Indian Team bucknored and bensoned

SYDNEY: Atrocious umpiring and inept batting on Sunday led to a shock 122-run defeat for India against Australia in the second cricket Test marked by bitterness between the two sides.

India failed to survive the last seven balls of the match as Michael Clarke snapped up three wickets in a span of five balls to give the hosts a record-equalling 16th consecutive Test win.

Michael Clarke took three wickets in five balls as Australia secured their 16th consecutive Test win with a tight victory over India at the SCG

On a controversial fifth day's play, the Indians were left to chase a stiff target of 333 in 72 overs but they were skittled out for 210 in 70.5 overs as Australia took an invincible 2-0 lead in the four-match series.

In the nerve-wracking final moments, it seemed India would manage a draw at 210 for seven but Clarke dismissed Harbhajan Singh, RP Singh and Ishant Sharma in quick succession to hand a dramatic victory to his team.

The victory in this rivetting Test, marked by controversial umpiring decisions and a simmering race row, allows the home team to retain the Border-Gavaskar trophy.

The fifth and final day was sullied by some horrendous umpiring decisions and as has been the case so far, Australia had no reason to complaint while India found themselves at the receiving end of the goof-ups by Steve Bucknor and Mark Benson.

Although the Indians had reasons to be aggrieved with umpiring, the batting collapse was quite inexplicable as the fifth day SCG track did have something for the bowlers but was not unplayable for an experienced batting line-up.

 

[rahul_parab2006]

SYDNEY: Australia skipper Ricky Ponting admitted umpiring blunders marred the second Test against India but hoped the match would be remembered for all the right reasons.

Ricky Ponting indicates to the umpire that the catch by Michael Clarke was clean


"I think it's fair to say that there were a few mistakes made but I am not going comment anything more as it might get me in trouble," the jubilant Australian skipper said after his team's record-equalling 16th straight Test win here.

"I hope this match is remembered for the cricket that was played. Yes, there were a few controversies by the side but the match itself was played in the right spirit and I hope it continues," he added.

Though laid low by a series of dubious decisions, India almost snatched a draw before part-time spinner Michael Clarke conjured up three wickets in five balls to guide the hosts to a thrilling 122-run triumph.

Ponting was at the centre of the contentious dismissal of Sourav Ganguly when umpire Mark Benson sought his word on whether the left-hander's catch had carried to Clarke at slips before ruling the batsman out.

"The umpire looked at me and asked whether that was out. I checked with Michael, who said it was absolutely clean and I gestured that to the umpire," he said.

Clarke apparently took the ball off the ground and the dismissal raised eyebrows as Benson turned to fielders, instead of checking with Steve Bucknor at square leg or the third umpire.

"Before the series started, me and Anil (Kumble) had a meeting with the Match Referee where we agreed to go with the fielder's word on close catches and that is exactly what happened in this case. If you remember, I had decided not to claim a catch earlier in the match when I wasn't sure about it being clean," he pointed out.

On the record-equalling win, Ponting said he never had it in his mind going into the final day's play.

"I wasn't even thinking about the 16th win. To get it is just amazing, especially after the position we were in on the first day of the match. Our recovery was remarkable," he said.

On handing the ball to part-time spinner Clarke, instead of a frontline bowler in the last couple of overs, Ponting said, "He has done it before against India. And I thought tailenders would have it easy against pacers and he seemed like a good spin option as Brad Hogg wasn't getting the wickets," he said.

 

[rahul_parab2006]

India laid low by Bucknor-Benson duo

SYDNEY: A 'blind' Steve Bucknor and an equally erratic Mark Benson again did their bit to ensure that the second cricket Test between India and Australia would be remembered more for its long list of umpiring howlers than cricketing action.

If the opening day set the tone with three dubious decisions, the final day which saw India crashing to a shock 122-run defeat witnessed a number of horrendous decisions which proved costly for the visitors.

The series of blunders in this Test will further strengthen the demand for the use of technology to minimise human error.

Both the umpires knocked the life out of India's second innings resistance with two decisions and the visitors could not recover from the setbacks.

After a top order collapse, Sourav Ganguly (51) and Rahul Dravid (38) had just steadied the rocking boat when both returned to dubious dismissals.

Dravid had padded an Andrew Symonds delivery that brushed his knee-roll before landing on Adam Gilchrist's gloves and Bucknor ruled the batsman caught behind.

Next was the turn of Benson who ruled Ganguly out even though Michael Clarke took a catch that apparently came off the ground.

Benson surprisingly preferred not to consider Bucknor or the third umpire and instead asked Ricky Ponting, who gestured that Ganguly was out.

Much to Ganguly's dismay, Benson raised his finger, a decision that had former India captain Sunil Gavaskar livid.

Gavaskar lambasted Benson for not consulting Bucknor or the third umpire and going by Ponting's words.

"How can you go by the words of Clarke or Ponting? Clarke stood his ground despite being caught by Dravid and Ponting did not walk despite being caught. They did not walk, which means they have been less than honest while batting. The same guys can't be honest while fielding," he said.

Ponting had edged Ganguly in the first innings to be caught by MS Dhoni but Benson gave him a 'life', while Clarke was caught at slip by Dravid in the second innings off Anil Kumble but the batsman still lingered on the crease before eventually departing.

"Benson could have consulted his colleague in the square leg or the third umpire. Instead, he went to Ponting and went by whatever he said. This is absolutely not on. This is utter nonsense.

"Sorry Mr Benson, you got it all wrong," said an upset Gavaskar.

Yesterday too, Australia benefited from Benson's generosity after he ruled in Mike Hussey's favour even after the batsman had edged RP Singh to Dhoni.

Hussey, who was then on 45, made the most of the 'life' and went on to make an unbeaten 145 to swell Australia's lead.

Similarly, Symonds thrived on the umpires' largess in the first innings. The all-rounder was caught by Dhoni off Ishant Sharma on 30 but Bucknor turned down the appeal, allowing him to score an unbeaten 162 that bailed out the hosts, who had slumped to 134 for six at that stage.

On his way, Symonds got another 'life' by third umpire Bruce Oxenford who ruled him not out when he was stumped by Dhoni off Anil Kumble.

The series of errors infuriated the BCCI, which has decided to lodge a protest with the International Cricket Council.

 

[rahul_parab2006]

NEW DELHI: Incensed by the horrendous umpiring decisions in the second cricket Test against Australia, the Cricket Board on Sunday decided to lodge an official complain with the International Cricket Council (ICC).

The Indian team management had initially decided not to lodge a formal protest after the umpiring blunders on the opening day but the BCCI President Sharad Pawar has now directed its officials to go ahead with an official complain.

"BCCI President Sharad Pawar has directed officials to lodge a official complain against the umpiring in the Sydney Test. The letter to the ICC will be sent today," BCCI Vice President Rajiv Shukla told.

"The quality of umpiring has been unacceptable. We do not consider it to be neutral," Shukla said.

The two umpires -- Steve Bucknor of West Indies and Mark Benson of England -- have given a number of atrocious decisions, most of which have gone against the Indians.

"It is quite evident on television that the umpiring has been poor. Even Sunil Gavaskar who is a member of the ICC's technical committee has expressed his outrage," Shukla said.

"Keeping all this in mind, the BCCI has decided to go ahead and file complain," he added.

 

[aditya sharma]

duh !

what we can expect when umpire starts its kinda play !

symonds once stated to australian media -"we play 13 on field"
(inclusive of 2 umpires)

how crap ! we cric lovers since mornii 5 'o clock were glued to our tv screens and sheer "umpire blues" screw our days up !