Well, for all of the negativity surrounding this match, let's do something completely out of left field and look at some of the positive things:
The Pitch
The curator deserves a huge pat on the back for his work preceding this match. It really was a top drawer deck, with the ball moving around for the quicks on the first morning, then flattening out over days two and three, and taking turn and starting to crumble towards the end of the match. Pretty much the ideal timeline for a test wicket.
The outfield was good as well- well grassed, but offering good value for shots. All in all, a very good advertisement for the SCG.
The Quicks
RP Singh's first spell was really first rate left-arm swing bowling. He had the measure of all of the Australian left-handed top order, and his control and movement was an absolute delight. Couple this with the fact that he is only a few games into his career, and was thrust into the role of leading the attack. He is definitely a real find for the Indians.
On the other side, the continuing rise of Brett Lee as a great bowler is also special. The retirement of McGrath seems to have triggered something in him. It took him a while, but he is finally delivering in a way that only a couple of years ago looked unlikely.
Stuart Clark deserves a mention, too- he didn't take a bag, but he definitely took a couple of vital wickets on the fifth day. A fine display of controlled, stump-to-stump bowling.
The Rearguards
The fortitude that was shown by both teams' tails was great to see. First Hogg, Lee and co for Australia, and then Harbhajan, RP Singh and co for India, all gave their teams a first innings total that would have looked impossible at one stage.
Class Innings
Tendulkar. Hayden. Hussey. Ganguly. Laxman. All world class batsmen, and all showed why during the course of this test. Symonds, while definitely benefiting from his share of luck, batted with the tail to rescue Australia from a first day collapse, and gave justification to his supporters and his detractors in equal measure.
The Finish
Looked at in isolation, the climax of this match was incredible. Five days of combat decided in the final, climatic fifteen minutes, with a part-timer taking three wickets in an over to overcome yet another dogged rearguard was a finish worthy of a great match.
Looked at in isolation, that is...
Kumble's Resistance
A magnificent captain's dig in the second innings. The fact that he faced more deliveries than any of the vaunted Indian top order is a fine lesson in application and dedication to the cause.
Could This be the Flashpoint?
With the discussion of the poor decisions made during this match, maybe this will be the catalyst that pushes the ICC to develop a way that takes advantage of the available technology to improve decision making, without unduly delaying the flow of the game.
I have my reservations personally, but if ever an incident is going to push the ICC to properly study this, it is a string of bad decisions in a match involving the best team and the richest.
Maybe the first change could be the replacement of the standard cameras at square leg with the high speed ones. That would certainly end the regular frustration of the wicket being broken (or the foot being grounded) between frames, leading to uncertainty.
There ya go- seven good things to take from the match as a cricket fan. Complain about the bad if you must, but acknowledge that the match wasn't entirely worthless.
Now back to the usual...
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