***Official Australia in India***

[silentstriker]

Gambhir copping a lot of flak here. It always makes sense to actually watch the game instead of just following cricinfo.

Gambhir was running down the pitch, and Watson saw him coming and delibrately stuck out his elbow straight in his path. Thankfully Gambhir managed to avoid getting hit himself, and let his own elbow poke out on the second run in a tit fot tat response. If Watson doesn't get punished for this but Gambhir does, it wouldn't surprise me with Chris Broad being the match referee. Watson has no defence. The bowler is not expected to make way for the batsman, however he isn't expected to stick out an elbow in his path either.

Watson put his hand/shoulder in front of gambhir and gave gambhir verbals when he was going for the first run.
If the verbals included abuse then he should be fined or even banned based on previous record as zaheer was for giving hayden a send off or bhajji was down under.

Yes, I saw the elbow from Watson. However, it didn't actually hit, so I am not sure what can be done about that.

 

[Precambrian]

I didn't like the Gambhir elbow on Watson, I didn't see the Katich thing. I thought maybe Gambhir getting on top frustrated the Aussies who probably did something to fire him up. It looked like Watson whispered something to Gambhir as he ran through, but it didn't appear like the kind of thing that should get an elbow in return.

Must be good at lip reading to deduce that Watson' words were not menacing.

 

[Precambrian]

Hmm, what's the rule on that? Do you have to get 90 overs within 6.5 hours or 6 hours?

The rule says "Try and get in those 90 overs in 6 hours. If you are not able to, take another half hour". Made for the likes of Ponting.

 

[silentstriker]

The rule says "Try and get in those 90 overs in 6 hours. If you are not able to, take another half hour". Made for the likes of Ponting.

In that case, Ponting is fine. It's unfair to single out Ponting, India have been quite guilty of it often enough, as have a lot of other sides.

 

[Cevno]

Barring India-Zimbabwe contests, and Zimbabwe twice posted 300+ scores (329 & 422-9d) but lost, the last time a team posted a score higher than 296 in first inning at Kotla was in 1984 when India were bowled out for 307 against England and subsequently lost the match when England replied with 418.

 

[G.I.Joe]

Yes, I saw the elbow from Watson. However, it didn't actually hit, so I am not sure what can be done about that.

Demonstration of intent towards physical harm should be enough for an impartial match referee. That Gambhir was quick enough to avoid getting one in the ribs doesn't absolve Watson of guilt.

 

[Ikki]

Must be good at lip reading to deduce that Watson' words were not menacing.

LOL, I dunno, you often kinda get what/how people say things by their expression or body language. Didn't look to threatening to me. You disagree, I suppose?

 

[four_or_six]

Demonstration of intent towards physical harm should be enough for an impartial match referee. That Gambhir was quick enough to avoid getting one in the ribs doesn't absolve Watson of guilt.

Looked more like Watson moved out his arm out of the way than Gambhir moved to me.

 

[four_or_six]

Anyway, surely we can blame Ponting for this. He was the one who always used to bang on about how Watson's body language wasn't assertive enough.

 

[G.I.Joe]

Looked more like Watson moved out his arm out of the way than Gambhir moved to me.

I reckon he was just trying to cop a feel of Gambhirs chest before he realised in the nick of time what that would look like to the straight population of the world.

 

[four_or_six]

I reckon he was just trying to cop a feel of Gambhirs chest before he realised in the nick of time what that would look like to the straight population of the world.

 

[pup11]

When you find someone that can, please refer him to me.

What a poooooooooor selection. Why play White if he is not good enough to be a proper spin option? Play a batsman in his position, who cares, at least the batsman will make more runs.

White' selection is looking really idiotic now because of the way Australians have used him so far in this test, if he was a bowling a considerable amount of tight overs then his role in the team would have understandable, he has mostly bowled tightly on this tour whenever he has been given a chance to bowl, but Ponting has hardly backed him, but still for some weird reason he keeps picking him, if Aussies are picking him for his batting than that's really a joke, because he is not very likely to make any huge difference batting at 8.

So considering all this they might have very well gone ahead and picked Krezja, who atleast is a spinner, and as things stand atm Australia are more or less gonna just drag White through rest of this game so it couldn't have been any worse if they had picked Krezja, so it would have been worth the punt imo to pick Krezja or for that Bollinger/Siddle.

 

[four_or_six]

Tbh, Broad will probably throw out a few fines and hope it calms everyone down. There were a number of similar with people running into each other last year and it looks as though they were all 50-75% match fee. The only thing that means Gambhir may get off worse than that is that he was one of the people fined for it last year, whereas presumably for Watson it would be a first offence if he were found to be at fault.

http://icc-cricket.yahoo.com/about-icc/breaches-and-penalties-2007.html

 

[four_or_six]

White' selection is looking really idiotic now because of the way Australians have used him so far in this test, if he was a bowling a considerable amount of tight overs then his role in the team would have understandable, he has mostly bowled tightly on this tour whenever he has been given a chance to bowl, but Ponting has hardly backed him, but still for some weird reason he keeps picking him, if Aussies are picking him for his batting than that's really a joke, because he is not very likely to make any huge difference batting at 8.

So considering all this they might have very well gone ahead and picked Krezja, who atleast is a spinner, and as things stand atm Australia are more or less gonna just drag White through rest of this game so it couldn't have been any worse if they had picked Krezja, so it would have been worth the punt imo to pick Krezja or for that Bollinger/Siddle.

awta

 

[IndGunner]

White' selection is looking really idiotic now because of the way Australians have used him so far in this test, if he was a bowling a considerable amount of tight overs then his role in the team would have understandable, he has mostly bowled tightly on this tour whenever he has been given a chance to bowl, but Ponting has hardly backed him, but still for some weird reason he keeps picking him, if Aussies are picking him for his batting than that's really a joke, because he is not very likely to make any huge difference batting at 8.

So considering all this they might have very well gone ahead and picked Krezja, who atleast is a spinner, and as things stand atm Australia are more or less gonna just drag White through rest of this game so it couldn't have been any worse if they had picked Krezja, so it would have been worth the punt imo to pick Krezja or for that Bollinger/Siddle.

Its easy to say things in hind sight isn't it. Just as im sure picking a team is. Its obvious ponting is a bit shellshocked by how the indians took white apart in his 4 overs he didnt want to risk him coming back so he didnt. Sure its a bad choice people say that now but had white taken tendulkar like he has done previously it would have been a different story. Expect White to bowl more tommorow don't worry. Everyone digs into ponting sigh. give the guy a break im sure he tested both the bowlers and made an informed decision.

And please have a look at the record of Aussie spinners in India. No one does well except maybe if you go back to Benaud. Hence picking the batter might have been a better way to go about it tactically since we saw what happend to krej by Yuvraj who is well documented at having a major weakness to spin bowling.

Saying all this Aust's biggest mistake would prob be not bring cassons along... that was a big shame

 

[Lambu]

Looked more like Watson moved out his arm out of the way than Gambhir moved to me.

I suppose Gambhir was stupid enough to nudge him when he could have easily retaliated with verbals of his own??

 

[Johnners]

Have only seen 1 view in normal time of Watto/Ghambir, and I can't see what Watson has done wrong in terms of attempted physical contact there. Havne't seen the Katich incident though.

 

[Pratters]

Big big problem. India are going to collapse here. Sehwag was vital. Anything less than 450 is going to be a big boost to the Aussies.

 

[Lambu]

Another serious issue is MJ's economy rate..I see people going on and on about how hes been Australia's best bowler.I would like to disagree.The guy is extremely lucky to get half the wckts he gets(right from the first match).I don't really rate him.Just a pacy pie thrower.

 

[silentstriker]

Always happy to be wrong. Can never bring myself to be optimistic until the game is over though.