Sydney test has an early end, if you are Indian sad end too. I pondered the events as they unfolded during the match, though I did not see it ball by ball, I've few thoughts to pen. I'll part them as under to better grasp intensity of each.
Humbled are raised: When series was about to kick off, few commercials and promotional videos shown Bhajji and Symonds battling on ground everything other than cricket, just to fuel the arrogance on viewer's mind. Their intention was to force our minds to expect such things they coined as sledging. Important to notice - neither Bhajji nor Symonds are part of the team. Australian team, fans and media has left behind that episode – but we have habit to carry our wreckage.
Before the series took off, there was no arrogant statement from Aussies and on the ground so far they've played as if Cricket is really a gentleman’s game. They've left the past and now clearly drawn a line between aggression and arrogance. There has been no gesture of arrogance from Aussies which was highly anticipated by those commercials and media. On the contrary they are humbled, they know, they are not on top of the game and need to work towards cricketing skills only. Peak of the story is - Clarke's humble declaration when it was clearly evident that he could've easily surpassed Don Bradman's highest score, if not Brian Lara's 400. Let's not forget there was a whole day to spare - and it could have taken just 1 hour for him to reach that milestone - a rarest of rare feats. He allowed Hussey to reach 150 before declaration. Hussey allowed Clarke to cross the rope before he enters to pavilion, that was again a fine display of sportsmanship and team spirit, rightly applauded by Harsha Bhogle. They are humbled and yet victorious, reminds me the early teaching I had in my Sunday- school - humbled are raised in the eyes of God.
What goes around comes around: This is the thought lately came in when I was thinking about Virat Kohli's penalty of 50% match fee deduction. He showd his middle finger to Aussie fans while he was fielding. Though he pleaded guilty and was sorry to ICC, he argued that somebody from stands - said bad words about his mother and sister. I clearly trace out those instances when Virat Kohli has used such ugly words on ground when he took a catch or wicket, involved in run out or even when we won a match or tournament. That was public display of wrong jubilations. Harsha raised a question also - why celebration should be with ugly words? This is a clear case of what goes around comes around - for Virat it came from other direction and not from ground.
Killing expectations: I wonder how many times the media here would write - Sachin misses yet again the 100th ton, be it he got out on 8 or 80! False expectations have always pre-murdered Indians - be it in bed or in cricket ground or in school competition or in Olympics. I've never seen Sachin playing so over-cautiously to part time bowlers like Clarke and Hussey, why? Poor Sachin is under tremendous pressure to deliver that 100 - so he can get relieved. I am pretty sure - he will reach it there one day for sure - but there will be sigh of relief rather than actual enjoyment.
