The Sports Funnel

Australia captain Ricky Ponting told Grandstand the threat of being suspended was reason enough to change his tactics following tea on day four of the Nagpur Test.

The tourists were enjoying a surge in momentum on the fourth day with India struggling at 6 for 166 at tea and leading by 252 runs when Ponting chose to bowl Jason Krejza, Michael Clarke, Mike Hussey and Cameron White instead of his pacemen in an effort to quicken Australia's slow over rate.

India re-grouped and eventually set a victory target of 382 runs and Ponting's decision to ignore pace in favour of his slow bowlers immediately after tea has been seen as a pivotal reason behind Australia's 172-run defeat to India, who reclaimed the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

You can listen to Ponting's full interview with Grandstand's Glenn Mitchell below:

Click here to download the interview.

Ponting says he did not want to risk possibly being suspended, given the fact he had been informed by the umpires his side was nine overs behind schedule at tea.

"I don't want to be reported on the cricket field, I don't want to miss a game for Australia," he said.

"So those things taken into account probably gives you an idea why I made the decision I made."

Ponting, who felt his decision had been "blown out of proportion" by the media, says it is important to him that Australia respects the "spirit of the game".

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar told Grandstand India's 2-0 series win illustrates it can match Australia's renowned aggressive approach.

India wrapped up the Border-Gavaskar Trophy with an emphatic 172-run win against Australia in the fourth and final Test in Nagpur, having previously triumphed by 320 runs in Mohali last month.

It is India's first outright series win since defeating Australia 2-1 in 2001.

You can listen to Gavaskar's full interview with Grandstand's Glenn Mitchell below:

Click here to download the interview.

Gavaskar, whose name adorns the perpetual trophy alongside former counterpart Allan Border, says India won because it refused to be intimidated by Australia.

"They've always been at the Australians and pretty much kind of played the cricket that the Australians play," he said.

"So, obviously they learned a lot from the Australians."

Gavaskar, a 125-Test veteran, says he feels Australia has struggled to feel the void left by the retirements of bowling greats Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath following the 2006/07 Ashes series.

Retiring India batsman Sourav Ganguly says he takes great satisfaction from ending his Test career with his side's 2-0 series win over Australia.

The former India captain made his final appearance in the Test arena in its 172-run win in Nagpur, the victory giving the hosts the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

The 35-year-old enjoyed mixed fortunes in Nagpur, having made 85 in the first innings before being dismissed for a golden duck in the second.

You can listen to Ganguly's media conference below:

Click here to download the media conference.

Ganguly, who was afforded the honour of captaining India for Australia's final wicket, says the series win was an ideal way to bow out of Tests.

"To win the series 2-0 against the best side in the world is very, very satisfying," he said.

"After the first Test in Bangalore I thought we dominated all three Test matches."

Ganguly, who played 113 Tests at an average of 42.17, says he is confident the current India squad can enjoy a bright future on the international stage.

India reclaimed the Border-Gavaskar Trophy following a convincing 172-run win over Australia in the fourth and final Test in Nagpur on Monday.

The hosts wrapped up the series 2-0 when they dismissed Australia for 209 in its second innings, Harbhajan Singh snaring the final wicket of Mitchell Johnson, who was trapped LBW for 11.

Australia, chasing 382 for victory, had reached lunch on day five on 3 for 111, but lost its remaining seven wickets with the addition of just 98 runs in the second session.

To review the action from Nagpur you can visit Grandstand's scorecard and game log, as well as listen to the post-stumps summary compiled by Jim Maxwell and The Australian's Mike Coward below:

Click here to download the summary.

Related Audio:

You can listen to commentary highlights from day five in Nagpur below:

Click here to download the highlights.

Australia lost three wickets during the morning session on day five of the fourth and final Test against India in Nagpur this afternoon.

Matthew Hayden on 46 and Mike Hussey on 14 took the tourists to lunch on 3 for 111, still needing 271 runs for an unlikely victory.

Simon Katich (16), captain Ricky Ponting (8) and Michael Clarke (22) were the dismissed batsmen.

To keep-up-to-date with the action in Nagpur you can visit Grandstand's live scorecard and game log, as well as listen to commentary highlights from the morning session below:

(NB: ABC Local Radio does not have online streaming rights for the India versus Australia series.)

Australia coach Tim Nieslen told Grandstand that captain Ricky Ponting is justified in changing his tactics following tea on day four in Nagpur so as to avoid sanction for a slow over rate.

Ponting has already been roundly criticised for bowling Jason Krejza, Michael Clarke, Mike Hussey and Cameron White for a sustained period after tea when Australia, who was later set 382 for victory, had India on the ropes in its second innings on 6 for 166.

The tourists had enjoyed a dominant session after lunch when they claimed 6 for 68, however Ponting's decision to quicken the over rate by using slow bowlers following the tea break saw India re-group with a 108-run stand between captain MS Dhoni and Harbhajan Singh that helped the home side reach 295 in their second knock.

You can listen to Nielsen's full interview with Grandstand's Glenn Mitchell below:

Click here to download.

Nielsen says Ponting had to respect the rulings relating to over rates, as Australia is not above the game.

"There is no excuse for not being up in your overs," he said.

"We took a bit of a punt earlier on in the day with the fast bowlers bowling and had some success, and then to cap it off with the run out of Sachin just before tea meant we had a really nice session.

"The problem was we had bowled our quicks for an extended period and we were a long way down."

Nielsen says Ponting does not deserve criticism for his decision, as it was made in the heat of the battle on the field.

Grandstand's Glenn Mitchell argues Australia's tactics following tea on day four amount to a sorry chapter in its rich sporting history.

Any youngster growing up in Australia down through the decades has had one constant ethos drummed into him when it comes to team sport: the team is bigger than the individual.

On day four of the Nagpur Test that mantra was dispensed with.

After claiming 6 for 50 in the middle session, including 3 for 3 in the last three overs before tea, Australia had clawed its way back into the contest.

With four sessions to play, India held a 258-run lead with captain MS Dhoni the only recognised batsman still at the host's disposal.

Momentum was with Australia.

But during the interval Australia captain Ricky Ponting was made aware that his side was 10 overs down on the required rate and if the situation was not rectified he faced a suspension.

The skipper failed to take the field for the first over of the final session.

With Michael Clarke in charge, the first over was bowled by paceman Mitchell Johnson.

Ponting then re-entered the fray and preceded to bowl Jason Krejza from the northern end and Cameron White from the southern.

White was ripped from the attack after two overs that conceded 15 runs.

His replacement was Mike Hussey, who bowled four overs for three runs before he gave way to Clarke, who sent down six overs for 28.

The latter two produced tidy figures, but it was wickets that Australia craved.

It was not until 100 minutes had passed in the final session that Shane Watson, who started the ball rolling after lunch by claiming the first two Indian wickets, was thrown the ball.

Both he and Brett Lee had been able to manufacture some genuine old-ball swing in the middle session and were the architects of India's collapse.

By the time Watson returned to the crease the damage had been done - Dhoni and Harbhajan Singh had added 108 runs for the seventh wicket to extend India's lead to 360 runs against the makeshift attack.

In tandem, Krejza and Watson struck twice each and India was dismissed for 295, losing 4 for 21 in less than five overs.

By then Australia was left the daunting task of scoring 382 runs from 92 overs if it was to win the match and retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Rather than go for the jugular immediately after tea, Australia put the captain's short-term future ahead of pushing for a Test win.

Coach Tim Nielsen was at pains to say after stumps that it was Ponting's call to proceed as he did.

If that was the case, the Australian captain put his interests ahead of the team.

One could never imagine Ian Chappell making such a decision in his day but if he had I wonder whether the likes of Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson would have taken it with the same apparent grace that Watson and Lee did today.

Nielsen also stated that the team has a duty to bowl its required overs each day.

So far in the series it would appear that they have shown little regard for that, as on nearly all occasions they have failed to bowl their required allotment even though most days have been extended by the maximum allowable 30 minutes.

It seems only when the captain faces a possible suspension that they have taken the responsibility seriously.

The Australian team and its governors Cricket Australia are at pains to spruce endlessly about the professionalism of the national team.

How professional can it be when it reaches a situation where it has to pull back from its goal of winning a Test match in favour of ensuring that its captain does not miss the opening match of the series against New Zealand in Brisbane in a fortnight?

Over 131 years, 404 men have been accorded the honour of wearing the Baggy Green cap, arguably the most significant and recognisable symbol in Australian team sport.

Many today would have hung their head in sadness while others would have turned in their grave.

What happened today in Nagpur was at odds with what team sport is all about.

May it never be allowed to happen again.

Former India captain Ravi Shastri told Grandstand that Ricky Ponting's decision to speed up the over rate following tea on day four in Nagpur was a case of putting the individual ahead of the team.

India was struggling at 6 for 166 at tea and leading by 252 runs when Ponting chose to bowl Jason Krejza, Michael Clarke, Mike Hussey and Cameron White in an effort to quicken Australia's slow over rate after it had claimed a scintillating 6 for 68 in the session that followed lunch.

MS Dhoni and Harbhajan Singh, faced by an impotent bowling spell, proceeded to compile a 108-run partnership after the tea break that helped India reach 295 in its second innings and set Australia a victory target of 382.

You can listen to Shastri's full interview with Grandstand's Glenn Mitchell below:

Click here to download the interview.

Shastri says Ponting's move was "bizarre" and he believes it signalled the Australia captain was more concerned with avoiding a possible suspension for slow over rates.

"One thing Australia always did was put team before individual," he said.

"In this case the individual would have been the Australian captain, who would have been docked or may have had to miss the Test match at the Gabba (against New Zealand) just in case Australia was behind the over rate.

"But in the quest to win the Test match I think the team should have been thought about more than anything else."

Shastri says Ponting's reasoning for changing tactics after tea may also be the result of Australia's desperation at finding itself trailing India 1-0 in the four-Test series.

Australia will need a further 369 runs if it is to post an unlikely victory on the final day of the fourth Test against India in Nagpur.

The tourists were set a victory target of 382 before reaching stumps at 13 without loss, Simon Katich not out on 8 and Matthew Hayden on 5.

Earlier, India was dismissed in its second innings for 295 with Australia duo Shane Watson (4 for 42) and Jason Krejza (4 for 143) each taking four wickets, while opener Virender Sehwag top-scored for the home side with 92.

To review the action from Nagpur you can visit Grandstand's scorecard and game log, as well as listen to the post-stumps summary compiled by Jim Maxwell and The Australian's Mike Coward below:

Click here to download the summary.

Related Audio:

You can listen to commentary highlights from day four in Nagpur below:

Click here to download.

(NB: ABC Local Radio does not have online streaming rights for the India versus Australia series.)

Australia off-spinner Jason Krejza told Grandstand his Test debut in Nagpur has been nothing short of a steep learning curve.

Krejza completed his bowling duties on day four, helping Australia dismiss India in its second innings for 295 with the figures of 4 for 143.

His four dismissals came on top of his return of 8 for 215 in the Indian first innings and his 12-wicket haul on debut has led many observers to criticise the Australian selection panel for not including the Tasmanian in the Test XI earlier in the series.

You can listen to Krejza's full interview with Grandstand's Glenn Mitchell below:

Click here to download.

Krejza says he will take much out of his maiden Test appearance.

"Patience is the key in Test cricket," he said.

"You're going to bowl a lot of balls and it's not going searching for wickets, it's being relaxed and sticking to your game plan basically."

Krejza says Australia, who will resume its run chase on 13 without loss on the final day, remains confident it can achieve a win in Nagpur, despite needing a further 369 to level the series at 1-1.

Rahul Dravid's Test career is on borrowed time, writes Grandstand's Glenn Mitchell.

Sourav Ganguly has one day left in his international career.

Anil Kumble is a week into his retirement.

And Rahul Dravid has to make a decision as to whether it is time to join them.

He has been a great cricketer for his country and one of the pre-eminent players of his generation.

But in the last two-and-half years the man that earned the nickname 'The Wall' has been a shadow of his former self.

He signed off this series with scores of 0 and 3 for a series aggregate of 120 runs and an average of 17.1.

His career figures still have him in the highest echelon of the game's best willow wielders.

From 129 Tests he has scored 10,366 runs at 52.6 with 25 centuries.

But those figures really only serve to underline the magnificence of Dravid in his pomp, for in the last few years he has been a pale imitation.

His last 25 Tests and have produced just 1317 runs at 30.6.

Selecting him for the series against England later this month would merely be choosing him on his reputation.

No player at 35 years old deserves to be batting at number three at Test level with a record like that.

Mark Taylor was carried for a long period of his career but that occurred whilst he was captain of a world number one-ranked team.

Dravid surprisingly forfeited the captaincy after he led the team to a series win in England in the middle of last year.

He gave as his reason the desire to concentrate more on his batting after he scored just 126 runs in the three-match series.

Sadly for him and his country that decision has failed to enhance his batting.

India has some talented players waiting on the fringes with Rohit Sharma and Subramaniam Badrinath at the front of the queue.

The introduction of Murali Vijay at the top of the order for the suspended Gautam Gambhir has been an instant success with him sharing partnerships of 98 and 116 with Virender Sehwag in Nagpur.

Even without Ganguly and Dravid's services, India would still boast Tendulkar, Laxman, Sehwag, Dhoni and Gambhir in their batting arsenal.

As Gough Whitlam famously said, "It's Time".

Australia's Shelley Nitschke told Grandstand the Southern Stars's emphasis on sharing the responsibility laid the platform for their 5-0 series sweep of India.

The Southern Stars wrapped up the series with a seven-wicket win over the tourists in the fifth and final one-day international at Manuka Oval in Canberra today.

India was restricted to 9 for 177 from its 50 overs before the Southern Stars dropped just three wickets in their run chase prior to reaching the victory target in the 29th over.

You can listen to Nitschke's full interview with Grandstand's Tim Gavel below:

Click here to download the interview.

Nitschke, who was outstanding with an innings of 94 and the bowling figures of 2 for 16, says the Southern Stars produced a solid all-round performance throughout the series.

"That's probably been an area that we've been working on," she said.

"This is probably the first series where we've come through with a number of contributors."

Nitschke, who missed the opening four matches of the series, says the Southern Stars are gathering momentum ahead of the Rose Bowl against New Zealand and the World Cup to be hosted by Australia in March.

Simon Katich told Grandstand Australia's batting order was outsmarted by India on day three of the fourth Test in Nagpur.

Australia was all out for 355 in its first innings late in the final session, despite starting the day's play comfortably placed at 2 for 189.

The tourists scored at a conservative run-rate, managing only 91 runs in the two sessions before tea and they now trail India by 86 runs.

You can listen to Katich's full interview with Grandstand's Glenn Mitchell below:

Click here to download the interview.

Katich, who posted his fifth Test century with a solid 102, says India's tactics when Australia was in bat helped pave the way for its hold on the encounter.

"They executed their plan well," he said.

"When you bowl to an eight-one field if you don't get it right then you play the price, but they executed it beautifully and bowled to it, and stuck to their plan throughout that first session, and made it very difficult for us."

Katich says an Australian victory is not out of the question if it is set a target to chase on the final day.

Day three appeared to be a blast from the past, writes Grandstand's Glenn Mitchell.

It was a case of hitting the rewind button on the third day and returning to Test cricket circa the late 1950s.

India made its intentions clear early on by adopting a dry line with its pace duo of Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma.

As Zaheer and Sharma worked away in tandem for the bulk of the 24-over opening session, they bowled to an eight-one field with the one man on the on-side stationed at mid-on.

In Sharma's first over of the day he bowled wides that cut the return crease on the off-side.

It was a portent of what lay ahead.

By lunch Australia had added just 42 runs for the loss of Simon Katich (102), who was greatly relieved at having converted one of his numerous starts during the series into a triple-figure score.

But it was far from easy, as it took him 69 balls to secure the 10 runs he added to his overnight total.

After lunch, with the introduction of the team's spin resources, the field settings took a more traditional flavour.

But the tourists still struggled to tick the board over, as they continued to resemble molasses running down a sandhill.

The normally free-scoring Michael Hussey had to labour through 229 balls for his innings of 90.

Australia was dismissed 12 minutes before stumps for 355.

It eked out just 166 runs form 87 overs on the day.

You would need to backtrack many years to find a day that was played at such an adagio.

But, for all the defensive cricket from India, which in fairness took place principally in the pre-lunch session, the team finds itself on the brink of regaining the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Heading into the fourth day at 0 for 0 and a lead of 86 runs, all but the most dramatic of collapses on a reasonably benign batting pitch will deny India a series victory.

Nonetheless, we look forward to tomorrow - and the prospects of a broadcast line!

India held an 86-run lead at stumps on day three of the fourth Test against Australia in Nagpur on Saturday.

Australia was dismissed in its first innings for 355 late in the final session, a century to Simon Katich (102) and 90 from Mike Hussey not enough to help edge the tourists ahead of India.

The home side faced one over before the close of play, but were unable to open their second innings account.

To review the action from Nagpur you can visit Grandstand's scorecard and game log, as well as listen to the post-stumps summary compiled by Jim Maxwell and The Australian's Mike Coward below:

Click here to download the summary.

Related Audio:

You can listen to highlights from day three in Nagpur below:

Click here to download.

(NB: ABC Local Radio does not have online streaming rights for the India versus Australia series.)

Grandstand's Glenn Mitchell observes that fascination with its celebrities is a way of the life for Indians.

The cult of personality is alive and well in the 21st century.

You only need to stand in a check-out line in Australia to be bombarded with the sight of umpteen magazines that carry on their covers 'exclusive' stories on the lives of a host of celebrities.

While most countries that dot the globe mirror this fascination with stardom, few could match India's near obsession with it.

There are a myriad of newspapers produced in this massive land each day and you only need to part with about 10 cents to acquire one.

And no matter which paper you purchase there are usually two colour lift-outs that carry photos and text that chronicle the local and international celebrities.

On the weekend, the papers feature an even greater coverage of celebrity minutiae.

As far as home-grown talent is concerned it is the Bollywood stars and the Indian cricketers who vie for the biggest headline or largest colour snap.

As far as the cricketers go, their life is lived on the inside of a large fishbowl.

Whilst there is a pecking order that is headed by Sachin Tendulkar, even the lesser-known newcomers of the national team are accorded cult status.

The foyer of the team hotel wherever they are is dotted with idle worshippers who maintain a religious-type vigil in the hope that they will get a glimpse of their heroes.

On our journey from Delhi to Nagpur we had to change flights in Mumbai.

Our arrival at the airport coincided with both cricket teams who had come in on another flight.

It made for a hectic time at the security screening point.

Airport staff left their posts with camera-equipped mobile phones in hand and rushed to the security checkpoint as word passed around that their cricketing deities were in the building.

In next to no time a human grid lock slowed progress to a crawl.

As is always the case, the Indian players posed for photographs and scribbled out autographs.

The way they maintain their calmness is admirable given they are jostled and hassled almost every waking hour when in public.

Here is Nagpur, the new stadium is beyond the city limits and nestled between ploughed fields.

On our journey back to the city each night we drive past hundreds of fans, who sit patiently at the roadside for the fleeting glimpse of the team bus.

To maximise their moment of celebrity, many gather adjacent to two significant speed humps that alert traffic to an upcoming village.

The locals make the pilgrimage here each evening as they figure the bus will slow down to negotiate the obstacles and thus slightly increase their chances of making out just who is who behind the glass.

At journey's end, the team will disgorge from the bus and be met by a maelstrom as they try to get through the lobby to the lift.

Every time you cover a cricket tour in India you are struck by the sheer fanaticism of the average fan.

Perhaps my most vivid experience on this tour occurred after a day's play in Mohali.

Leaving the ground I wandered past the India team bus just as the players were climbing aboard their transport.

I had to take evasive action as a sniffer dog, trailing his leash, bolted across my path.

His handler, a policeman, was otherwise engaged - mobile phone in hand, he was busily snapping photos.

I take it by now he has retrieved the dog.