It's been nearly a month since I've posted anything - and so much has happened.
Murali - inevitably broke the wicket taking record. What he does, he does phenomenally well - I'll say that much, and probably just leave it at that. Congrats!
Australia are now in the middle of the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy. With the second game washed out, the Kiwi's could possibly get up for an unlikely series leveller in Hobart tomorrow - and keep that elusive trophy - the only one not in the Cabinet for the Aussies at the moment. They're just as likely to do that too - just a couple of days before I head off to spend Christmas and the New Year with the in-laws - guess where - Christchurch and Auckland. (That would be just my luck!) Can you guess how many "underarm" wise-cracks are made during backyard cricket, even still?!
Sri Lanka have just stated they want to go to number 2 in the world, by beating England 2 - nil. If they manage that, then it will prove just how little the cricket world has progressed since 2005. Back then, it looked like the gulf was narrowing - as England beat Australia to creep closer. Since then, it's been down hill for everyone but Australia. For Sri Lanka, just walloped here in two Tests to officially be "next in line" would be a concern for Test Playing nations everywhere.
Personally I think India will push Australia every bit of the way this summer. The pace won't worry them that much (Tendulka in particular) and spin never really has, especially now without Warne. Perhaps the "honeymoon" period of the much talked about, "new look Aussie side" (Warne-McGrath-Martyn-Langer-less) is over.
Oh - and the Shaun Tait chucking thing - well, for the record, I think he chucks. When he drops into the low, round arm action, he definitely bends to release - but in excusing Murali all this time, we pretty much have nowhere to go now do we. We're only going to see more and more of this...
