The First Match Stolen By Australia With Excellent Batting

It was a day night match on a batting friendly newly built Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune. Australia team is in India for a 6 ODIs series. The second match is Jaipur. Rest four matches will be played at Mohali, Ranchi, Cuttack and Nagpur respectively.

It was a nice decision taken by Australian Captain George Bailey to opt for batting after winning the toss. And he played a captain's knock by making brilliant 85 runs in 82 balls. Indian bowling was totally ineffective against Australian batsmen throughout. Only two bowlers who were able to control run rate were Jadeja and Ashwin and to some extent non regular Yuvraj and the young pacer Bhuvaneshwar Kumar.

Overall Australia was in total  command in all three areas - batting, bowling and fielding. Australia put a solid challenge of 305 runs for India to win that seemed to be an uphill task once the opener Shikhar Dhwan and middle order batsmen Yuvraj Singh, Dhoni and Jedeja could not prove themselves. 

Are You Aware About ICC Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Committee And Galle Incident?

How many among us are aware about International Cricket Council’s (ICC) controlled ICC Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Committee? Well, this committee has set some minimum standards for any pitch across the globe that claims to conduct an international match. All cricket playing countries have to adhere to these standards for all their international pitches. This committee was formed in 2006. As the name suggests the standards not only point towards the pitch only but outfield also.

The test match that was played between visiting Australian team and hosts Sri Lanka in Galle from August 31, 2011 to September 4, 2011; came under the scrutiny of this committee as the pitch did not behave normal during the match. The pitch has been declared by this committee having poor quality that needs to take appropriate measures to make it as per standards set by the committee. The next step of the process is that an senior pitch expert of the committee’s panel team (Andy Atkinson, in this case), will visit the pitch under question within a stipulated period after declaring it unfit, and will inspect the pitch thoroughly.

An inspection report with shortfalls and corrective measures will be submitted after the completion of inspection process. The country (SL, here) in turn has to ensure that prior to scheduling any international match on that pitch (Galle, here), a report has to be submitted to ICC committee that confirms about all corrective actions completed satisfactorily.

The whole story began when a concern was raised by Chris Broad, a member of Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees about the poor quality of Galle in which Sri Lanka had lost the match by 125 runs. Broad’s concern was based on the unnatural turn and bounce experience during the match.

Dean Jones Is Right But Highlighting A Problem Without Proposing A Solution Is Damn Simple

When you are in a bad shape, everyone becomes your well wisher in terms of telling you what you could have done to not to fail in all the areas where you have failed, or highlighting your failures with a subjective solution.

That is what is happening with Team Australia these days. First Darren Barry proposing an overall change in the team management, coaches and selectors, and now Dean Jones telling something which is known to all and probably a kid also can give that statement. Who doesn’t know that when a team is not doing well and failing repeatedly, it need a savior, a hero, a leader, a show caser, a demonstrator, a consistent result getter.

As per Dean Jones, Australian team needs some kind of hero or heroes to revive back the honors and play extremely well consistently in South Africa in both versions of game, ODI and test. The rhythm, momentum and vigor definitely need to be revived back and who is not trying for that. I don’t think team Australia is short of determination or will power, only it might be a question of a focused approach.

Who knows some old lions may roar back in South Africa or a new lion may demonstrate the sharpness of his paws. Let us wait and watch the game. And then India also will be touring Australia one they are back from South Africa.

Australian Cricket In A Stale State

Australian Cricket is not in a very healthy state and getting stale unless a makeover takes place to give it a transformed image and functioning. This is what has been commented officially by Darren Berry who used to be Team Australia’s wicketkeeper beside having the same role with his home team of Victoria.

Berry feels it is already late to give it a call and change the faces in the management that is in control of cricket Australia. Not only management, but the selection committee and training staff also need a transformation in terms of replacement. Berry also wishes to get some big legendary names be associated with the new management, selection committee and the trainers.

There is a lack of commitment, accountability and responsibility at the current level of all departments including the players. After the disclosure of Argus report that was investing the last year’s failure in the Ashes, the points highlighted almost match with what he has said.