Tour Diary

Pardon me, but I had to record this. Just as I entered the main gates of the Adelaide Oval on the second morning of this final Test I happened to read the word 'monkey'. Obviously in the aftermath of 'Bollyline' that was the last word anyone expected to see inside the confines of Cricket Australia's grounds. But there it was printed in acrylic green, on the backside of a yellow tee-shirt, worn by a 25-something Australian spectator.

Without hesitation I tapped the gentleman on his shoulder and inquired if it wasn't a touch brave in the prevailing circumstances, what with Harbhajan Singh's appeal against alleged racist abuse of Andrew Symonds coming up in a few days. He didn't agree, adding that it was a moniker he had had for years. In normal circumstances, it would not seem out of place amid other nicknames like 'banana boat', 'duck', or even 'giggy'. Lucky for this eager fan that he didn't have to carry that monkey on his back through the normal stands, as he was safely ensconced inside a corporate box.

Greg Blewett, the former Australia batsman, is here. An Adelaide local, he had a sensational start to Test cricket (including a century on debut) before gradually fading away. Interestingly the only two venues when he remembers the crowd noise clouding his thoughts are MCG and Eden Gardens.

Don't try to interview passionate India fans (as if there's any other kind) when Sachin Tendulkar is batting. For one, they've barely got half an ear on the questions, while you have more stop-starts with the tape than a nervous sprint-race starter.

You simply can't hear anything other than a roar of "Sachin! Sachin! Sachin!" when he so much as touches the ball if you're sitting anywhere near the three main 30-strong clumps of India fans at the Cathedral End, which should be renamed the Sachin Stand.

All are based in Adelaide, most studying potentially lucrative IT, engineering or business. Even the majority of the Bharat Army, one of the three groups, have made Adelaide their semi-permanent home as students here, although these loyal followers have travelled throughout Australia following India since Boxing Day.

A sizeable crowd has landed up to watch the Indian practice session. Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh are bowling in adjacent nets and it’s difficult to find even an inch of space behind the netting. Standing amid the photograph-seeking group is a shrewd observer, folding his arms and watching them intently.

Think Terry Jenner and the image that pops up in your head is a portly and cheerful man who observed Shane Warne from behind the sidelines. A legspinner who’s career never really took off, Jenner is now associated as a mentor to Warne, arguably the game’s greatest bowler.

India will have many memories of Adelaide but it appears to be the city where they find their physios. John Gloster, their current physio, is from here as was Andrew Leipus, the earlier incumbent. Gloster studied in Pembroke School in Adelaide, the one where former Test cricketer John Inverarity was vice-principal. He remembers playing a lot of sport and sitting on the banks during matches at the Adelaide Oval. In a way this is his home game, catching up with friends and getting back to where it all started.

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Traditions enrich the game of cricket. And these traditions have more often than not extended beyond the ropes. One such case exists at the famed WACA in Perth, and this one has to do with the members. Not those snooty ones that occupy the best seats to get the best views. These members are the ordinary Tims, Toms, Janes and Jennys who go that extra yard to live their passion for the game of cricket.

It's eight in the morning at the WACA and play is still three and a half hours away, but the gates at the Truman Entrance outside the Members Pavilion are already buzzing with life. Men, women, families of all ages have been camping outside the gates for hours, some even from as early as 3am. These are not the fairweather fans looking for last-minute tickets. These are members of the WACA who pay a A$220 season fee but burn the midnight oil for five days just so that they can occupy their seat in the members' stand at the Lillee-Marsh end.

The name John Traicos evokes many memories. Born in Egypt, Traicos endured a 23-year wait between two Test appearances. He debuted with the mighty South African team of the late ‘60s and ended as the elder statesman in a young Zimbabwe side. He had a distinct offspinner's action and, even at 45, fielded brilliantly. Settled in Perth, he retains the stoic look and chooses his words carefully.

Traicos has witnessed discrimination all his life. He grew up in apartheid South Africa and later experienced the harsh realities in an ever-changing Zimbabwean landscape. He has strong views on racism and is visibly pained by the events of the past ten days. It gets even more interesting because Traicos’ team-mate during his early Tests was Mike Procter, the man at the centre of the current furore.

“I think a lot of racism in cricket can be misunderstood,” he says sternly, “but the cricketing environment we have at the present is important. We have a team that plays very hard and their style of play doesn’t help. A lot of players around the world respect the Australian cricketers but don’t necessarily enjoy their style of play.

A light-hearted cheer went up near the Prindville Stand around six in the evening. Umpire Billy Bowden turned down a loud appeal from Mitchell Johnson, when he yorked Rahul Dravid, and a small section of the crowd responded with, "We want Bucknor, we want Bucknor". It was one of the few noises made on a rather quiet day, one where a genteel wave swept across the WACA.

It's been a tumultuous week but the events of the first day - for most of it at least - were disconcertingly slow. The anti-climax surrounding the pitch didn't help but you would still expect some noise, at least from the grass banks. Things picked up towards the evening, especially with Australia fighting back with wickets, and a few spectators were even warned. One cheekily held a banner that read, "No more monkey abuses" and was promptly told to pack it in. Another tried his best to stir up the crowd but was led out of the ground when he began to swear.

We're standing waiting for Ricky Ponting to arrive for the pre-match press conference when a friendly, unassuming man begins a conversation about India, cricket and everything in between. It's not exactly the best time to talk and I'm fidgeting around, trying to find a way to end the conversation. With one eye on the door, I am trying to keep track of what is being said. "I spent a lot of time in Burma," he seems to be saying. Now that's not on the agenda today, I'm thinking. I have a Ponting press conference, then Anil Kumble, then a preview for the match, maybe something about the 'spirit of cricket' and the usual 'time to move forward' cliché. And here I have someone saying, "And it's great to see cricket in the subcontinent." He's obviously well travelled and well read but I wish I could catch him at a more relaxed time.

The first thing I see walking into the WACA is the John Inverarity stand. Now that's a name one cannot forget, only because of him being involved in one of the most bizarre near-dismissals of all time. After being clean bowled for a duck by Greg Chappell - the ball deviating in mid-air - he was recalled to bat by umpire Colin Egar who signalled dead-ball. The reason? The ball had deflected off a sparrow.

Quote of the day: If you wanted to know the exact level of hype that's going around this little boy called Shaun Tait, you needed to listen to Dennis Lillee at the WACA today. "Tait, on a good day putting it all together, it would not surprise me if he does bowl that 105mph/170kph ball."