The Ashes – 2nd Test: Spat between Ricky Ponting and Andrew Strauss
Day One of the second Ashes Test finally saw a heated exchange between the two sides. The row is said to have happened between the Australian wicketkeeper and the English skipper at the later stages of the day’s play.
Aussie keeper Brad Haddin was apparently not pleased with Andrew Strauss and was seen accusing England of wasting time. http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 captain Ricky Ponting (obviously) couldn’t stay away from this spat and jumped in by criticizing
the English skipper after the end of the day’s play.
The words exchanged between Haddin and Strauss will forever remain a mystery because the mics at the stumps couldn’t pick the ‘interesting’ conversation. And since neither team has reported the matter to the match referee, fans
hoping to see some verbal onslaught added to the fantastic play will remain disappointed.
Considering the spats and altercations that are believed to be a part of the baggage in the Ashes, one can safely say that the first match of the Ashes at Gabba was played by pure gentlemen. Not a single exchange of hot words was
witnessed by the spectators. Australia and England played that game as tamed beasts.
Even when Michael Hussey was frustrating the English bowlers by forcing them to bend their backs to get him out somehow, there were still no reported case of bad words between the bowlers and the Aussie batsmen.
After getting hit for a four by Hussey, James Anderson would just grin at the defiant batsman and walk back to his starting point. This is what the spectators saw during the whole five days of play at Gabba.
Knowing the fierce rivalry that exists between the two sides (exceeded perhaps only by http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755), it was perhaps only a matter of time before the anger and the hate would spill onto the tongue and run havoc in the field.
The classy act that the players of both sides put on in Brisbane was out from the word go in the second Test at Adelaide.
The hosts were shocked when two of their wickets fell before any runs were added to the board, and then Australia were three wickets down for only two runs. The visitors had totally stunned the Aussies. Simon Katich and Ricky Ponting
failed to register a single run on the scoreboard. Michael http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Clarke-c51120 was also a disappointment; Ponting’s deputy scored two meagre runs before being sent back to the pavilion.
These circumstances of duress in the first day’s game were sure to have their impact on the players in the field, which was shown later in the day.
The Aussies knew for a fact that this was going to be an embarrassing day for them, had Michael Hussey and Shane http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Watson-c96326 not played a face-saving knock. Hussey yet again remained defiant by scoring 93 runs and Watson ably played
an innings of 51 runs.
Ponting wanted to get back at the English side, and hence came the outburst. Australia were of the opinion that England were trying to waste time at the close of the day. Ponting has clearly shown his displeasure at the English
bowlers for leaving the field at regular intervals.
Ricky Ponting is under tremendous pressure to win this Ashes and perhaps it is this pressure that is also giving the skipper some nightmares. The way things went on the first day, the fans need to brace themselves for some more
fireworks yet to come at Adelaide.
Tags: