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Pipe down, you whining OZ
It is reported that Cricket Australia now has written officially to the ICC to express its concerns over the pitch at the Wankhede Stadium at Mumbai where the mighty Australian batting machine collapsed like a set of dominoes to crash to 93 all out in their third Test against India a while ago. Chasing a target of 107 runs to win Australia slumped to 93 all out on a turning wicket.

It seems that the mighty cricketing machine from down under is the mightiest cricketing whiner of all time. They not only whine but, also tend act in an unbecoming manner when they are beaten.

Waigankar writing in his column in the Sports Star issue this months says "For the past one month, there has been debate about the Wankhede pitch. Everyone has the right to express his views but the Australians have crossed the limit. Some Australian players were seen cursing the pitch after the presentation ceremony and one of them was spitting on it. Would it be tolerated if the Indians were to do that at Perth? Would the Australians have behaved the same way had they won the Test? I thought Cricket Australia is strict about the code of conduct and would take action but it does seem they were too engrossed studying the new amendment to the chucking law"!

Not too long ago the same team after having beaten Sri Lanka in a series 3-0 ( after Sri Lanka had made their own blunder by selecting the wrong captain) in their own backyard, invited Sri Lanka to play two test matches in godforsaken Darwin and Cairns. In the first Test at Darwin though Australia ended the game on the right side of the score sheet they too were all out for 207 and 201 in their two innings while Sri Lanka made 97 and 162.

After the game this is what Sri Lanka's Australian coach John Dyson and Australia's stand-in captain Adam Gilchrist had to say about the Marrara Oval pitch at Darwin. "I don't think the wicket was quite up to Test standards" said Gilchrist. " It is pretty obvious when a Test finishes like this. With quality batsmen around in both teams it is not quite there. With the type of pitch, the result becomes a lottery."

The Lankan coach added "When Australia gets bowled out for 200 twice in a Test that should tell you something about the wicket. When a Test match finishes in under three days it also tells you something about the wicket. Australia knew the wicket was favourable for their type of bowling and they bowled exactly the way they should".

So what was wrong with the Wankhede pitch?
Australians have played their cards out of turn on more occasions than stated above. For good or for bad first it was the Kerry Packer series which was mooted by them. But, coming closer home, in 1995 umpire Darryl Hair called Lankan off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan not even a day after he had enjoyed his Christmas meal. May be the Australians foresaw the capabilities of this man. After being cleared Muralitharan went on to become one of the greatest bowlers ever in cricket history.

Then a year later the Australians declined to honour their commitment in their opening World Cup match in Sri Lanka, prompting the servile West Indians to follow suit. Stating his views about the decline Australian spinner Shane Warne whined that he will not be able to do shopping while in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka, then went on to beat the Australians in the final at Lahore and then refused to shake hands after the game.

Coming back to Wankhede Stadium, after Australia lost the game at Mumbai the CA chief executive James Sutherland went on record saying "steps should be taken to address the issue of substandard pitches in future". Well done!.... but he should have stated that after the game at Darwin. When Australia beat Sri Lanka also under three days on a horror wicket.

Generally cricket is played or used to be played on a reciprocal basis ... the reason being that when you play at home, you have a home advantage. Preparing the wickets to suit your own bowling strengths is also one of the prerogatives.

Another well kept secret is Australia's 1999 drubbing against Sri Lanka. This mighty outfit which had the likes of the two Waugh's, Ponting, Warne, Mcgrath, lost the series to Sri Lanka after they had lost the first game in Kandy. Then the next two games were interrupted in Galle and Colombo. However since then it is very seldom that any one speaks of this or refer to it. Even the historic series win by Australia in India during their last visit would have been a 2-all draw if rain did not interfere in the second test.

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