A bit of preamble before I write my thoughts about the off-field events of the past 24 hours.
I have seen very little of the Sydney Test, won by Australia late yesterday afternoon. I was on holidays with my daughter for most of the week and listened to the second half of Sunday's play on the radio at home. (If I really wanted to, I could probably have made the dash across to the ground when they threw the gates open for free at 4.30pm.)
I've seen some of the game on TV, and thankfully got to see most of Tendulkar's century as it happened. I saw a handful of the contentious dismissal decisions, and most of the rest in online video replays.
Both teams should be congratulated on a competitive Test, especially India who didn't deserve to lose in my opinion.
Nonetheless, having stated my lack of qualifications for passing detailed judgment on the Test itself, I find a helluva lot of observations to be made about the way people have handled themselves in the wake of the Second Test. Players, officials, administrators, media. Few, if any, come out of this (still unfolding) episode kindly. On all sides.
I think there are a few solutions that should have been bleeding obvious. But for now that will have to wait for my next instalment.