Today S.C.G MacGill made yet another return to test cricket after yet another prolonged period in the wilderness. He made this return on the ground after which he is named, and today the ground was kind to him – eventually. It took MacGill until just before tea to pick up his first wkt. Yasir caught by McGrath at mid-on. Upon taking the wkt MacGill walked slowly, with his head bowed, over to McGrath and buried his face in the mutterman’s chest. There he wept – it was as if he were sobbing words along the lines of, ‘I have another test wkt, finally I have claimed it, I had feared I would never feel this again, thank you pigeon, thank you terribly.’ After this MacGill really hit his straps. The last over he bowled before tea was the best over I have ever seen him bowl. His deliveries were coursing along peculiar lines, the ball was moving with a great resistance against the directions it was being forced to take. Warnie may be an incredibly precise bowler but he bowls according to a pure physics, it always seems quite logical where the ball is going to and where it ends up. Warnie’s balls make sense – they adhere to the law. Muralitharan on the other hand creates his own physics, a lawless, impure physics. Terrifying for a batsmen (and some match referees) to witness. MacGill is no Murali but today it was more like he was bowling floating & drifting freaky doosras every ball than just his regular leg spin.

Today’s other highlight was the Salman Butt ton.

Also, Dizzy’s first over today was the best first over of any bowler in any test ever. He narrowly beat the bat with the first two deliveries, found a thick edge with the third. The ball flew gently to Warne at first slip at a distinctly catchable height. Warne grassed it. The next ball found a thick edge and flew gently to Gilchrist’s right. Gilchrist didn’t have to move much but still managed to grass it. I have never seen Dizzy look so sad and forlorn. I think he may have even muttered. Gilgamesh had produced a perfect start to his spell and his trusty cordon had let him down. At the end of the over Dizzy trudged slowly off to fine leg with that full on I don’t want to play anymore look about him.