CricDigs Blogs

The fourth and probably the most controversial match of the test series between India and Australia in ominously close and the Aussies still seem to be distracted. Their camp has taken note of the fact that the media back home is looking forward to the team being more aggressive on the field but instead of practicing their skills, the team appears more involved in downplaying the Indian threat. One would have expected the Aussies to be more focused with the task on hand, taking into consideration that they have to win this test match to at least square the series. Instead, their players are still busy trying to play some sort of mind games with the media and the Indian team.

As the news of banning Gautam Gambhir reached the Aussie players training at Nagpur, the first reaction came from Mr. Cricket himself, i.e. Michael Hussey. He feels that Gambhir got what he had asked for. According to Hussey, Gambhir has a bit of an attitude and cannot control his aggression and thus, gets engaged with members of the opposing team. Personally speaking, I don’t buy a word of what Hussey is saying. It just looks like the Aussies have exhausted their usual spokesmen who are adept at mudslinging at the opposite team. Ponting’s reputation is in the doldrums, Hayden and Lee aren’t in the best of forms and the rest of the team is pretty new.

So, what does that lead to? The Aussie squad has put forth a new candidate for carrying on what they called mental warfare and the supposed good guy of Aussie cricket — Hussey has fallen prey to their tactics. I still remember that a few years back, Michael Bevan had developed differences with the then skipper, Steven Waugh because he wouldn’t volunteer for hurling abuses and taunting the opposition. It just seems like the Aussies can’t help themselves from making things uncomfortable for everyone.