’re bowling well or not. He’s going to hit you for fours and sixes anyway. Kasprowicz has a superior story. During the Bangalore Test, frustrated, he went to Dennis Lillee and asked, “Mate, do you see any weaknesses?” Lillee replied, “No Michael, as long as you walk off with your pride that’s all you can do”

· He’s a phenomenon. We have to be switched on when he plays allow him no boundries, for then he doesn’t stop: Mark Taylor.

· Tendulkar is the most complete batsman I have stood behind. I saw the hundred in Perth on a bouncy pitch with Hughes, McDermott and Whitney gunning for him — he only had 60-odd when No 11 came in. I’ve seen him against Warne too: Ian Healy.

· He has defined cricket in his fabulous, impeccable manner. He is to batting what Shane Warne is to bowling: Richie Benaud.

· Sachin’s the best. I’ve had this view since I saw him score that hundred in Sydney in 1992. He’s the most composed batsman I’ve ever seen: Mike Coward.

· The pressure on me is nothing as compared to Sachin Tendulkar. Sachin, like God, must never fail. The crowd always expects him to succeed and it is too much pressure on him: Mark Waugh.

· I still think Tendulkar is the best batsmen in the world ahead of Steve Waugh and Lara: Glenn McGrath.

· He is currently the best batsman in the world: Sir Gary Sobers.

· There’s no doubt about it. He is the best: Tony Grieg.

· Technically, you can’t fault Sachin. Seam or spin, fast or slow — nothing is a problem: Geoffrey Boycott.

· Sometime back I had written a piece that said that Sachin’s the master and Lara a genius with his head high up somewhere. That’s it: Peter Roebuck.

· A little genius. Reminds me of Sunny Gavaskar: Kieth Fletcher.

· He is Sachin Tendulkar. I hope he stays Sachin Tendulkar. We need a new player, a player in his own way. He has a technique which is the hallmark of a great player. Everything indicates that he will be a great player and I am sure he will prove me right. Reminds me of Barry Richards: Eddie Barlow.

· Destined to be a great: Barry Richards.

· What we (Zimbabwe) need is 10 Tendulkars: Paul Strang.

· The original little master, Sunil Gavaskar, had said that the champion cricketer was an example of the perfect batsman. Gavaskar praised Tendulkar for the stillness of his head, his straight back-lift, the ease with which he played his shots and their wide range.

· West Indian great Brian Lara said Sachin Tendulkar was a peerless batsman with a lot more to offer. Lara, Test cricket’s leading scorer with 11,294 runs, regarded Tendulkar the best batsman he ever watched despite the prolific success of Australian captain Ricky Ponting and South African Jacques Kallis. Lara said: “For me, the best batsman in the world is Sachin Tendulkar. I admire Jacques Kallis’ consistency and Ricky Ponting, with the purple patch he’s going though. Everybody gets 15 minutes of fame. But if there’s one person I’ve admired over a 15-year period, it’s definitely Sachin.”

· The fact of the matter is that India still need Sachin in a big way. All this talk of the youngsters taking over is very foolish. The reason why Tendulkar is so important for the team is because of his ability to inspire others and make them perform under pressure - TOI

· Not only did Tendulkar continue playing, but he also emerged as one of the finest batsmen to grace the game and was regarded by the great Don Bradman as his modern reincarnation. Greg Chappell too is impressed with Sachin. The Australian believes the hype and expectations on Sachin is greater than even Bradman faced in his day.

· The Indian coach said: Sachin carries a weight of collective expectation to the crease that few can comprehend. Bradman would not have had the weight of expectation that Sachin has on him every time he went out to bat.”

· “Cricketers like Sachin come once in a lifetime and I am privileged he played in my time,” said Pakistan legend Wasim Akram.