The Gentelemans' game.: January 2008

Monday, January 21, 2008

But how can all of this overshadow the man who reached 600 wickets..

Kumble captures 600th Test wicket

Kumble's historic wicket came when Andrew Symonds was out

India captain Anil Kumble has become the third bowler to take 600 Test wickets, joining fellow spinners Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan.

The 37-year-old leg-break bowler reached the milestone on day two of the third Test against Australia in Perth.

Kumble struck when Andrew Symonds was caught by Rahul Dravid at slip for 66.

He said: "It means a lot. You never think when you first start off that you will reach that milestone. Rahul has taken so many catches off my bowling."

Interview: India captain Anil Kumble

Dravid, during his own stint as India captain, once called Kumble the "greatest Indian cricketer of the last 15 years".

That comment exalted him above record-breaking batsman Sachin Tendulkar, a player who has always commanded more box-office appeal.

And the 600th wicket was a crucial one, giving India the advantage in Perth as they attempt to win their first Test of the series after losing the first two.

606: DEBATE

Give your reaction to Kumble's milestone

Adam Gilchrist, Symonds' non-striking partner when Kumble reached the landmark, took off his helmet and congratulated the bowler.

It was a welcome cordial gesture within a series that became dogged by rancour in the aftermath of the Sydney Test.

Kumble went on: "Having played this long you keep crossing landmarks and milestones.

"I'd like to thank my family, my wife, my kids and all the team-mates right though my career, the 18 years I have played... and the bowlers who have actually bowled from the other end, and the catchers.

Kumble said he had enjoyed some of the best form of his Test career in since recovering from shoulder problems in the 2000-2001 season.

He's got very clever with his experience and those subtle changes in flight

Adam Gilchrist

"I'm probably more relaxed and all the experience I have had in different conditions, I have used that," he said.

Gilchrist, dismissed by Kumble on nine occasions in Tests, said: "He's got very clever with his experience and those subtle changes in flight, his position on the crease.

"He's just trying to create a little bit of doubt in the batsmen's mind and he's doing that in an effective fashion.

"It's a real credit to him to get that achievement."

Kumble finished the day with 601 wickets when he removed number 11 Shaun Tait, giving him 105 wickets in 17 Tests against Australia.

He is one of only two players to take all 10 wickets in a Test innings, achieving the feat against Pakistan at Delhi in 1999 - the other was England's Jim Laker in 1956.

Australian leg-spinner Warne ended his career with 708 wickets, while Sri Lanka off-spinner Muralitharan is still going, with a tally of 723.

Australian fast bowler Glenn McGrath retired in 2007 with 563 wickets and only one other bowler - West Indies' Courtney Walsh (519) - finished with more than 500.

Some comments from the cricket lovers now...

Please use the blog for your comments on anything thats cricket...And if you would like me to post something from your end just send me an email with the comments and your name. I shall publish it on the blog.

It was victory of the century that will last in the Indians memories for as long as they live and the Aussies will lament their defeat for years to come.

Indians defeated the Australians by playing better cricket in every department of the game, out-playing and out-manoeuvring Ponting and his henchmen. This should also remind the Aussies that they are not masters of the game any more and their arrogant, ill-mannered and conceited reign of terrorising the oppositions is over.

Indian should be able to win the next test if they show the same resilience, determination and will to win. All it takes is consistent batting, sensible bowling and good fielding to win matches.

I believe that it was a well deserved tribute and honour for Kumble to have defeated the Australians and achieving a great milestone of 600+ wickets this week.

Well done Kumble and your team for putting up such brilliant performance.

comment on this article | alert a moderator | send to a friend

Latest comments

Read members' comments or add your own

comment by JustACricketLover

posted 2 Days Ago

2nd coming,

Does the test series Eng v Ind ring any bells. Now who are the inferior side and what was your result went you went to Aus.

Now become the 2nd going and go away.

complain about this comment

comment by halfienoakes

posted 2 Days Ago

2-1

complain about this comment

comment by JustACricketLover

posted 2 Days Ago

I agree,

Kumble is an exceptional bowler and it was fitting that he was captain to get his 600th wicket in a match that India won when they were huge underdogs before it started. Well done Kumble, more of the same please.

complain about this comment

comment by the_2nd_coming

posted 2 Days Ago

That was not my point.... get excited when you win a series, not by winning one match. The rhetoric from most of you is you are now wonderful and the order has changed forever. It is pathetic. Maybe when you win 16 straight games you can get a little carried away.
Was that humour at the end? Just a pointer for you - humour works better if it is funny

complain about this comment

comment by ricky3001ca

posted 2 Days Ago

Instead of arguing, all cricket playing nations should be very thankful to India for brining Australia's ego in place.

complain about this comment

What did the Indian Captain say ?

Kumble salutes 'brilliant' India

Anil Kumble and Rahul Dravid celebrate India's famous victory

Kumble's men responded superbly to their defeat in Sydney

India captain Anil Kumble hailed the 72-run win over Australia in the third Test as among the best in his career.

The tourists ended Australia's hopes of a record 17th consecutive Test triumph to cut their series deficit to 2-1.

"Considering the fact that no visiting team gets any chance coming into Perth and being 2-0 down, it was a great effort and a brilliant win," he said.

"This is at the top. Whatever victories I've been involved in home and away, this ranks as one of the best."

Australia, who were set 413, were bowled out for 340 on day four after resuming on 65-2.

They were 253-8 at one stage but Mitchell Johnson, who made his maiden Test fifty, and Stuart Clark (32) frustrated India until the second new-ball finished the tail off.

The Indians now move on to Adelaide, where they won in 2003, confident of squaring the series.

The way we regrouped says a lot about the character this team has

Anil Kumble

Kumble's men arrived in Perth on the back of an acrimonious defeat in Sydney which ended with allegations of bad sportmanship and racism.

"We had our moments in the first two Tests, but we grabbed it here and nailed it," the skipper, who took his 600th Test wicket during the match, added.

"It was a great team effort, and the way we regrouped says a lot about the character this team has. It was a very special win.

"We will take this confidence to Adelaide. It's important we take this momentum forward and ensure we level the series after what happened in the first two Test matches."

When it mattered we didn't produce the runs

Ricky Ponting

Australia skipper Ricky Ponting blamed a poor batting display on day two for his side's failure to move beyond the 16 straight wins the current team and Steve Waugh's Aussie line-up achieved from 1999 to 2001.

"Our first innings was where the game was lost - 212 on that wicket was nowhere near enough and some of the batsmen played some pretty ordinary shots," he said.

"Whenever you're more than 100 runs behind in a Test it's pretty hard to fight your way back into it.

"The bowlers did an outstanding job by dismissing India for manageable totals, but when it mattered we didn't produce the runs."

Ponting said opener Matthew Hayden, who missed out on Perth with a hamstring problem, would return for the finale.

606: DEBATE

This should remind the Aussies they are not masters of the game anymore and their reign is over

Suprememasterno1

And he warned the Indians to expect an improved display from his team.

"Matty's been doing a lot of pretty intense work over the last five or six days to give himself the best chance of being right for Adelaide," Ponting added.

"He was pretty hard to leave out of this game, he just wasn't quite 100%, so he should be right for Adelaide.

"India thoroughly deserved to win, they totally outplayed us, so we've got a bit of work to do.

"Adelaide's a ground and set of conditions India like - they beat us there last time, which was the last Test match we lost in Australia before this - so they will go out of this game with a fair bit of confidence.

"The Indians are pretty good front-runners so we have to make sure we hit the ground running in Adelaide.

"We will train harder than India in the next few days, and it is up to us to show what this team is made of.

"Australian teams historically have been able to bounce back. We can turn things around pretty quickly."

But what did the experts have to say...For a change Australia was dignified on the field but they lost.

Does it mean the Australians are not a deserving number one team on a fair playing field when the game is played with dignity....May be not quite....Read on to find out more...

Australia's cracks finally exposed

Peter English at the WACA

January 19, 2008

It took four days for India to bring Australia's 16-match winning run to an end and Ricky Ponting is left with a truer perspective of the future © Getty Images

The end of the era came quickly. An Australian unit that seemed unbreakable over the past 24 months had actually been admirably masking the dints. During the past four days they could not survive any more collisions and Ricky Ponting's stunning tower has toppled.

Through 16 wins there were many one-sided successes, but the handful of near-death experiences had stolen the energy for a world-record miracle. Australia have lost their first Test since August 2005 and India retain the tag as the great spoiler of baggy green parties. India's victory is a fillip for the global game, proving that the world champions can be beaten, and forcing the hosts into further self-analysis.

There will be disappointment from Australia and their supporters, especially when Perth was the most bankable venue for victory, but the team must be praised for extending the streak for so long. Three months ago they re-started a Test campaign without Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Justin Langer, a scenario that would have floored anybody else, yet Ponting held his side together until the tape could no longer handle the strain.

Matthew Hayden was missing his first match since 1999, leaving two inexperienced openers for Perth, Ponting was unable to patch himself up after his failed duels with Harbhajan Singh and a new bowling group seriously missed the influence of McGrath and Warne. Events that were supposed to happen in November were delayed until January and now the world is seeing the new Australia.

Like sharemarkets around the world, nobody knows how far they will dive, but the days of regular high dividends are gone. This record, a mark proving team substance over individual effort, must be cherished. After the Ashes defeat Ponting was able to look around his field of dream players and call for greater input. This time he has a handful of stars hovering above a core still waiting to know its worth.

Perth will be the venue where they realised Test success is not an Australian birthright. The WACA is meant to shock visiting teams, but the home players are the ones who cannot believe what has happened. The pitch didn't bounce, Shaun Tait whimpered and the batsmen were shut down by an under-manned India attack.

On the final day Ishant Sharma, a 19-year-old novice, operated like a world beater, working over Ponting in a way only Andrew Flintoff has managed since he became Australia's second best batsman. From the moment Ishant arced the ball wickedly into Ponting there was nowhere for Australia to turn.

The corner became tighter with a couple of umpiring errors against Michael Hussey and Andrew Symonds and the parallels to the Sydney Test were confirmed when Virender Sehwag picked up two wickets with his part-time spin. It was Australia's turn to experience misfortune.

Decisions are more likely to go bad for the struggling team, which is something Australia's opponents have complained about for years. At least there won't be calls for an umpire to be stood down for the final match of a gripping series in Adelaide next week, and the only boycott will remain an English commentator.

Australians believe official decisions even out over time. In Sydney it seemed an unfair pronouncement, but it has taken only four playing days for the theory to be proved. Hussey left immediately - only a sharp head turn and the briskness of his walk showed annoyance - while Symonds hung his bat out briefly after being ruled lbw to a ball he hit.

They were happy to accept the bonuses at the SCG and when the swings went against them here they were absorbed despite the impending loss. Australia have played in a manner that their supporters can be proud of, even in defeat.

Long lines of spectators waited to enter the outer in the morning and the competition India have provided has lifted interest in combination with the fall-out from Sydney. They came to see Australia survive and hoped for better. Most stayed to watch them lose, were entertained by the late charge of Mitchell Johnson and Stuart Clark, and applauded at the conclusion when the players merged for well-meaning handshakes. Ponting's men continued to be dignified in a defeat that ended their all-conquering rule.

So what did the Aussies have to say about the loss ?

Australia v India, 3rd Test, Perth, 4th day

'We just weren't good enough' - Ponting

Peter English at the WACA

January 19, 2008

Ricky Ponting: "It would have been great to win one more, or ten more, but we haven't been good enough. The run was always going to come to an end at some stage" © Getty Images

Ricky Ponting refuses to believe Australia's global domination is over after their record-equalling winning streak was ended in Perth. While India's 72-run victory gave the world hope that the gap between Australia and the rest was closing, Ponting was not convinced his team was "on the slide".

"I was reading stuff in the paper about it today, is the invincibility all over?," he said. "I wouldn't have thought so. We'll see. It's up to us to see how we bounce back in Adelaide."

Australia started the fourth day chasing 413 to keep the winning run alive, but they were controlled by a well-rounded India attack and had no excuses for the defeat. Sixteen victories may be the new four-minute mile as Ponting's side will always be level with Steve Waugh's team of 1999-2001.

"It's disappointing, it's been a pretty good run," he said. "It would have been great to win one more, or ten more, but we haven't been good enough. The run was always going to come to an end at some stage. We just weren't good enough here, it's as simple as it gets."

Talk of reaching 17 did not disrupt the preparations and Ponting also rejected suggestions that the controversy after the Sydney Test, which led to Australia adjusting their behavioural outlook, caused a drop in intensity. Ponting had seen the tourists hit back strongly in Kolkata in 2001 and Adelaide on the previous tour and was determined not to underestimate his opponents.

"I stressed to the guys that I wanted us to play the same brand of cricket, a hard-nosed aggressive brand, which is the only way we know to play," he said. "Our skills let us down more than anything this week."

The batting was the biggest problem for Australia, who missed the injured Matthew Hayden, and they were in danger of failing to pass 300 in both innings until Mitchell Johnson and Stuart Clark combined for an entertaining 73-run stand. At no stage did India worry that they would not win and they will head east over the next couple of days looking to repeat the performance of 2003-04 and level the series.

Hayden is likely to return in Adelaide on Thursday and has been named in a 12-man squad while Chris Rogers has been dropped after scoring 4 and 15 on debut. Shaun Tait and Brad Hogg retain their places, with Hogg expected to replace Tait after his disappointing performance in a four-man pace attack.

"We let ourselves down a little bit in this game, now it is up to us to bounce back," Ponting said. "We'll work harder than India in the next week to get ourselves right."

Australia squad for Adelaide
Matthew Hayden, Phil Jaques, Ricky Ponting (capt), Michael Hussey, Michael Clarke, Andrew Symonds, Adam Gilchrist (wk), Brett Lee, Brad Hogg, Stuart Clark, Mitchell Johnson, Shaun Tait.