| Positive cricket should always be the norm. While | | | | shaved off immediately. Once in a particular match |
| negative cricket should always be avoided. But | | | | the detected trace of grass could not be shaved off |
| extremes in both these forms of cricket bring | | | | and this made the then Indian captain so irritated that |
| disrepute to this great game of cricket. | | | | he sat out of the match. Experts pointed out that |
| Australia has been playing positive cricket over the | | | | later that the captain sat out because he had a |
| decades. They have the competitive and fighting | | | | known weakness for speedy outside the off stump |
| spirit, aggression, tough physical and mental frame | | | | stuff. Such negative attitudes lead to natural over |
| and the right attitude of playing for win. They | | | | dependence on spinners and unless they do some |
| possess the 'killer instinct' to enforce win from any | | | | magic matches are mostly drawn. A result everyone |
| position of a particular match. And they have | | | | is happy with. Before a match India is less bothered |
| harvested the results. They have been the invincible | | | | by the quality cricket they are supposed to play than |
| team for at least a decade. They have recorded | | | | some external factors like the pitch report, the |
| consecutive sixteen test wins two times. They have | | | | weather report and crowd behavior. |
| won the World Cup thrice in succession in 2007 in the | | | | The Indian cricketing mindset thus overloaded with |
| one day format. Well, so far so good. | | | | negative attributes just cannot have a killer instinct |
| In the name of positive cricket Australia has also | | | | and they have righteously earned the titles of |
| been indulging in mouthing abuses at the slightest | | | | 'generous hosts' or 'a team capable of losing from |
| opportunity, mindless sledging and pressurizing the | | | | any position'. Their failure to win against England and |
| umpires with both justified and unjustified wild | | | | Pakistan in 2007 more emphatically or their failure to |
| pretended appeals. Their killer instinct has become a | | | | at least draw the controversial Sydney test in 2008 |
| Frankenstein threatening to 'kill' the game itself. If one | | | | is a reflection of this negative mindset. Under |
| makes a study one is most likely to find that the | | | | pressure or to avert a defeat some negative tactics |
| most grievous umpiring mistakes have been | | | | like bowling away from the stumps, delaying the |
| committed in Australia with Australia playing against | | | | overrate and mid field time pass consultations are |
| any team. They have mastered the winning habit | | | | more or less practiced by all the teams sometime or |
| alright, but they should not try to win by hook or by | | | | the other. But India has taken negative cricket to the |
| crook. They managed to win the home test series | | | | extremes which are both shocking and shameful. |
| against India in 2007-2008 thanks to the foul cricket | | | | The most significant fact is that these two |
| played in the Sydney test. They have taken positive | | | | extremely positive and extremely negative teams |
| cricket to extremes which are both shocking and | | | | had occupied the first two positions in the ICC |
| shameful. | | | | cricket ranking just after the India-Australia Test |
| Indian cricket has been afflicted with negative | | | | Series of 2007-2008. This means both teams are |
| attributes all the time. Their game is always | | | | immensely capable of playing good quality cricket and |
| overshadowed by defensive tactics. They prepare | | | | cricket is still the winner. |
| dry grass less pitches so that the Indian batsmen | | | | And, it is good positive quality cricket that the |
| counter hostile pacers better and score tons of runs. | | | | earnest cricket fans expect of any team. |
| Prior to a match if any trace of grass is detected it is | | | | |