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Wed, 15th Oct 2008  Sourav Ganguly, who will retire from international cricket after the ongoing India-Australia Test series, continues to hog the limelight. This time, the former Indian captain is facing the wrath of the Australian media, that has accused Ganguly of resorting to delaying tactics in the drawn opening Test.
The last day's play on Monday had to be cut short midway into the last session at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium after Ganguly and VVS Laxman complained of bad light due to overcast conditions.
In various newspapers across Australia on Tuesday, Ganguly has been singled out and castigated for allegedly delaying action during the crucial closing moments of the Test.
The Australian media commented that, had the Indian batsmen not resorted to delay tactics, Ricky Ponting & Co could have taken a 1-0 lead in the four-Test series. The Oz media also attacked the ICC rules, claiming that the existing bad light rule unfairly favours batsmen.
A member of the popular National Nine News sports bureau took a stinging dig at Ganguly, whom he described as a "serial offender".
He wrote: "Serial offender Sourav Ganguly firstly persuaded the umpires to go off. Then, when play resumed, Ganguly made Australia's fielders and (batting) partner VVS Laxman wait an eternity because he'd apparently 'forgotten to put his thigh pad on'. Please! Can't you be timed out in this game?"
The same media unit also lamented that the spectators were the biggest losers after what happened on the final day. The team further wrote: "The players got something out of it. Pedantic officials got their moment of the glory. But billions of fans and more importantly, the game itself, got nothing out of this farcical finish in Bangalore."
Criticising umpire Asad Rauf and Rudy Koertzen, the writer commented: "With the match in the balance, a crucial hour's play on the final day was lost, with not one, but two stoppages for bad light - when at times the sun was shining! Umpires strutted about like Emperor Penguins, holding out their light metres - a device that, like performance-enhancing drugs, should be banned."
A Fox Sports commentator demanded amendments to the ICC's existing bad light rules. "I thought the light was fine and they really need to change the rules regarding that aspect of the game," he observed. "There has to be some pressure on the ICC over this as there was no danger at all. Fox Sports also invited readers to comment whether poor light should be allowed to influence the outcome of a Test match and whether India played the match in the right spirit.  | 
