Polite Cricket

An Indian fan couldn't have asked for a better two days (well, perhaps another hundred runs on the board) but more than the game (as gripping as it is) what strikes me more is the conduct of the players. This has undoubtedly been the politest two days of Test cricket. When Tendulkar came in to bat, Lee welcomed him with the good ol' bouncer and a smile about a yard wide. Australian batting - Lee defends a good ball and Pathan walks up to him for a casual chit-chat (wide smile being a constant). It's almost as if each one has been instructed to slap on the smile and mince the words.

Not many would complain, given the recent events but there is something so surreal about this niceness. Wickets are celebrated but not aggressively and Andrew Symonds is decidedly not looking any Indian player in the eye if he can help it. Of course, much like Sydney, he refused to walk this time too (an awkward moment, considering Raut gave him ample time to do so and only raised the finger when he figured the man wasn't walking) Really, Symonds, you ain't earning no brownie points for that (the hearing isn't over mate!)

N of course, amidst all this was the sheer joy was watching Anil Kumble celebrate his 600th wicket. The test is far from over - and this one will most definitely yield a result given that it's the second day and Australia is 195/7 in response to India's first innings score of 330.

I realise I've rambled, but it's the shock of watching two headstrong teams play their politest best! Yeah sure, we still had some dicey decisions and no doubt, we'd like to discuss at length the injustice of losing Tendulkar and Dhoni to lbws, that too for deliveries that were clearly too high or pitching outside. Bottomline, 22 players have walked out on the field with a resolve to put the game above all else (n perhaps TRPs too). The game has had its moments, just this time around its been quiet drama. If you ask me cricket hasn't been a gentleman's game in quite some time...this will take some getting used to...