Times in Sydney

GREEN ON THE TURF
It was just a little after 2 in the afternoon. The city had clearly gone to sleep as the sun hit down mercilessly; there was hardly anybody on the streets and we reached the Sydney Cricket Ground in five minutes flat.
There were a few rich and probably famous Australians luxuriating in the swimming pool of the posh clubhouse; a handful of Chinese teenagers were also working inside, sprucing up the stands for the big game on Sunday.
After almost half an hour, we saw the ground-staff recommence their work. One gentleman watered the wicket extensively: they obviously don’t want to give a totally dry batting surface to India’s batsmen. As the water evaporated, a couple more gingerly sprinkled some dry grass on the pitch. It was quickly rolled into the pitch too. There is, of course, nothing wrong in the practice.
It''s just that Australia have realised that green is still the best way to beat India even before the match begins. Sadly, they also kill the contest in the process. But then who cares.
SIMPSON''S TRICKS
The Indian nets had a new but familiar face on Saturday afternoon: Bobby Simpson. The former Australia captain, who had worked with the team during the 1999 World Cup, made a special appearance for Sanjay Bangar and Parthiv Patel. He watched Bangar bat very closely and had a number of things to discuss with him.
He kept giving him tips, asking him to look for singles instead of hitting every ball like it was his first love''s boyfriend. Simpson then took Parthiv aside and gave him a live demonstration. He showed him how to move his feet, and how to collect the ball smartly. Hemang Badani and Amit Bhandari, who were the only other players during this session, also got a few tips from the ace coach.
AN ICE-PACK FOR VIRU
Will Virender Sehwag play in Sunday''s final? That was the first worry among Indian fans waiting for the team at the Sydney airport: he had his wrist in a huge ice pack and it almost looked like he was out for almost two months. Physio Andrew Leipus, however, denied that he has been ruled out.
"There will be many injury concerns during long tours," he said. "But ice-packs don''t mean anything. They are just part of the recovery procedure. Whether it''s the knee, the shoulder, or the finger if you get a knock, you should get into an ice-pack," he told TNN. Sehwag was, of course, hit on his fingers by a snorter from Jason Gillespie on Friday afternoon.
He got out fending that ball and his wrist looked swollen but it''s more than likely that he will play in the first 11. He played a game of volleyball too although didn''t actively participate in it. The bigger worry might be Anil Kumble: he featured in the first final despite an inflammation in the shoulder. Maybe, he will be given another day''s rest.