Reflections from the Workplace.

These snippets of reflections have been drafted over the last few days at work:

1. There's something very disturbing and worrying about the whole 2nd Test match, but most so about the controversy involving Harbhajan. He has been hit with a three match ban, but the Indian management still says that there wasn't substantial evidence and have appealed against it. It is all very confusing. If there isn't substantial audio/video evidence, based on WHAT was Bhajji found guilty? Based on the word of Ponting and Symonds? If that is truly the case, then there is something very wrong going on here, isn't there?

Added now: Harsha Bhogle has the answer here.

2. I feel that it is unfair of fans to say that blaming the umpires for this loss is just finding excuses for India's pathetic performances.

Ok I admit we had batsmen who failed- Jaffer, Yuvraj, Dhoni mainly. Dravid, Ganguly, Tendulkar and Laxman scored in at least one innings. But we also had unexpected successes like that of Bhajji's batting. And Ishant and RP's batting.

And look at it rationally- Australia had batsmen who failed too! Phil Jaques, Michael Clarke and Adam Gilchrist to name the main 3. And Symonds, Hussey and Ponting would have failed too- had they not been given reprieves by the umpires.

So they had three successes which were mainly due to the umpires' mistakes. We had two extra failures (that of Dravid and Ganguly, one in form and one finding form, in the 2nd innings) mainly due to the umpires' mistakes. Hence the umpires are the significant reason Aus scored so many runs and the umpires are a substantial reason why India couldn't save the match on the last day. So how is it merely an excuse?

3. The big question is- was it childish and stupid of India to threaten to pull out of the series? That's what everyone is saying/asking. Well come on, Australia started it. Who went running to the umpires because they couldn't face up to a bit of sledging? I am not sour grapes, because an Aussie colleague of my Dad's said this:
"If Australia can't even face up top a bit of sledging, perhaps they should act like little girls and play cricket in skirts."

And as offended as I may be by that (because I'm a girl and all that), it is true and he says that many Australians share this view- that Australia's attitude was BAD. In fact, Kumble requested Ponting to settle the Harbhajan dispute on the field or to talk it out with Kumble, but Ponting refused and said that it's already gone to the umpires. So what does India do? Be childish back. Tit for tat?

I'm not saying that India did the RIGHT thing. But if they hadn't done this, then Australia would have continued getting away with everything. Mcgrath or someone called a Sri Lankan player a "black monkey" once. If that's not racist I don't know what it is. I don't think the player was charged. So I'm just saying that India did the best thing in context.
Feel free to argue my point. I enjoy a good cricket debate as much as anything.

Ok that's about all. Once I again, I refer you to the above link:
Click Me

It's a very good piece by Harsha Bhogle.
Now there's one person who's autograph I cannot leave Australia without.