Monday, October 22, 2007

Mumbai meltdown

Last copy from The Australian's correspondent in Mumbai:

"Twenty20 is perfectly suited to India's young men who smash the ball with incredible ferocity and can sustain such efforts for the short period needed, although they do find themselves exposed over longer forms of the game.

"Australia fielded badly and conceded 24 extras - and that didn't include the two fives the fieldsmen gave Gambhir in run-out attempts that resulted in overthrows.

"The visitors looked tired and eager to get home and drove the route to the airport a few hours after the game. The Indians drove the reverse route four weeks back in front of a million or so people.

"It was an amazing scene then and one that steeled a couple of the Australian players to take them down a peg or two.

"Those celebrations were reprised to a lesser extent when the Indian players clambered aboard Gambhir's new car and did a lap of honour of Brabourne stadium.

"If you looked up in the stands as they did you could almost see the ghost of English captains past, wondering what on earth these colonials had done to the game."