Aug 24th -- slow update for the week

Quotable Quotes

How long is a generation ? I still have no clue . People are measuring it in months now -Pritish Nandy Film Maker

Insurgency in Afghanistan didn't just happen overnight and we won't defeat it overnight - Barack Obama

All talk of differences between us is wrong. When there was no fight, where is the question of rapprochement - Lalu Prasad Yadav RJD chief on Congress President Sonia Gandhi

Ashes -- Aussies bite the dust --

It was a result that no one would have not expected after the strong performance in the fourth test by Australia to level the series -- The Aussies lost the plot very clearly on three different instances during the final test that went in England's favour --

First Instance :On day two , they were cruising along merrily , when there was rain interruption - I am not sure what changed after that but Stuart Broad made the ball talk -- His line and length and the swing he got post rain was extraordinary and clearly the Aussies were not able to handle him during this period and they ended up conceding a huge first innings lead--

Second : In Eng second innings , the English were down to eight wickets for 243 and normal aggressive Aussie bowling should have done them under 250 -- that would have meant the target to chase was near 400 and that was doable on a flat Oval track that behaved normally on day three and day four of the test match -However , the Aussies allowed debutant Trott and Swann to cruise along and they added 130 more-- I could not see the aggression nor the intent to get the last two wickets and get to a total that was chasable -- it was just baffling to watch this shoddy display by Australia

Third : Why did Ponting go for that suicidal run out ? Ponting and Hussey had pulled themselves up and were about to dominate when this happened -- And who made the telling contribution of running out Ponting ? Of Course Mr Flintoff , who till that point of time had no impact on the match -- With a single piece of action , Flintoff turned the game for England and with that the Ashes victory to them in his last test appearance

Overall this Ashes series lacked ferocity of the previous Ashes series -- the big names were missing for Australia -- and this defeat meant that Australia slipped from the top ranking to be at number four -- South Africa on top with Srilanka and India following them- What a climb down for the mighty Aussie !! Time will tell whether they can claw back -- I think it is going to take time ..