We got on reasonably well at the end: Waugh

By Malcolm Conn

MARGAO, APRIL 6. Steve Waugh has attempted to play down the testy relationship between himself and Sourav Ganguly after Australia showed great courage and character to fight back and win the one- day series 3-2. It was a mark of Australia's tough professionalism that the side could perform so well after the mental and physical devastation of losing the Test series from a commanding position.

During the five-match series Waugh became increasingly annoyed with Ganguly as he flouted some of the game's most basic conventions such as the tradition of the toss and was seemingly allowed to argue with the local umpires free of even the mildest chastisement from authority.

``I think we got on reasonably well at the end,'' Waugh said after Friday's four-wicket victory.``We learnt a lot from the experience and what happened and it's no good airing your dirty laundry out in public.`` ``But there were certain protocols that weren't followed and I think we'll benefit from the experience.''

Ganguly made his only significant contribution in eight Test and one-day matches then spoilt it with another act of petulance. He scored 74 from 83 balls before spooning a short ball from Glenn McGrath up in the air to be easily caught by Ricky Ponting running in from backward point. Neither local umpire called no ball, wrongly ruling that the delivery had

not risen above shoulder height, but Ganguly stood his ground to remonstrate first with one and then the other as if his was the only poor decision amongst too many in this tournament.

If Glenn McGrath and Adam Gilchrist can each be fined 50 percent of their match fee during the first one-day match in Bangalore for being unhappy with decisions then that surely must be the starting point for dealing with Ganguly following his demonstrative body language and initial refusal to leave. But then here is a man used to getting his own way. He treated the local umpires like serfs during the second one-day match in Pune when they initially failed to call for the third umpire in a critical run-out decision. ICC playing conditions clearly state that this is dissent but if match referee Cammie Smith took any action against Ganguly it has been a very well kept secret.

So concerned was Smith with amongst between the sides that he called a meeting of the two captains, coaches and team managers to try and calm things before the last, chaotic, overcrowded and under-organised match. Smith's ire was raised when Indian team manager Chetan Chaun told the local media the supposedly confidential meeting was a win for India after complaining about Australia's ``sledging.'' It was nothing of the sort, although there was no shortage of exchanges between Sachin Tendulkar and Steve Waugh when Waugh was batting.

Amongst Smith's instructions were that both captains were to be properly dressed and walk out together to toss, a nice little 124-year-old convention Ganguly has managed to ignore for the past month or so. The process was clearly too complicated for Ganguly, who was out in the middle five minutes early, which is at least an improvement on five minutes late. Steve Waugh waited on the boundary until Ganguly returned then they walked out together for only the second time in the five-match tournament.

There was individual joy along with Australia's collective success over the last few weeks following yet another brilliant showing by Matthew Hayden, who was rightly named man of the series. His 36 gave him 303 runs at 75.75 from just four matches, beating Laxman (291) and Sachin Tendulkar (280) although they both played all five games. Hayden scored 549 runs at 109.8 in the Test series.

Goa must be one of the most wonderful, laid back beach settings in the world but the south-western Indian State should be banned by the ICC from ever hosting another international cricket match. It was difficult for many reasons, including the weather this far south this time of year. Like Kochin on the precious tour three years earlier, it was almost dangerously hot. Some of the Australians wore ice-vests on the field. As usual with one-day matches in provincial India, the organisation was a complete shambles and ticket corruption at these matches has been simply outrageous. Thousands of legitimate ticket-holders were left stranded outside the stadium in a vast, crushing human sea. Police waded into them with lathis, flailing away mercilessly with the metre-long sticks at anyone who did not scatter in the stampede. Animals are treated better in India.

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