Does it really matter ?

Australian Spirit...

Just watched the Aussies come back from the brink of defeat about three times in the same game. The resilience and tenacity exhibited by Ponting's men is amazing. Completely at sea in the first two games. Now with their skipper back to lead them, they have come back like the Phoenix.

This team has come back from 2-0 down to level the ongoing One-day series against South Africa. With the series at 2-2, the pressure is well and truly on the Proteas to win this one, to avoid critics saying that they are the eternal "chokers" of world cricket.

But, what a game this fourth one was!!! Andrew Symonds had the game in absolute control, when he lost his head and tried to smash Telemachus out of the Kings mead Oval. And Roger promptly rattled his furniture. Stuart Clark smashed four at the right time to keep them in the game. It all came to the final over when they needed 2 runs to win and the South Africans need one wicket. The first a low full toss (an attempted yorker) was sent through mid-wicket to get the 2 runs and secure victory to the Aussies, who thoroughly deserved it.

Watching this game and the way cricketers run across the wickets to ensure that they are between the ball and the wicket had me thinking. If Inzamam was out "Obstructing the field", then surely so are all the batsmen who run across to get into the path of the ball on its way to hitting the stumps. If a batsman is running in a manner so as to stop the ball from hitting the stumps it must be wrong, coz that is what Inzamam was doing, stopping the ball from going towards the stumps intentionally. Not that I condone what Inzamam did. Hope the ICC is looking into this.

posted by Sreedhar @ Saturday, March 11, 2006