DOWN UNDER

India are Down Under in Australia and are literally "down under" after the 3rd day of the 1st Test match. A lot has been made of this Indian trip down under and how its only been the Indians that have tested the Aussies in the recent years.
I totally agree with that, but the hoopla around the 1st test was a bit too much from the fans I guess. Indians after all on this trip did not even get 1 full game to get accustomed to the bouncy nature of the Aussie wickets, and the umpiring has always been a question when the oppostion team has been Australia. It is that when there is a marginal decision umpire always tends to give it in the favor of the aussies and rarely when they go against them, Aussies get away and dont get Descent.
So lets talk about the Test thats currrently on at the MCG.
India made a commendable comback in the last session on the 1st day when aussies were threating to post a score in excess of 500 Indian bowlers stuck to their task and got the required wickets.
The problem has always been the batsmen whenever Indians have travelled abroad and whenever they have delivered Indians have performed well.
With the batting line up on paper Indians should have managed to score what aussies had done if not surpass them, but an usually Nervous start to the innings by Jaffer and Dravid made the task all the more difficult and aussie were all over the Indians before they knew any thing.
Also again helped by the umpires. Yuvraj Singh, the uncrowned prince of Indian Cricket, he must be wondering what wrong he has done, first he can not find a place in the first XI and when he does umpires are against him, this was the 2nd time in last 3 innings that he got a rough decision, and Match Refree Mike Procter thinks that he showed "DISSENT". I would like to know, if a Batsman is clearly NOT OUT and his team is in dire straits when he went into bat and is given a wrong decision, doesnt he even have the right to stand and look at the "HUMAN BEING" who has given him out, I have seen worse behavior from the AUSSIES, even abusing the umpire when they have been given out but NO ACTION against them.
But anyways, India got out for 196 thanks largely to SACHIN's blistering 62. He seemed to be on a altogehter different level from the rest of the Indian batsman, thats why he is the greatest this era or probably Cricket has ever seen.
Aussies after gaining a lead of 146 runs were always going to push for more and put the Indians in a corner, but they found going not all that smooth and have given Indians, a target of 499 runs. I dont know what was the thinking behind Ponting's declaration at that point, coz generally everybody try and push the score above he Psycologiocal 500 run mark but stopped just short of it.
It is an imposing target, no question about that and India will have to make a World Record if they chase down this target.
But I think Ponting has made a mistake, the wicket is not too hard for batting, its only that runs are little difficult to come by, but if you are ready to wait you can get the runs. Ponting has given Indians two full days to get to the target, however hard it may be but Ponting has given them a chance to get to that target; and with form that Sachin and Sourav are in, India would just be hoping if Rahul and Jaffer could a lay strong platform at the start. If that is done then we have a match on hands. For me the match depends on the 1st session on the 4th day, this is crucial session, if India manages to win this session then anything is possible afterall Cricket a Funny game.