A blog by Â(c)hinaman

Who to blame for the bad light in Bangalore that prevented an hours play?
If you believe the Aussies, it was Ganguly blocking the sunlight.

Oz media slam Ganguly for delaying tactics in ‘farcical draw’

Melbourne, Oct 14 (Press Trust of India)

Melbourne, Oct 14 (PTI) Intentionally or inadvertently, Sourav Ganguly continues to rub Australians the wrong way and the media here poured vitriol on the former India skipper, accusing him of indulging in delaying tactics to ensure the Bangalore Test ended in a draw.

The popular belief here is that Australia were destined to win the Bangalore Test but the existing light rule, coupled with Ganguly’s delaying tactics, denied Ricky Ponting’s men victory in the first of the four-match Test series.

A member of the ‘National Nine News’ sports team took a potshot at anyone and everyone but was particularly harsh on Ganguly, whom he described as a “serial offender”. “Serial offender Sourav Ganguly firstly persuaded the umpires to go off. Then when play resumed, Ganguly made Australia’s fielders and partner VVS Laxman wait an eternity because he’d apparently ‘forgotten to put his thigh pad on’. “Please! Can’t you be timed out in this game?” he wrote.

Criticising umpire Asad Rauf and Rudy Koertzen, the writer said, “With the match in the balance, a crucial hour’s play on the final day was lost, with not one, but two stoppages for bad light — when at times the sun was shining! “Umpires strutted about like Emperor Penguins, holding out their light metres — a device that like performance enhancing drugs should be banned.” PTI

Sure, just ignore the facts that the Aussies
scored at a run rate of 2.87 in the first innings and 3.12 in the second.
They couldn’t stop Harbhajan and Zaheer get 80 runs between overs 77.3 and 99.3.
That did not have the guts to declare overnight while 263 ahead,
but had to loose 5 early morning overs on the final day to set a “safe” target of 299.

It was the Aussies that set up the match for a draw,
any other team in India’s position too would have brought down the shutters.

Law 8. Fitness of ground, weather and light
The umpires shall be the final judges of the fitness of the ground, weather and light for play. See 9 below and Law 7.2 (Fitness of the pitch for play).

Blaming a player for accepting the light when offered is pathetic.
As if the Aussies have never taken the light themselves or played out for a draw in their entire test match history.

I have, so far, only heard of sore losers … ,

Australiabad lightÂ(c)hinaman

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