wow how about that aye

[seantheprawn]

India all out for 205, australia needing 106 or sumthing to win, all out for 96!!

what is with that mubai pitch?

i couldnt believ it, i thought australia would rip through india then, but no.

owell im just glad india pulled back a victory, so they could finish with atleast 1 win to save the embarresment.

But Australia played well



CUM ON THE ASHES!!!!

[Maranello]

Yeh well done to India, really unexpected win.

Ponting is now wingeing and blaming the pitch - Aussies are not the best of losers...! Maybe they need more practice at it

He lost this Test fair and square, should be gracious about it and not blame everyone else... sour grapes indeed! And this is when they won the series...imagine what this lot would be like when they lose the Ashes....

[Rachael]

A lesson here though for all those who want to play the Aussies: you CAN beat the Aussies without posting huge totals.

I've been appalled by the mindlessness of approaches to beating the Aussies these past few years.. but this series has shown that when the going gets tough... very few of the Aussies get going. Sure, Martyn and Katich are tough cookies.. and have been devils to dislodge.. but Hayden, Ponting, Clarke and Gilchrist have been largely nullified as matchwinners by the simple expedient of requiring them to protect their wickets and graft for their runs.

Let's hope the ECB brings this to the attention of the English groundsmen ASAP: by the time next summer's Ashes tour comes around the ECB really should have sorted out a situation in which the current Rose bowl looks like a batters paradise compared with low scoring results tracks at the relevent Test venues.

Will not happen.. because the ECB will want tests lasting the full 5 days... and so rather than help the national side win they will help the Aussies give the national side a good stuffing with sdream surfaces for strokeplayers at Lords and the Oval. Grrrrr.

[Maranello]

That's true Rachael...post Waugh, there is not much spine in the Aussie team, once you get Langer, Katich is the only one who will consistently graft and play for time.

The trick to crack them is to put the pressure on their batsman - otherwise they will murder the opposition.

And once the batsmen have been put under pressure, and have not put up a large scores, the bowling attack becomes much more reasonable... facing Warne's leg-spin when Aus have made 450 is lethal, a high-pressure situation for the batsman...when Aus have been out for 200, the pressure is all on Warne & Co...

[Beny]

Ohh come on guys the top score was 69.

It was a very difficult wicket to bat on made even worse for Australia by the fact that India had the spinners to exploit the conditions.

Ponting was'nt winghing at all he was simply pointing out that Australia should not be too dissapointed at this loss. After all we won the series.