Well Ponting and the team really showed how spoilt brats should act in achieving victory - a study in bad grace if ever there was one to witness - a very public witness to the excesses of unbridled, and uncalled for, so-called enthusiam. I am more than disappointed - the whole act reeks of a priviledged class acting without caring what others (that means me and you and the rest of the watching public) may think.

India might well pull out of the tour as it could well pull out of international cricket. With 1 billion cricket crazy fans in India who needs tours - India could go it alone and buy players from around the world - their internal TV coverage alone would be worth more than the rest of the world's interest in cricket put together, added up and totalled. They don't need Australia.

Australia doesn't need spiolt brats.

Sadly, it all comes down to integrity.

To stay at the crease when you know you are out may be within the laws of cricket, but is fundamentally against the spirit of the game.

Ponting and Symonds were arrogant, insulting and plain wrong to claim that the decisions in their favour were "just part of the game".

On the contrary, their actions were "simply not cricket".

And if that phrase has lost its meaning, then five-day Test matches have become pointless too.

Oh, come on ... spoilt brats? I think we need to give this team its credit, they have equalled the highest number of consecutive wins and quite possibly will surpass it - the fact that it was equalled on day 5 with 7 balls to go - it's like scoring the winning goal in injury time, or being given a house as a gift on your wedding day! Jeepers, that's the best test I've seen, it went the distance and wasn't over and done with in 3 days like most nowadays.

As for India quitting world cricket, not a chance ... who doesn't want to compete against the best!

Move on ... it's a slow news week obviously!

Corri, I don't know about it being a slow news week.

But your advice that we "give this team its credit, they have equalled the highest number of consecutive wins" is a bit like saying to Raila Odinga that he should "give Kibaki his credit, he has after all been elected president for another term"

Yes, Australia equalled the highest number of consecutive wins, but:

"If Cricket Australia cares a fig for the tattered reputation of our national team in our national sport, it will not for a moment longer tolerate the sort of arrogant and abrasive conduct seen from the captain and his senior players over the past few days. Beyond comparison it was the ugliest performance put up by an Australian side for 20 years." Sydney Morning Herald 8th January 2008

Yes, Mwai Kibaki was re-elected as President of Kenya, but:

"...the real damage was done in Nairobi, by simply crossing out the number of votes as announced in the constituency and scribbling in a higher number. Election monitors were turned away while the tallying went on. Monitors from the European Union saw tens of thousands of votes pinched in this way" The Economist 3rd January 2008

So, go you good Aussies! And go you good Mr Kibaki! Make Australia/Kenya proud!

I don't object to the exuberance shown when the Australians won this test but I do think that Australians are often boastful winners and very bad losers. I am a proud Aussie but I think we are heading too much towards the American way of winning and in some cases we have surpassed it. Humility is a great attribute!

The real problem here is that most of the poor decisions went against India. I thought the benefit of the doubt went to the batsman which says that the umpires who hold their finger up mean there is no doubt.

Therefore the bad decisions were exactly that bad decisions.

Finger tip catches close to the ground are often doubtful and I believe the benefit of the doubt should have been given to the Indian batsman. Asking the catcher to confirm your decision by an umpire in my mind proves doubt!

Now with the added racial slur component (if it occurred) we have a huge problem. I wonder what the Aussies were saying to their opponents out on the field? Perhaps we should mike up all players and monitor the abuse that is happening.

A little humility especially when the Aussies know they got the benefit of some very doubtful decisions is what we really need.

The two involved in the racial slur allegation should shake hands and make up and promise to never abuse each other again. Simple really!

Pericles, to bring in Kenyan politics is an interesting angle ... albeit irrelevant. I don't doubt there were questionable umpire decisions, or that Australia were incredibly lucky to win - but to slate this in with vote rigging, come on!

That sportmanship should be paramount and gracious triumph is to be sought is without question. But the tension and competitive nature of this match brought about the immediate celebrations from the team.

Are they spoilt brats? I don't believe so.

Could they be better ambassadors for the sport ... sure. But as Opinionated2 said, who knows what went on the field?

Was Singh's celebrations when he got Ponting out over the top ... not for me, it adds spice.

Test cricket has become quite monotonous - even for cricket fans, so to see this level of competition is refreshing. I think India should get on with it, play the next test and aim to be as competitive in Perth, taking the game up to the Aussies and allowing cricket fans worldwide to enjoy the game.