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Abusive telephone calls target Ponting's parents

Australia cricket captain Ricky Ponting says his parents have received abusive phone calls following the controversial second Test win over India.

"There were a few people who rang in the past few days, having a dig," Ponting told News Ltd newspapers yesterday. "It was disappointing for them to have to go through that."

Ponting said his parents were forced to change their phone number following the anonymous calls criticizing the Australian captain and his team.

Australia won the Test by 122 runs to clinch a world record-equaling 16th consecutive win, but the win was overshadowed by a racism row and some poor umpiring decisions.

The Australian public seemed divided, with opinion polls showing the bulk of cricket fans agreeing the Australian team was arrogant.

Ponting rejected those claims, and has the backing of the game's national authorities, but accepted there were elements of the second Test that "in hindsight you might do a little differently."

Meanwhile opener Virender Sehwag and the struggling Yuvraj Singh both fell cheaply yesterday as India returned to action.

Sehwag fluffed his chance to make a case for Test selection, making just 24 after India won the toss and elected to bat against the Australian Capital Territory XI.

Singh's horror tour continued when he made just two as the tourists paid the price for poor shot selection against a modest attack.

The Indians declared at 325 for nine after throwing a number of wickets away with loose shots, and the ACT were 10 without loss at stumps on the first day.

Former Indian skipper Rahul Dravid, who benefited from dropping down to number four, making 62 from 91 balls with nine fours, said it was disappointing that several batsmen again failed to deliver.

"It is about making people sit up and notice them," he said. "Hopefully they can reinforce that in the second innings. When people get their opportunities they have to put their hands up. That's what these games are about."

In better news for the tourists, embattled opener Wasim Jaffer finally found some form with a stylish 92.

Jaffer, with just 22 runs in four Test innings on this tour, was in much better touch against the ACT bowlers, hitting eight fours and two sixes during his 191-ball knock.
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