Hold The Back Page: 09/10/2010

Squeaky bum time for...

Ricky Ponting and his boys

The first Test in the (sadly only) two-Test series between India and Australia was a right bobby dazzler, coming down to the last wicket before India squeezed home.

And there was even room for a spot of controversy with India getting away with a bang-in-front lbw call in the last over. Nobody mention match-fixing please. Anyway, the second Test starts today and the Aussies won't want to lose it or, and get this, they drop below England in the world Test rankings to No 5. Who could have imagined that five years ago? With the Ashes round the corner Ricky and his team would hate the thought of fighting for the urn as England's inferiors... Come on India!

We applaud you wholeheartedly

Sven Goran Eriksson

The Swede has covered three continents since leaving Man City in 2008 – not counting a brief spell in cloud-cukoo land with Notts County.

So when he ordered his Leicester City players to breakfast in the afternoon and take dinner at 1am they might have wondered if he knew where he was. But hats off to the man, it was all part of a cunning plan to avoid jet-lag on their whistlestop tour of Thailand. In an attempt to stay fresh for Hull City's visit to the Walkers Stadium next weekend, the Leicester boys will stay on English time throughout the trip. Shame then that today's 5pm kick-off (Thai time) is actually 11am here. Some things not even Sven can fix.

And the stories you may have missed

Aussie Rules

Such has been their superiority at the Commonwealth games, the Australians have got so cocky that they are throwing medals away now.

Hassene Fkiri was stripped of his silver medal after making an obscene gesture to the judges in the 96kg Greco-Roman final and refusing to shake his Indian opponent's hand.

Meanwhile, Shane Perkins pulled out of the team sprint event in the cycling yesterday in a show of un-Australian-like remorse for making a rude gesture at an official. Our cousins Down Under seem to have a problem expressing themselves.

Breakfast bother

American sports stars are known for their entrepreneurial endeavours. So when NFL wide receiver Chad Ochocinco launched his cleverly named "OchocincO's" breakfast cereal, it might have seemed that a new commercial frontier had been discovered.

With a portion of profits going to charity, it seemed like everyone could be a winner.

But breakfasting fans were left spluttering on their honey-toasted oats when the phone number on the box for the Feed the Children Organisation turned out to be a $2.99-a-minute adult line. "It's almost like it was supposed to happen," said Ochocinco, finding a bizarre silver lining in the increased exposure.