Wrap - Too Many Chiefs in India

1. When you see your opening batsman stumped in the first session of a Test match - in the first game of the series - there is something unnerving about it. Ed Cowan deserves to be dropped. He scores great 25's and that is it. Warner was dropped about three times before he went. He bats like a bloke out of Underbelly. Care free.

Phil Hughes is arguably the worst player against spin in the team - and he is your No.3. To round it all off your No. 4 Watson, is the FOURTH opener selected in this team. His LBW showed no judgement and an unfamiliarity with the conditions. He is vulnerable. Lumbering against spin.

This batting team selected is a disgrace. They have not learned the lesson that picking blokes that you think can do a bit of everything generally do a lot of nothing. Matthew Wade at number six? Please. A Victorian at number six...they are better at eight, nine and ten.

There was a time that Tom Moody, Stuart Law, Jimmy Maher, Jamie Siddons, Dene Hills, Jamie Cox, Martin Love could not make a Test team. They would all be automatic selections these days.

Beneath the myriad of tattoos (goose stamps), Clarke is reaching greatness status (as reluctant as some of us may be to admit it). His first innings was again superb - and his propensity to score heavily in the first innings of a test even more impressive.

2. Has it ever rained in a test match in India? No seriously, can anyone ever recall putting the radio or  tele on and watching Rod McCurdy bowling in a re-run of an old ODI.."sorry, match delayed due to weather"?

By the way, try to get a look at a Brett Geeves article on the current Indian Tour. Funny stuff.

3. How weak is the ICC? India say they do not want the DRS - referral system and they are allowed to dictate? Someone has to stand up to these fools and tell them it is happening. No one will in cricket as they are gutless. Kerry Packer would have fixed it.

They would be too busy getting their big guts around their next big meal and drawing up the oversized cheque out to the winners of the next tournament.  Perhaps giving the umpire the power to punch the captain in the arm as hard as he wants if he gets a referral wrong is the way of the future! Or a few Indian officials noses.

4. Western Sydney Wanderers have powered on again. They could well come first! Tony Popovic will be national coach next...if not signed by an overseas club first. We can then have a washed up Scotsman or Pom who has more issues than Jana Pittman-Rawlinson the third. Sydney FC were awful after promising much.

5. Waratahs. New style of play, new coach, new hope...same result. A losing culture is hard to break...just ask Ricky Stuart.

10-10 v Penrith in a trial game and a try near the bell. Clearly Parramatta are still not fit enough as a club. Noticed they signed a bloke from Canberra for next year already. Young Papalli, Finally after Beau Scott, Israel Folau, Matt Scott, Thurston, Corey Norman and the rest all turned their backs on the club. He'll renige at some stage.

6. Melbourne Storm. Kings of the world. Great effort. Slater killed them again. We will not see the likes of him, Smth and Cronk in our lifetime again.

7. Footy Trials. The media seem to be so keen to start the season early, we could have mistaken the current nonsense for the real deal. We will soon see live coverage of training sessions!

8. How about that Corruption In Sport report from the Crime Commission? So far they have got one U/20's player from North Sydney Bears. Clearly Australian sport is riddled with evil.

9. Is the Australian Swimming Team findings of bad behaviour, bullying, abuse of prescription drugs...etc....a classic case of spoilt little rich kids who swim a lot and have no time to develop social skills? Noticed that Nick Darcy was not part of it all. Maybe he was on something else and asleep. That or at the accountant's working out his lay by terms for his bankruptcy recovery.