Rogers to open as Australia pursues record-breaking 17th test win

PERTH – After days of waiting and batting, and waiting and batting, Chris Rogers finally got the handshake he had been craving from Australian cricket coach Tim Nielsen.
On standby since Sunday to replace Matthew Hayden in case the burly Queenslander failed to recover from a hamstring injury, Rogers has trained, and batted in the nets [...]

Show courage against Aussie pacers, Kirsten advises Indians

India’s coach-designate Gary Kirsten has prepared a document for the team to counter the bouncy track at the WACA where the conditions will be “mentally more demanding” for the batsmen.
“It takes a lot of courage to get into position on bouncy wicket to be successful. More than the technical it’s the mental side and I [...]

Ponting admits to making mistakes in Sydney Test

The Australian team made a couple of mistakes on the field in the controversial second Test against India, Australia captain Ricky Ponting has admitted.
The fallout from the Test, which Australia won by 122 runs, included India captain Anil Kumble accusing the Australians of not playing within the spirit of the game, while Ponting faced calls [...]

Team still in Sydney hotel, waits for BCCI response

Even at this moment, the Indian cricket team bus is parked out the team hotel here and the Indian players are waiting to hear from the BCCI as to whether their Australia tour will continue or not. The players are furious about the events of the past few days, especially the racism charges on Harbhajan [...]

Harbhajan Singh banned for three Tests

SYDNEY: Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh was on Sunday banned for three Test matches after the ICC Match Referee Mike Procter upheld the Australian charge that he had racially abused their all-rounder Andrew Symonds, a decision against which the Indian team will appeal within 24 hours.
Procter gave a marathon six-and-a-half hour hearing to Harbhajan, who denied [...]

‘As good a feeling as I’ve ever had on a cricket field’ – Ponting

Steve Waugh used to complain when he was captain that Australia’s major achievements were always overshadowed by some sort of controversy. Ricky Ponting is unlikely to protest about the issues of race, umpiring and spirit of cricket taking the attention away from his team’s outstanding run of 16 consecutive victories, which equalled Waugh’s world mark.
Ponting’s [...]

Kumble accuses Aussies of bad sportsmanship

India captain Anil Kumble launched an astonishing attack on Australia’s cricketers after his team were beaten in the second Test on Sunday, accusing them of breaching the spirit of the game.
Kumble was unable to contain his fury after his team were beaten by 122 runs in a thrilling and controversial end to one of the [...]

Aussies win, by hook or by crook

Towards the end of this game, as wicket after Indian wicket fell at one end and Anil Kumble, magnificent in his defence, grimly held on to the other, many of us gathered at the Sydney Cricket Ground were praying for India to survive; practically willing Ishant Sharma to survive four balls before Kumble would face [...]

Pakistan urges Australia to tour

Pakistan is urging Cricket Australia to do everything it can to ensure its tour to the troubled nation goes ahead.
Australia are due to play three Tests, five one-dayers and a Twenty20 match in Pakistan in March and April.
Cricket Australia last week said it would stick with its original plan of reviewing security in Pakistan in [...]