By Daniel Brettig
November 8th 2009 @ 1:49am
View The Roar's top cricket writers.
Love new art, fashion, music? Check out Aussie site which unearths all things cool and creative.
Related coverage
Ponting hopes his luck holds against Sehwag
Australia have escaped lightly in their dealings with Indian opener Virender Sehwag so far this series, and captain Ricky Ponting is hoping that luck will hold as he tries to claim an unbeatable 4-2 lead at Guwahati.
While hardly the sort of bright idea that would be offered up in team meetings, much of any fielding [...]
This article is over 2000 days old and has been trimmed.
Get Australia's best Cricket opinion emailed daily.
Like this content? Buzz it up!
Free Email updates:
Our daily emails are only sent if there is content for the sport or that author. You can subscribe to multiple daily emails; or get the daily Roar email with all our content in it. We value privacy. More...


![The prognosis about the death of Test cricket is exaggerated and premature. But the passion for a five-day game is losing its spectator appeal in competition with the shorter three or eight hour versions.
Still, The Ashes draws big crowds and so do Test series’ involving Australia, India and South Africa. It’s the way tours [...] Kersi Meher-Homji: From can’t wait to ho-hum: is Test cricket dying?](http://www.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/from-cant-wait-test-cricket-dying-th.jpg)
![I’m still shaking my head in disbelief at the astonishing attack on Football Federation Australia made in New Zealand’s Sunday Times yesterday. In the article, writer Simon Plumb implores readers not to “hold your breath waiting for an annual Socceroos-All Whites clash – the arrogant Aussies don’t want to know about it.”
“Despite agreeing to a [...] Davidde Corran: Arrogant, irritating Aussies are New Zealand’s best hope](http://www.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/new-zealand-all-whites-th.jpg)
![I was up in the early hours of Monday morning eagerly anticipating a big football match, but it wasn’t Arsenal-Manchester United but instead the African Cup of Nations final in Angola where Australia’s World Cup group opponents Ghana fell short 1-0 against Egypt.
Despite the Black Stars’ final loss, they were arguably the footballing story of [...] Ben Somerford: Five lessons about WC opponent Ghana from ACN](http://www.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/ghana-th.jpg)
![Rain interrupting cricket is annoying, but has its advantages. During the one-dayer between Australia and the West Indies at the SCG on Friday, I had interesting chats with the ABC radio team.
“I have an idea for a book for you, Kersi,” said Jim Maxwell, tongue-in-cheek. “Why don’t you write a book on tattooed Test cricketers.”
“It [...] Kersi Meher-Homji: Celebrating the ‘Bearded Ones’ in Test cricket](http://www.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/south-africa-cricket-hashim-amla-th.jpg)
![It really is a funny old game this football. For six straight games, Branko Culina and his Newcastle Jets played with a back four, dished up some delightful football, and had very little to show for it.
At times, like against Melbourne in round 11, the football was top shelf, with Labinot Haliti and Michael [...] Tony Tannous: Old fashioned formation finally delivers Culina points](http://www.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/old-fashioned-formation-culina-th.jpg)
![As the time of the year rapidly approaches where we take time to reflect on all things good and bad over the past twelve months, it seems the perfect time for me to cleanse the mind of all those seemingly confident and assured predictions made this year on The Roar.
So where do I start?
Well, back [...] Brett McKay: Confessing the worst sports predictions of 2009](http://www.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/david-warner-th.jpg)
![Let’s make one thing clear. Robbie Deans knows rugby. 10 years of provincial rugby and five test matches proves he is capable of understanding the game at the highest level. He can coach – that surely isn’t in dispute.
He led the Crusaders to five Super 12/14 championships. No other team has even won the [...] David Wiseman: It’s time to go Wallabies](http://www.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/its-time-to-go-wallabies-th.jpg)
![I attended the A-League clash between Brisbane Roar and Sydney FC last weekend, and it wasn’t a pleasant experience. It wasn’t the result that bothered me, but rather the heavy-handed antics of the Suncorp Stadium security personnel.
Ordinarily, I wouldn’t have to deal with security staff up in “prawn sandwich land,” but after deciding to drag [...] Mike Tuckerman: Must A-League fans be treated like criminals?](http://www.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/sergio-van-dijk-th.jpg)
![When Graham Arnold met journalists for the first time as Central Coast Mariners coach this week, he was a cocksure picture of confidence and enthusiasm.
Some football followers might remember a time not so long ago when Arnold wasn’t so accommodating with the press.
But that time is past. Arnold this week began preparations to take over [...] Paddy Higgs: Graham Arnold deserves to be given a chance](http://www.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/graham-arnold-th.jpg)
![The seven ODI series between Australia and India was considered as a test not only of who the top ODI nation is, but also of the health of Fifty50 cricket in general.
The series is currently locked at 2-all, Australia is three points ahead of challengers India in ODIs, and the spectator interest at a [...] Kersi Meher-Homji: Test cricket struggling, but Fifty50 thriving in India](http://www.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/test-cricket-struggling-fifty50-india-ponting-th.jpg)
![Nick Mallet is a sophisticated man: he speaks several languages. He is bright: he was a Rhodes Scholar. He has been a very good coach: his Springboks in 1998/199 won 17 straight Tests, a South African winning sequence record. He is, however, a very poor coach of Italy.
He has set his team a goal of [...] Spiro Zavos: Italy is guilty of a ‘losing ugly’ mentality](http://www.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/italy-ireland-bergamasco-odriscoll-th.jpg)
![I have watched live Test cricket since 1952 (Bombay Test between India and England remembered for centuries by Tom Graveney and my childhood hero Vijay Hazare) and televised Test cricket since 1970 (the Perth Ashes Test when Greg Chappell scored a century on debut).
Both have been experiences to cherish.
But since 1970, television coverage has made [...] Kersi Meher-Homji: Memo Channel 9: show us the batsman’s back!](http://www.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/weird-or-wonderful-clarke-th.jpg)



