YOUR SAY

Breaking The Gabba Streak

RITAMMITRA on how a battered India pulled offthe greatest Test serieswin ofall time.

Prem Verma wrote: Reallyinspiring.

Mohinuddin Choudhry wrote: It was awellcontestedmatch.Welldone, Team India

Gurmeet Kalsi wrote:SERIESSORTED. Paine, wesaw you atGabba

Ananya Hazra wrote: Firstwinfor India after 1988inGabba What amatch itwas.We areproudof theyoung Indianteam.Jai Hind.

Bharathlya Jayarathne wrote:Great win.Continue captaincywithRahane.

Chakrapanl Rao wrote: Atthis rate, our superstarswhowere injuredandwho attended other dutiesmay not find aplace in the team.Why were such young talents waiting in the wings for a long time?

Blswadeep Sinha wrote: Now thequestionis whether therookies willbe allowedto play more Testcricket, after Kohli comesback.

HarshaArora wrote:TheBollywoodfilmonthisTestserieswillbeablockbuster.

Robert Gardlnl wrote:A tributeto self-belief, courage, andpersistence.

Vaanle Krishnan wrote: IndefatigableCheteshwar Pujara!

WHEN STRONG TASTE= STRONG SMELL

After neighbours complained about the strong smell of Indian cooking, RHEA L NATH discussed what we, and you, can do about it

Pheroza Dauwalla wrote: Love, love, love Indian Link - thank you. Had to share Rhea'sarticleon "smelly foods".Wonderfully writtenanda realeye opener. Loved that youoffered tips to reducesmellsanddidnotgo overboard on theoutrage. Keepupthe fabulouswork

Akshay Kulkarni wrote: We actually hadto stop cooking Indianfood in our Houston house when we were trying to sell it. The people that came by to see thehouse wouldcomplain about thesmell.

Rlshab Shankar wrote: These are thepeople whocomplain aboutthe mayo being spicy

Betty Jager wrote: I myself loveallthesmells of different foods fromdifferent cultures.The one complainingneedsto stopand mind their business.

Rakhl Joshi wrote: Evenin Mumbaisomebuildingsdo notallownonvegetarianfood (to becookedordelivered).Flats aresold or leasedwiththis clausein such building societies. Individualchoice! Look for a secludedhome.

Amal Ral wrote: Curry smell doesn't kill anyone. Ithink itis ok. There is no law sayingfood smellhas to be lockedin your room!

Ambarlsh Natu wrote:The realissue onhand is thepoor design of buildings in Australia in general - that includeskitchen exhausts andventilation systems. The AustralianStandardsandthe BCA standards need an amendment to addressthismatter. The buildershavebeengettingaway with cheap constructionsdesigns for fortune of a price forwaytoo longnow!

Burjor Banajl wrote: (TheIndiantenantin thisstory)hasevery rightto complain.

YB Yoshi wrote: Northeast Indians face these problemsin mainland Indian cities We have to hide(to)cook (our food).

Nathan Nalewabau wrote: Thatis what you call racist.

AUSSIE CRICKET FAN, 91, APOLOGISES TO SIRAJ

BAGESHRI SAWASACHI reported on veteran cricket fanClaudeCurrywho rang our offices to apologise to MohammedSiraj after reports of racial abuse surfaced at the SCG.

Prem Bhardwaj wrote:Good one.Thereare alwaysnice peoplearound. Appreciated.

Bhagwandass Gursahaney wrote:We support MohammedSiraj and condemn those who passed remarksof racialdiscrimination againstouryoung rising player.

Sudin Kamat wrote: Oneof the nice fellows.

Solomon Raj wrote: One can't affordto blamethe Aussie fans enmasse for thiskind of racistmentality. Only ahandfulof rogueelementsindulgein this shamelesspractice. If itcontinues, evenothernationalteams willhesitate to tourAustralia.

Sherwin Dias wrote:Good, better latethan never.

Deepu Dharmarajan wrote: Based on some people's behaviour, we cannot judge all!So many goodhearts in Australia.

Rohit Jaggi wrote: 9NEWSand 7NEWS, why don'tyoushare thisnews?

Devastating news forIndiaand @narendramodifollowing flash flooding in Uttarakhand.Australia standswithone ofitsclosest friends atthisvery difficulttime.

Scott Morrison, Prime Minister of Australia

Acarynidhi Das wrote:Thecomplainantislogicalandjustified.Despite all knowledge, Indians stilluselotsof garlicandonionwhichare considered food in ignorancemode.I too can'tstandthepungentsmell fromthe neighbour's house.Food tastes better withoutonionand garlic. If youdon't believe me, check outwithany Hare Krsnas

Venkatesh Paramasivan wrote:The neighbours' concerns are valid. Our curry smellmight bepleasing forus as wehave gotten usedto it since childhoodandwe may not even feel it, butitmight be difficult for people of othercultures. It's areasonable concern andnotbigotedor racistatall. Eveninmyhome country, someveg communitiesprefer notto have non veg communities livinginthe same building.Whileit'snotillegal, it'sa practiced norm, maybebecause the smellof meat(troubles them).So they've gota point.Weneed to manage these differences and sometimesone sidehas to compromisemorethantheother.

Gautam Nath wrote:What an aptarticle!Well written andto point.Where we live inCanada, recently landednewcomers livein tiny homes andthe food smell getsonto theirclothes and heavy woollen jackets, so become walking incense sticks.

Whatelse cana fortified city and blockinginternet accessrepresentother thanabarricadedand diminisheddemocracy?

Ed Roy, writer

Whenapersonof colourspeakspublicly about racism weknowithastaken a lot - notof courage, butalotof racism. Thus, when they speak, itisnotenough just tobelieveor sympathisewith them; wemustact,immediately. Allof us.

Chelsea Watego, academic

If you don't think white supremacy is real, Emily in Paris isnominatedfor a GoldenGlobe.

Kimberly Drew, writer

#WHEREININDIA

There are 1,212 pillars, eachintricately carved, inthistemple corridor, believedto be thelongest ofits kindin theworld Whichtemple, builtin its current form in the 12th century, arewe talking about?

Readers Shabu Thomas and Chandra Kishore guessed it right: RamnathswamyTemple inRameshwaram, Tamil Nadu

DIWALI 4'NOT PART OF AUSTRALIAN CULTURE"?

KRISHNA NEELAMRAJU reported on Western SydneyMayor Steve Christou's divisive comments that Diwali and the Lunar New Year are "not part of Australian culture", and ratepayers should not foot the bill for these events.

Charlshma Kallyanda wrote:Welldone Indian Link forhighlighting the hypocrisy ofCumberland CouncilMayor inposing forphotooppswith culturally diverse communities whenitsuitshim but failingtouniteand support ourcommunitieswhenit countsmost.

Alan Mascarenhas wrote:Themayor alsodissed Diwali, whichissuchan importantpart of our tradition in ParramattaandCumberland. Torepresent his community, heshouldwalkthe streetsand understandit.

Renu Datta wrote:We willstill continueto celebrate with our community of diversecoloursdespite these narrow-mindedpeople

Leyla Nubia wrote: Hypocrisy posingin thatphoto

Sunll Gole wrote:Thanks, didnot knowthat. Had wonderedwhy there were no Diwali bannersby councillastyear. Now Iknow.

Krishna Kumar Ramamoorthy wrote:TheMayor ofCumberlandwoulddo welltotakealeaf outofScott Morrison'sbook.The Premierhasalsobeen warmand inclusive each year atDiwali. Multiculturalism ishereto stay;the Mayorshouldtakea walk aroundhisownsuburb tofindout.

Bhavln Rabarl wrote:Whydo wecare?TheIndiansaying aboutelephants having (separate) display teeth andchewing teeth precisely fits the politicians,soI wouldn't beaffected toomuch by either theovertdisplay or theabsence of bonhomie.On thecontrary, Hindusshould continue to be ideal, hard working citizens, achievingsuccess, creatinga reputation for themselves. That'swhatshould matter

Joseph La Posta, CEO Multicultural NSW wrote: Nearly onein 20 Aussiestoday were either bornin Chinaor India.Why shouldn'twe embrace Lunar NewYear andDiwali? Bothfestivalscelebrate lightoverdarknessand beginningsandunity!

Johnny Due-Huy Nguyen wrote:Thisisdisappointingnewsforsomeone that representsso many of those whoseculturehe haseffectively rejected It'salsoimportantto note thatthe apologymentionedin the lastlineshould extend beyond Australiansof Indianand Chinese origin: LunarNewYear,as the namesuggests, isnot only celebrated by ethnicallyChinese peoplebut peoplefromallacrossAsia.

Brian Mackenzie wrote: Pleasedto seethe term "Australiansof Indian or Chinese origin". Makesabigchange from those whooffer originbefore Australian.

Eric Roine wrote: My family come fromanother culture. Idonot expect Australiansto bowdowntoit. IamAustralian nowin Australia

Neil Robert Darling wrote: UntilCOVID 19iscompletely under control, they shouldbe restricted thesameasallcelebrationshave been.

Narturhi Karibian wrote: IbelieveitisIndian cultureandshouldbe celebratedand enjoyedwithinthe Indian community andany otherswho wantto join. Thisisafter alla multicultural country. Asa multicultural country, every ethnicgrouphasthefreedom tocelebrate itsownparticular days of cultural celebration,and thankgoodnessforthat.

If entitled white women who complain to the manager are Karens,I thinkAustralianscan agree entitledwhitemen who feel they're thetrue victimsof systemic racismare now Eddies.

Benjamin Law, writer

After lots of time using Bing(livingin countries whereGoogleisblocked),I think I cansum up theuser experience. It'slikeaskingfor directions, andthen beinghandedascrunchedup pieceof paper with 'road' writtenonit.

Richard

Cooke, writer&journalist

#WHEREINOZ

Thisdesert ishometo theseuniquely naturalattractions - where isit located?Readers Petra O'Nelll and Twlnkl Twlnkl had the rightanswer: the Pinnacles Desert, NambungNational Park,WA.

INDIA'S71-YEAR TEST

RITAM MITRA spoke to former OzTest opener and ex-Cricket Australia chairman WallyEdwards about a Jong-Jost archive of Fairfax Media cricket photos, including India's early tours of Australia, which is now available asa book.

PeterYoung wrote: Indian Link hasmadetheBradman Museum cricket books,includingIndia's71-YearTestlaunchedbyRaviShastrilast week, its coverstory. Paper'seditorialalsomuseson potentialimpactof Syd test on Aust-IndiadiplomaticlinksAust wantstostrengthen

Jamie Parker, NSW MP wrote: Coverstory oncrickethistory isabsolutely fantastic!Welldone,Ritam Mitra.

DarshakMehta wrote:Whataterrific,heart-warmingproject.Wally,todo somethingsoridiculouslygenerousforno reasonwhatsoever,istruephilanthropy.

Lovetheideathat politicians getting thevaccine firstwill somehowlessen vaccine hesitancy.Theonlygroup Australianstrustlessarereal estatesalespeopleandad execs.

Osman Faruqi, podcaster

IwelcomeKamalHaasan'sideaof recognizing houseworkasasalariedprofession, withthe state govt payinga monthly wagetohomemakers.This willrecognize&monetisetheservicesofwomen homemakersinsociety, enhancetheirpower,& autonomy& createnear-universalbasicincome.

Shashi Tharoor, IndianMP rVyomSharn1aisamedical practitionerinMelbourne, specialisingingeneralpractice. Asahealthco1nmentator,he hoststheshowRadiotherapyonTripleR, writescolumnsinthemainstreampress, andappearsfrequentlyonourTVscreens, notablyonABC's Q+Aand TheDru.111.His particularpassionisreservedfordispelling misinformationandadvocatingevidence-based medicine.HesitsdownwithIndianLinkto answerfrequentlyaskedquestionsaboutthe coronavirusvaccine,settorolloutthismonth.

Safe for new mums? Pfizer or Astra Zeneca?

DrVYOM SHARMA answers your questions on the COVID vaccine + (S)_.. .

Whatshould I do before I get thevaccine?

There are three thingsyoucould do. First, makesureyou'refeelingwellontheday. Generally,ifyou'reunwell,we don'tlike tovaccinate. Soifyouhaveanysymptoms, askyourGP. Two,make anote ofanyother vaccinationsyou mayhavehad recently• we like tospacevaccinationsapart.Three, keepathand infonnationaboutthethings you maybe allergic to.

YOUR DOSEOF t-!: RELIABLE [INFOR��;ION '(_,

Howshould J care formyelderly parents iftheyare getting thevaccine first? There could be mild symptoms that could last forup toadayor two: abitof painwherethe needlewentin,orperhaps tenderness; tiredness; soremuscles orachingjoints. Keepyourelderly parentsunderobservationafter their vaccination - bestnottoplanany activities.

Should I getthevaccine ifI'mpregnant?

IfI'm tryingto fallpregnant? IfI'm a newmum?

Thevaccineisnotcurrently recommended forpregnantwomen. This issimply becausewedon'thavesufficientdata at thisstage. We'rewaitingfor more testing, andit isverylikelythatitwillbe recommendedfor themtoointhefuture.

Newmumsshouldhavenoconcerns whatsoever.

Tryingtofallpregnant -whilewe don'thaveofficialguidance onthisyet, itwillverylikelybe thesameadviceas newmums,unlessyou are lookingto fall pregnantinthesamecycle.

What about newborns?

The vaccine is onlyforpeople 16years and over,atthis stage. Testingforchildrenonly beganmuchlaterin the piece.

Whataboutallergic reactions?

Allergicreactionscanoccurdueto anything, butlife-threateningallergic reactionstoCOVlD-19vaccinesarevery rare. Butjustincase,you'llbeasked tostay for 15 minutesafterbeingvaccinated. lfyou developanyconcerningsigns,you canbe treatedimmediately -we are readyforthis!

Whatshould I know about side effects?

The vaccines are incrediblysafe.There could be mild sideeffects inthe first2448 hourslike I've listedbefore,whichare reallycommon to all vaccinations.

Long-termsideeffects are rare, and most commonlypop up bythe 45-daymark.

Butconsider this: we've had 80 million

COVIDvaccinationsdeliveredworldwide already, andwe've observednothingof concernsofarforseveralmonths.

Also, theAustraliangovern111enthas laidoutacon1prehensiveprogra111of investigationofallside effects.

Howmany shotswill be needed? Two, asofnow.I can'ttellyouright nowwhatthe timegapbetweenthe two willbe.

Aftermytwo shots,will I continue tohavetowearmasksand sanitize frequently?

Yes,thecurrentadviceistocontinuetowear masksandpractisehandhygiene.Thevaccines areverygoodatpreventinglifethreatening orsevereCOVID-19.Butcouldyoustillgeta verymildinfectionthatyoupassontoothers? Maybe-we'restillfindinganswerstothis question. Untilwe'resure,besttowear111asks andsanitizetokeepotherssafe

I hadCOVIDandrecovered Do I still needtogetvaccinated? Thegeneralthinkingisyes. The immune responsethatthevaccineprovidescan be better thantheoneyoudevelopafter gettingCOVID. Butresearchers are exploringwhetherjustoneshotis enough forpeoplewho'vebad COVID before.

Who should NOTgetthevaccine? Thosewhohavehadprovenallergytoone ofthespecific ingredients ofthevaccine. Andthatwillaffectaveryverysmall numberofpeople.

What's the difference between Pfizer andAstraZenecavaccines?

Bothvaccines are tryingtodo the same thing - teachourimmunesystemto recognise a keypartoftheviruscalledthe 'spikeprotein'.Thevaccinesboth 'show' our immune systemthis'spike' protein, andthenthebodylearnsto recognise it, and is readytodestroyvirus itifitever encountersitagain.

Pfizervaccine teachesourbodyto make asmall amountofspikeprotein, sothe in1munesystemcan recognise it.

AstraZenecavaccineusesanother completelyharmless virus tocarrythe spike proteinintoourbody.

Eitherway, the immune system'sees' thespike protein,andlearnstodefend the bodyagainstthevirusifitevercomes acrossitin future.

Howwill theydecidewhogetswhich one?Can Ichoose?

Atthisstage, mostpeoplewillget theAstra Zeneca vaccine - simplybecausewe have moreofit. Idon'tthink peoplewillgetto make anindividual choice. But frankly 1 don'tthinkitmakesmuchdifference atan individuallevel- I'dtakethe first one Icanget. All thevaccinesseemtobe veryeffectiveatstoppinglife th1·eatening infections, whichis fantasticnews.

Can I refusevaccination?

It is notmandatory atall. In future perhaps insomehigh-riskoccupationsLike aged or healthcare theymightbe mandatory butnotfornow. Ideallywe don'twantit tobe mandatory - wewantyouto see the benefitsofitforyourself. Butwearevery hopeful:vaccination ratesare highinthis country- despite the anti-vaxmovement gainingmon1entumrecently.

Whatwouldyousayto people who are sayingcurrentlytheydon't wantthe vaccine?

I'dsay tothem, findoutmoreabout the vaccine, fromtrainedexperts. Manypeople havevalidconcerns butin 1nyexperience, onceI answertheirquestions, theyfeel muchmoreconfident aboutgetting vaccinated!

Whatwouldyou sayto peoplewho say they areworried aboutinsufficient testing? Thatthevaccine came outin record time and somightnot be reliable?

There are severalstepsinthe preparation ofavaccine - thereare preclinicalstudies, thentrialsinPhases1, 2 and3, andthen anapprovalprocess. Nota single stepwas skippedintheLnakingofCOVIDvaccines. Yestheyweredevelopedin recordtin1e, but that was because there wasoverlapin somephases. Plusofcourse manyofthe bureaucratic andfundinghurdleswere removed,with afloodofresources thrown at this, given theurgency.

Wonderful thingscan happenwhen the focus ison thescience.

Andalso, researchonmRNA vaccines hasbeenongoingforyears. Whatseen1s like a rapidinvention was basedon decades ofwork.

Whatdoyou knowabout India's vaccinesCovishicld andCovaxin?

Covishieldisthesameas theOxfordAstraZeneca. Covaxin, an lndian developedvaccine,we havenotseen the resultsofthe Phase3 trialsyet. It's hardto commentonitwithoutthefullinformation.

Acommenton India's role in manufacturingandexportingthe vaccine?Can Indiabecomethe'pharmacy totheworld'asis beingclaimed?

Absolutely. India hasdone a fantasticjob in the pharmaceuticsindustry. Andgiven thecurrenttrade tensions with China, it candefinitely make aplay,especiallyasit isseenasn1ore open.

But there arechallenges,like there areevery timeyou talkaboutChinaand Indiaand theAfricannations.Thereare conversationsaboutqualityassuranceand transparency. ButforIndia thiscanbean amazingopportunity: ifitcandemonstrate highspeed, high qualitymanufacturing,it can be thebeginningofanewage.

The vaccinations will be rolled out in three phases

Phase 1 isforthose peopleatriskof exposuretothevirus (ie healthcare workers;aged care and disability care);thoseatriskofdeveloping COVID-19 (seniorcitizens, Aboriginal andTorresStraitIslanderpeople undertheageof55,quarantineand borderworkers; essentialworkers).

Phase 2 is plannedforAboriginal andTorresStraitIslandersadults between 18to54yearsofage; Australiansbetween 50-69years ofage;and otherhigh-riskworkers.

With Phase2b,the restofthe adultpopulation isexpectedtobe covered.

Phase 3 willbeforchildren "if recommended",followingevidence thattheydonottransmitthedisease like adults.

Despite initialconfusion,freeaccessto the COVIDvaccine has been assured toallvisa-holdersinAustralia, includinginternationalstudents, refugees, bridgingvisa holders, and othertemporaryvisitors.Theyare likelyto beconsideredin Phase2b, exceptingat-risktemporaryvisa holdersorthosewith existinghealth conditions.

P.erceived

P.rofessional_jou1·nalists, P.alientsand •I irreplaceable. Melbourne-based