Are Aussies shattered ? - Cyclone debbie and Gold Train put down !!

Is Australia shattered ? –would wait for a day to write more on that !! ..  Mornington is a seaside town in  Peninsular Victoria, Australia, located 57 km (35 mi) south of Melbourne's central business district.  Mornington is known for its "village" atmosphere and its beautiful beaches.  All eyes and talks were on the  Gold Trail, clear favourite, but had a sad ending !

Down under, North Queensland is bracing as Cyclone Debbie is set to cross the coast as a destructive category 4. Cyclone Debbie is expected to bring 120km/h winds and gusts of 240kmh, with tens of thousands of Queenslanders urged to evacuate.  People living in low-lying areas in Mackay were urged to evacuate on Monday afternoon due to a predicted storm surge of up to 2.5 metres, with up to 25,000 people affected and residents told to prepare for flooding. Severe Tropical Cyclone Debbie is currently a powerful tropical cyclone off the coast of Queensland. It was the first cyclone to reach severe tropical cyclone intensity and the strongest cyclone in the Australian region since Cyclone Quang in April 2015.

The weather Bureau has predicted Cyclone Debbie would make landfall as a category four tropical cyclone between Ayr and Cape Hillsborough, north of Mackay.  Destructive winds of more than 125 kilometres per hour were already occurring about the Whitsunday Islands, and thousands were without power in Cannonvale, Airlie Beach and parts of Mackay.

At Dharamshala, a storm of a different kind blew over ! ~ the Q is has India, all but won the war, though the battle is  far from over. It is 87 more as we keep fingers crossed, reading history .. .. .. ..  120 is the lowest target India have failed to chase down, in Bridgetown in 1997;  the lowest Australia have defended versus India is 231 in Kolkata in 1956-57. At the end of third day, India need 87 more with all wickets remaining. So, statistics are to be believed..

On the ground, the relations exploded   again after Murali Vijay claimed a grounded catch -before cameras captured Steve Smith calling him a “f---ing cheat”.  That was not to assume any scandalous proportions as Indian players were called back on to the field after sprinting off, thinking the Australian innings was over. Umpires were left in some doubt from replays that Vijay had appealed for a catch from No.11 Josh Hazlewood when the ball had bounced into his hands. Australian batting coach Graeme Hick was prepared to give Vijay the benefit of the doubt, but  not the Aussie skipper.  Cameras scanned up to the Australian dressingrooms to show Smith — who had left his seat to prepare to field — mouthing the expletive-laden assessment of Vijay.

On the field, Wade refused to let the demonstration go without action from the Australian team and his niggling words were picked up by the Star Sports effects microphone. The Star Sports vision showed Wade & Jadeja  exchanging verbal barbs from opposite ends of the pitch.  Getting closer Wade asked - “You called me it. I just want to know what it is,” Wade said after Jadeja addressed him in Hindi.

 “Wait until you come down here and say it. Wait until you get down here, mate.”When umpire Ian “Gunner” Gould ordered the two players to calm down, Wade made sure he landed the final verbal blow. “We are all right, I’ll get a selfie with him at the end of the game. We’ll put it on Instagram,” he said to the umpire. Jadeja’s Instagram account, which is littered with glamorous “selfie” pictures, appears to be infamous within the Australian camp. Aussies always feel that they only have the right to talk, read as sledge, abuse !

Downunder, the  Mornington Cup proved to be one of triumph and tragedy for global powerhouse Godolphin as it won the race with Tally but lost fourth placegetter The Gold Trail after he broke down 100m past the winning post. Tally’s victory was overshadowed by what happened to the short-priced favourite English stayer The Gold Trail, who faltered badly in front of a shocked crowd.  His jockey Craig Williams was flipped off the galloper and was thrown into the turf. Williams was knocked out for a brief period but soon regained consciousness. He was later transported to the Frankston Hospital for observation but was conscious, moving and talking to medical staff.

Not a happy ending for the horse, as there was a report stating - unfortunately #TheGoldTrail could not be saved after suffering fractures in near fore sesamoid today. Chief steward Brent Wright said nothing could be done to save The Gold Trail.  Wright said The Gold Trail would be taken to Werribee Veterinary Clinic for an autopsy. The well-performed stayer had won his past two starts at Doncaster in the United Kingdom last September and at Meydan, Dubai, in January.

So lot happened on this day !

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

27^th Mar 2017.