http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24467525-5001505,00.htmlAN insulted Ricky Ponting is at a loss to explain the attempt by India's Virender Sehwag to revive the bad blood which almost destroyed last summer's Test series.
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Australia captain Ricky Ponting gets a feel for the crease while India captain Anil Kumble, left, takes a very close look at the Bangalore pitch
On the eve of the first Test, India captain Anil Kumble attempted to dismiss his opening batsman's provocative claims of Australian cheating during January's Sydney Test.
However, Ponting was clearly annoyed old wounds had been reopened leading into a four-Test series the Australians are desperately hoping will be remembered for its cricket not its controversy.
Sehwag insisted that the Australians claimed catches which were not legitimate after India agreed not to use the video umpire to determine catches.
"There is no point in having such an arrangement when the Australians are claiming one-bounce catches," Sehwag told an Indian sports network
"We'd have won the Sydney Test if they hadn't claimed catches off half-volleys in that game."
The comments come despite Australia winning that match by 122 runs, although India just failed to hang on for a draw.
Ponting was clearly annoyed by yet another shot at Australia's integrity from a country which has the worst record of player behaviour in world cricket.
Match referees have issued almost 50 guilty verdicts against Indian players over the past decade compared to less than 30 against Australia's players.
"That's fairly insulting, particularly given that I didn't claim a catch in the first innings (in Sydney) because I wasn't 100 per cent sure about it," Ponting said of Sehwag's remarks.
"It's amazing how they pick a lot of the negatives out of that game but don't seem to speak about the Perth Test (which India won), when we had the same things happen to us in that game.
"Not one member of the Australian team has even spoken about it. That's the way we go about our cricket.
"India choose to go about their cricket in different ways.
"We can't change that. It's all gone. It's behind us. It's 10 months ago and we've moved on and we're here to win a Test series in India, which everyone knows is very difficult."
Kumble attempted to act as a fire extinguisher.
"I think that's all past," he said. "Let's not sit and dwell on what has happened in the past. I'm sure this series will be played in the right way."
Ponting believes that if India continues to focus on the Sydney Test, it will favour Australia.
"The fact that they're still thinking about a Test match they lost is a good thing for us going into this series," he said.
"A lot was made of that (Sydney) Test at the time but we addressed the issues coming out of the game and it would obviously appear to us that they haven't.
"If it's still lingering in their minds then they're probably not focusing on this Test.
"I'm not sure what they're trying to achieve coming out and speaking about that Test.
"It was a crucial Test and as I said at the time, it was one of the best moments that I've felt on a cricket field.
"To snatch that Test win the way we did was an outstanding effort by our team."
The Sydney match almost saw Kumble's side pull out of the series after Ponting laid a charge of racial abuse against serial offender Harbhajan Singh and a number of umpiring decisions went against the Indians.
The tour only continued after the racial abuse charge was downgraded, allowing Harbhajan to escape with a fine, and umpire Steve Bucknor was dumped.
With just four of Australia's 15-man squad having played Test cricket in India, spinners Cameron White and Jason Krejza well below Test class and Ponting carrying a batting average of 12 in India from eight Tests, it will be an enormous challenge to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
However, Ponting believes that the Australians can exploit an ageing Indian team with their relative youth and fitness.
"I think we can take them on when they're in the field and play a new-age type of Test cricket that is going to make some of their older guys look a bit old and a bit slow," Ponting said.
"This includes running between the wickets and our fielding if a couple of their batsmen like VVS Laxman and the retiring Sourav Ganguly happen to be in together.
"I think we can create an intensity in the field which at certain stages might make their old blokes look like they're past their use-by date."
Additional reporting: Agencies
AuthorTopic: RPonting insulted..Good for you Mr.Sehwag! (Read 377 times)
January 23, 2006, 04:36:53 PM