Fitting Reply to Ugly Sydney Fiasco

There was India's twelfth man, Harbhajan Singh, gleefully charging across the WACA outfield, holding aloft the Indian Tricolour.


As it streamed out it became an intrepid unmistakable metaphor signifying that justice had been done. If ever there was a defining, defiant message that trampled the contretemps of the Sydney Test in the Australian dirt, this was it.


Bhajji didn't play in Perth as a matter of selection policy. And for those of who watched the four days of what was another enthralling Test, this flag carrying act was an intellectual statement overriding moments of charged adrenalin the victory created.


It was almost as though reading through a compelling script for the latest Daniel Day-Lewis film. There was the memory of unknown lanky New Delhi teenager Ishant Sharma, who two years ago wasn't even considered good enough to earn selection to the Indian Youth World Cup side, working over Ricky Ponting in such a way that it revived memories of the 2005 Ashes Test series.