At last, the biggest show in world cricket is on. The prolonged hype and wait is over. From now we see cricket and only cricket.

And what a fiery note to start this great event with Australian captain Ricky Ponting hitting out, no holds barred, at Sunil Gavaskar, because our batting legend had written about the Aussies’ rude attitude and behaviour on and off the field.

This I have experienced first hand. It was way back in 1967-68, the Indians had completed their tour, and there was a farewell dinner in Sydney organised by the Australian Board, where Sir Donald Bradman, considered God to the cricketing fraternity all over the world even now, was giving a speech. His goodbye speech was getting slightly long, when some Australian players started booing him. It was slow, but in chorus. We were all aghast, stunned and terribly embarrassed too.

In fact, when we had landed in Australia for that series, we were asked to clean the dust from the soles of our cricket shoes. It was as if the Aussies play the game in the air, never touching the dirt from the cricket ground.

I suppose this rude behaviour is in their blood and heredity.

On the field, it was a good opening to the World Cup, too. Hosts West Indies and Pakistan are both most unpredictable and unreliable. Both epitomise the gospel truth of this one-day game on inconsistency. Of course, India aren’t too far behind. The hosts won fair and square, but the result isn’t going to matter, because the way the groups have been formed with the inclusion of the minnows, even the mid-caps are most likely to scrape through to the Super Eights.

... contd.