Australia v. India - First Test, Gabba

[Donny]

Langer goes to 102 n.o. Well played, Alfie.

Classic Test innings. Patient early. Supported Hayden then Ponting and when Ponting departed, took over and raced to his century.

[Donny]

The players are going off for bad light. Probably stumps.

The score is 2/262 with Langer on 115 n.o. and Martyn, 36 n.o.

[Donny]

Still raining.

[HAL]

Still how long? Is that your final answer? ; )

[Donny]

Inexplicably, Australia came out to bat again.

Lasted one ball. MacGill out. Total: 323

Khan took 5/95 and Agarkar, 3/90

[Donny]

Go-slow Ganguly faces Test ban
By Jamie Walker - Fox Sports
December 6, 2003

INDIA's captain Sourav Ganguly faces an unprecedented one-Test ban after being cautioned about his team's slow over rate by match referee Mike Procter.

The South African great has spoken to Ganguly and India's manager, Shivlal Yadav, drawing their attention to new playing rules which expose the captain to far heavier penalties than those applied to other players.

Procter yesterday told The Weekend Australian that the Indians were so far behind on overs that Ganguly faced the prospect of being fined a sum greater than his match fee, which might leave no alternative but to ban him under the ICC code of conduct.

In that event, Procter said he would seek legal advice on applying the new rules.

Although no disciplinary action could be taken until the end of the match, he said he had approached Ganguly on Thursday night after India completed only 62 overs in the rain-affected opening day's play, 10 short of the allocated total.

He reinforced his concerns with Yadav yesterday morning in what he described as a "friendly chat".

Asked how the Indians had responded, Procter said: "They all reacted very, very well, which they do. They have got cricket at heart and they understood the situation totally and took it on board."

The ICC's new Test match playing conditions make the captain directly accountable for slow over rates, doubling the fines to which other team members are liable.

While players can be penalised five per cent of their match fee for each of the first five overs the fielding team comes up short, the captain loses 10 per cent.

If the shortfall is six overs or more, the fine lifts to 10 per cent of the match fee per over for players, and 20 per cent for the captain.

This also triggers a breach under the ICC code of conduct in relation to the captain, carrying a fine of up to 100 per cent of the match and/or a one Test ban for conduct contrary to the spirit of the game.

Procter said the Indian side had been given a dispensation of one over on account of the damp conditions on Thursday, and could receive a further over off in consideration of yesterday's rain disruptions.

But it would be "very tough" for the visitors to make up the overs.

"They are aware of the situation that they are very far behind," Procter said, speaking before India returned to the field late yesterday.

"They are currently nine overs behind and, to get it back to five, for example, they have got to bowl 16 (overs) an hour for four hours. That is the simple arithmetic."

Procter said neither Ganguly nor Yadav had sought to make excuses for the poor over rate despite the weather.

The rules were quite specific and were supported by the Test-playing nations and their respective players' associations when introduced about 12 months ago, Procter said.

As for the prospect of Ganguly being banned, Procter said: "If, for example, they are seven or eight overs (behind at the end of the match), the fine is probably going to be more than the match fee anyway.

"My interpretation - and I will obviously find out before doing anything - would be you couldn't fine someone more than 100 per cent of a match (fee).

"So maybe the ban would come in. That's something I would find out from an attorney, how to read that."

[Donny]

Go-slow Ganguly faces Test ban
By Jamie Walker - Fox Sports
December 6, 2003

INDIA's captain Sourav Ganguly faces an unprecedented one-Test ban after being cautioned about his team's slow over rate by match referee Mike Procter.

The South African great has spoken to Ganguly and India's manager, Shivlal Yadav, drawing their attention to new playing rules which expose the captain to far heavier penalties than those applied to other players.

Procter yesterday told The Weekend Australian that the Indians were so far behind on overs that Ganguly faced the prospect of being fined a sum greater than his match fee, which might leave no alternative but to ban him under the ICC code of conduct.

In that event, Procter said he would seek legal advice on applying the new rules.

Although no disciplinary action could be taken until the end of the match, he said he had approached Ganguly on Thursday night after India completed only 62 overs in the rain-affected opening day's play, 10 short of the allocated total.

He reinforced his concerns with Yadav yesterday morning in what he described as a "friendly chat".

Asked how the Indians had responded, Procter said: "They all reacted very, very well, which they do. They have got cricket at heart and they understood the situation totally and took it on board."

The ICC's new Test match playing conditions make the captain directly accountable for slow over rates, doubling the fines to which other team members are liable.

While players can be penalised five per cent of their match fee for each of the first five overs the fielding team comes up short, the captain loses 10 per cent.

If the shortfall is six overs or more, the fine lifts to 10 per cent of the match fee per over for players, and 20 per cent for the captain.

This also triggers a breach under the ICC code of conduct in relation to the captain, carrying a fine of up to 100 per cent of the match and/or a one Test ban for conduct contrary to the spirit of the game.

Procter said the Indian side had been given a dispensation of one over on account of the damp conditions on Thursday, and could receive a further over off in consideration of yesterday's rain disruptions.

But it would be "very tough" for the visitors to make up the overs.

"They are aware of the situation that they are very far behind," Procter said, speaking before India returned to the field late yesterday.

"They are currently nine overs behind and, to get it back to five, for example, they have got to bowl 16 (overs) an hour for four hours. That is the simple arithmetic."

Procter said neither Ganguly nor Yadav had sought to make excuses for the poor over rate despite the weather.

The rules were quite specific and were supported by the Test-playing nations and their respective players' associations when introduced about 12 months ago, Procter said.

As for the prospect of Ganguly being banned, Procter said: "If, for example, they are seven or eight overs (behind at the end of the match), the fine is probably going to be more than the match fee anyway.

"My interpretation - and I will obviously find out before doing anything - would be you couldn't fine someone more than 100 per cent of a match (fee).

"So maybe the ban would come in. That's something I would find out from an attorney, how to read that."

[Donny]

Sehwag (45) added some quick runs this morning before 3 quick wickets fell.

Dravid (1) and Tendulkar (0) followed Sehwag and the Aussied were on top.

Chopra (30) and Ganguly (35) have taken the score to 3/119.

[Donny]

At stumps, India are 6/262.

Ganguly (144) and Laxman (75) added 146.

Gillespie took 3/45 and MacGill, 2/85

[Newelly]

This Indians series might be interesting after all.

[Newelly]

Btw when does Lee or McGrath come back from injury? I've never seen Fickle Bichel bowl so badly in a days cricket. Considering what the largely unheralded Indian pacemen did its unforgiveable.

[piedys]

Can't recall the last time Aussies were outscored in the first innings!

Dyso

[Newelly]

Were they out-scored against the Poms in the 5th Ashes test last season?



"Inflammable means flammable??? What sort of country is this?"

[HAL]

What kinds of country is this are there?

[CQ]

yesterday arvo was boring as. after they got one out in the first over nothing happened for hours. oh apart from bichel being hit all over the ground pfft. looks like a certain draw to me.