Dravid, Ganguly - No place in Indian ODI Team

It's really strange how decisions like these made without a second thought about it. Rahul Dravid and Saurav Ganguly were recently excluded from the the ODI series for the Indian team. There is a way to bring in your youngsters not at the cost of 2 greats who are at the twilight of the career.

Indians with already a demoralizing defeat in the test series really need to pull up their socks in the ODI against the recent World Cup Finalists Australia and Sri Lankan. How do they prepare for it? Remove 2 greats from the team, make way for youngsters. I think this was the most foolish move by the Indian selectors in the recent past. Just their presence makes all the different. You do not need to move them out this way. Batting is India's strength any day. There is a process of bringing in youngsters. This would have been their last tour down under. I think deserved a little more respect.

Now you look a weaker side, hope floats as they say. It can only be the 3rd team in the ODI series. There has not been a competitive ODI series in the recent past and it would have been much more interesting getting all teams at full strength.

Saying all that, I do wish the youngsters well also. I am not being unfair to them. They have a chance to prove so they should take it with both hands but I would loved to see Dravid and Ganguly for one more time in the ODI series.

Harbhajan vs Symonds - Cricketers but not Gentlemen

It's been a controversy to say the least, something that could even have been expected on an Australian tour.Things were said in the Sydney Test and charges were brought on Harbhajan Singh, who allegedly racially abused Andrew Symonds by calling him a "monkey".

Harbhajan has been cleared of the racial abuse part but will be penalized for a lower classification of abuse as he did plead guilty to using some abusive language.

I sometimes wonder what has happened to the gentleman's game. It used to be that cricket was a game and nothing more. There was an element of respect and a good delivery was acknowledged by the batsman, while a good shot was acknowledged by the bowler, all in good spirits. Umpires would intervene only to conduct the game, the batsman would walk if he knew he had hit the ball.

So where has that game gone now? Has competition, sponsorship and commercialization made it ungentlemanly in some way? The game has grown in popularity and it might just be because of the gossip and antics by different players and officials.

You never know, it might just be a way to hype up a series or generate more revenue from newspapers and websites. But it's not cricket any more, a huge money factor is involved as well.

With Twenty20 and day-night Test matches coming into the frame and more money getting into the game, has cricket lost its charm? I sincerely hope not.

Is cricket too commercialised? What do you think...?

Laxman - The Thorn in the Aussie Back

V.V.S. Laxman proved again why he is the world's top run-getter against Australia in Australia. A gutsy 79 against some fiery pace from Brett Lee saw the Indian team set up a potential record run chase of 413 runs in the last innings for the 17th straight test win for the Australian team.

Moved down the order, Laxman proved once again why the Aussies fear him so much. This wasn't a free flowing Laxman innings that one usually remembers him for against the Aussies. He had to dig out his runs and 2 late partnerships with Dhoni (38) and R.P. Singh (30) set up what could be a match-winning target.

The hosts closed at 65 for the loss of both the openers. This left the strong Aussie middle order to chase a further 348 runs while still 2 full days to play. With Ponting and Hussey at the crease right now, a lot depends on a steady start tomorrow if they stand any chance in chasing this record target.

By the way things are, one can surely believe that it might not go till the last day as with Indians surely with the wind behind their backs would want to wrap things up quickly. On the other hand the only way the Aussies play these days is quick and if they do get off to a flyer, the only way they can make the Indian go on the back foot is with a counter-attack suggesting the run-chase getting over in 1 day.

A lot to play for considering what has happened during the series. An unlikely bowling attack consisting of Irfan Pathan, Ishant Sharma and R.P. Singh surprised the formidable Aussie batting lineup in the 1st inning and Pathan continued the good work in the 2nd inning getting both openers in the 5th and the 9th over of the innings respectively.

A win for the Indians would go a long way in proving what they have been standing against during the series as well as stopping the Aussies from a record 17th straight test win. A record they would regret not reaching.

An Aussie win which looks a lower chance at the 3rd day's close would really underline their dominance in world cricket killing the biggest 4th inning run-chase record and 17th straight test win with one stone. However, easier said than done.

Makings of a happening day tomorrow.