Plenty of drama at Sydney

• The Sydney Test was an absorbing one in that it had all the elements that one normally loves to see in a Test match. There were some top notch individual performances that would be remembered for a long time but in the end the fracas between Symonds and Harbhajan overshadowed the memorable segments of that Test match.
• But for this incident and its aftermath, avid followers of the game will be still talking about the artistry of Laxman and the majesty of Tendulkar. Their knocks set India up in the Test match to try and put the pressure on the Aussies. However, the Aussies prevailed over the challenge posed by the Indians and won the match in the dying moments. On the fact of it, one must hand it to the hosts for hanging on and turning the tables on the visitors but the events that took place in the process were ludicrous.
• Some words are always exchanged on the field and the onus is on the umpires to control the game in a professional manner. They failed miserably in Sydney on that count and I for one believe that the Test match would have been incident-free but for the poor decisions by the umpires.
• A mistake or two is understandable but the Indians cannot be faulted if they feel that they were done in by the umpires. This is where the ICC needs to tighten up and be more proactive and stringent in assessing the performance of the umpires. All the brave statements that come from the ICC bigwigs amount to nothing if they replace an umpire on receipt of a protest. In doing so, the ICC makes one curious about its assessment process with regard to the umpires. With all respect to the umpires, poor decisions on the opening day of a Test match on a flat pitch will not be tolerated by international cricketers, especially when such decisions happen to turn the game on its head.
• Regardless of what transpires with regard to Harbhajan’s ban, the Indians still have a lot to play for and salvage some pride. It is all the more important that the Indians play well to put Australia under pressure as any deficiency on their part will attract more criticism and of course, some taunts from the hosts on the field.
  Despite the fact that everyone is aware of what went wrong in Sydney, the Indians will be expected to deliver in the next two Tests. If they fail to make an impression, all the support gained after the Sydney Test will be lost in no time.