Virendra Sehwag

The controversy over the ‘denied century’ notwithstanding, Virender Sehwag batted with extreme maturity to lead India to victory in the crucial tri-series game against Sri Lanka. True, India weren’t chasing a massive target by any means. Still, the conditions weren’t the easiest for the batsmen under the lights. Most of the top order struggled to cope with the moving deliveries. As such, a repeat of the disastrous batting effort against New Zealand seemed a possible danger. This is where Sehwag came to India’s rescue, and how.

Often in the past, the swashbuckling opener has hit India out of trouble. And while he was totally restraint here either — never expect him to be – there were sure signs of a batsman, who was willing to hold himself back, even be it ever so slightly for the team’s cause.

On this day, Sehwag was prepared to wait for the loose balls instead of trying to invent strokes, which has often been his bane in the shorter format of the game. It was a masterly knock that not only ensured that India stayed alive in the series, but also saw to it that they were very much on par with the other two teams, courtesy the bonus point gained. If only Sehwag can continue to adopt a similar approach in the coming one-day games, one is sure his success rate would only be that much greater.

If Sehwag was the undisputed hero with the bat, there were plenty of them with the ball for India. Praveen Kumar swung the game India’s way early on with a lethal exhibition of bowling under overcast conditions. His performance at the top was critical in guaranteeing that India did not feel the pinch of another lost toss by MS Dhoni.

More importantly for India, the other bowlers stuck to their guns as well and did not allow the Lankans to get away, unlike in the game against the Kiwis, where the opposition recovered brilliantly to post a challenging total and then dump India out of the match with a cunning bowling effort.

Ashish Nehra, whose fitness was a concern, used his experience under such situations to proper effect, backing up Kumar were well. And thankfully for India, Ishant Sharma too raised his game and struck some crucial blows. Following the early strikes, it was imperative for the spinners to carry on the good work. And both Pragyan Ojha as well as Ravindra Jadeja responded to the task on hand.

All in all, it was a well-rounded bowling effort for India, something which should please Dhoni no end. Having said that, it still remains to be seen whether they can be as effective under less helpful conditions. This is all the more imperative in case of the spinners, who have looked listless at times in the recent past.

A couple of other areas India will want to work on would be their batting order, which still doesn’t wear a settled look. Dinesh Karthik put in a match-winning effort in the Asia Cup final. But he hasn’t been up to the mark before and after that.

In the absence of Gautam Gambhir, India need him to make the transition to a consistent performer at the earliest. Also, while both Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma remain in the scheme of things for India, one of them needs to be identified as India’s next middle-order lynchpin pretty soon, in case Yuvraj Singh’s woes don’t end.

The Sehwag-enabled win has definitely given India something positive, from where they can build on. For that though, the rest need to chip in as well.

Okay, so the wait is finally over. The Indian team for the Asia Cup has been announced. A first glance at the squad gives one the impression of a mixed bag. There has been extreme pressure on the selectors ever since the T20 debacle, soon followed by the recent disaster in Zimbabwe. And so, the medley of the team for the tournament in Sri Lanka is quite clearly a reflection of how things have transpired in the recent past. Even so, one can’t quite comprehend the logic behind the 15-member squad picked.

Without doubt, a lot of print and online space in the media will be dedicated to the exclusion of the under-fire Yuvraj Singh – some supporting the axe, and a few others denouncing it. We too will discuss about the southpaw’s case. But, does anyone have the courage to question Sachin Tendulkar’s decision to rest himself?

Unquestionably, he is among the greats in the game. However, it is correct for a player to request himself not to be considered, even if he is the legend himself. A couple of seasons ago, when MS Dhoni decided to opt out of the Indian Test team touring Sri Lanka, the India skipper received a mouthful from former players and the media alike, an uproar which only got stronger after India lost the series to Ajantha Mendis, and one which fell silent post India’s 4-1 one-day series win under the same man.

You can bet the same uncomfortable questions can’t be asked of Tendulkar. But, by doing so aren’t we making him bigger than the game?

Of course, it can be argued that the Mumbai batsman is doing this keeping the 2011 World Cup in mind. And, there is no question that Tendulkar has anything but noble intentions. The problem, though, is that every time he walks in and walks out, it upsets the balance of the side.

It is no secret in world cricket that he likes to bat at the top of the order. However, during the period that he was away from limited-overs cricket, Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag have forged a scintillating pair at the top. But, every time Tendulkar has come back, he has separated the Delhi duo.

And, while the man himself has been performing exceptionally well, India have been lucky that Gambhir and Sehwag haven’t suffered exaggeratedly. But, for how long? After all, this isn’t the first time in the last two years that Sachin has opted out of a series, and going by the precedent the selectors have set, it won’t be the last one either.

Moving on to the ‘hot’ topic of Yuvraj, it is least surprising that he has been shown the door, considering his recent non-performances. The motivation that took the lanky left-hander to such great heights till as recently as last season is, without doubt, missing.

Being so, Yuvraj should consider this as a blessing in disguise. Probably, the selectors could have done him a favour by announcing publicly that he has been rested. After all, like the other members of the team, he too has been part of some non-stop cricket action. Just because his extra-curricular activities are on the forefront, it doesn’t mean that his contribution to Indian cricket should be undermined.

So what if the selectors didn’t do it, Yuvraj can himself look at it in a positive manner and believe he has been given a much-needed break. At the same time, he must utilize the opportunity to get back to prime form and fitness. This is not the first that he is facing a roadblock.

The last occasion when he was dropped, more than five years ago, he came back with a vengeance, and took world cricket by storm. True, he had age on his side them. But, even now he is only 28, a stage at which most players hit their peak. And so, he still has ample time to make a mark and reclaim his spot prior to next year’s World Cup.

As a parting thought, it is sad that Yusuf Pathan has been made a scapegoat once again. He rarely got opportunities to score, batting down the order in Zimbabwe, and in the one game that he was promoted, he came up with a decent effort. And, keeping this yardstick in mind, one wonders how Ravindra Jadeja has managed to retain in place in the team.

Also, why is IPL being considered a short-cut to the ODI team? What made selectors pick Saurabh Tiwary even after watching how other stars of the league, Ashok Dinda (surprisingly retained) and Umesh Yadav, struggled even against minnows Zimbabwe?

The team has been announced. Now, for the rapid-fire round.

A superbly constructed, unbeaten 75 off just 47 balls from Manoj Tiwary enabled Kolkata Knight Riders to come out of their batting slumber and post a challenging 183 for 5 against Kings XI Punjab at their home ground, Mohali. Comeback man Ajit Agarkar then struck two crucial blows to pave the way for Kolkata’s first win in four games, that by an impressive margin of 39 runs.

The home side were never in the hunt during the tough chase. After an unlucky start, losing the in-form Ravi Bopara (0), who was erroneously declared lbw to Shane Bond, Kolkata kept things tight for a couple of overs before Yuvraj Singh opened up. He began to look in his elements, dispatching Ashok Dinda and Agarkar to the fence on couple of occasions each.

But, the latter had a last laugh when Yuvraj mistimed a quickish short ball and lobbed it straight up in the air, Tiwary taking an amazing catch, diving sideways. Not much later, Agarkar sent back Bisla as well for 22 to peg Punjab back, the batsman not being given room to free his arms by the experienced bowler.

As things turned out, that was the game, with Sri Lankans Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara struggling again.

Earlier, Sourav Ganguly won the toss and decided to take first strike on a belter of a pitch. Kolkata’s innings comprised of two distinct phases – a great start and a sensational end followed by a consolidatory phase in between. 19 runs came off the first over from Brett Lee, Chris Gayle deciding to take on the Aussie speedster returning from a serious injury. But, if Kolkata fans thought it was the beginning of some slam bang viewing to follow, they were completely false.

On the contrary, Gayle’s short blitz ended up being the storm before the calm. The West Indian ended up falling for a disappoint 14 from 12 balls, Shalabh Srivastava getting him with a well-planned shorter one.

Srivastava continued with his good work when he sent back Mandeep Singh as well for 4. The left-armer’s effort, coupled with good support from Vikramjeet Malik, saw Kolkata’s run rate falling drastically, and they were in serious danger of ending up short of a desirable target yet again. Ganguly and Tiwary, who was recalled after his surprise exclusion for the earlier games, went about doing the rebuilding task.

However, the question remained whether they would be able to accelerate in the nick of time. When the strategic break was taken at the end of 9 overs, Kolkata were disappointingly placed at 65 for 2. However, realising the value of runs, Ganguly came out of his shell and timed a couple to the boundary.

Tiwary too joined in the act and played some delectable strokes. But, just when Kolkata seemed to be on the up swing, Ganguly fell for 50. His knock, which consumed 40 balls was a good one, but not electrifying by T20 standards.

Kolkata would have ended up with another under par score, but for the efforts of Tiwary. His late hitting, slamming 21 off the last over bowled by Irfan Pathan, which included two punchy sixes, shifted the momentum back in Kolkata’s favour. Still, the total wasn’t match-winning. But, the Kolkata bowlers were competent enough to keep a hapless Kings XI down.

An uncannily insipid batting effort by Chennai Super Kings allowed Kings XI Punjab to register their first win in a tournament in a game which went into the super over, the first of the tournament. Chasing Punjab’s disappointing 136/8, Chennai were cruising at one stage at 96 for 1, but committed hara-kiri and were left stranded at 136 for seven in the final over.

Juan Theron, who was responsible for getting Punjab back into the game with an excellent spell for 2/17, then capped off a perfect game, claiming Matthew Hayden and Suresh Raina in the super over, conceding just nine runs. Chasing 10 to win, Mahela Jayawardene created further drama when he followed up a lofted six off Muttiah Muralitharan with another airy shot, which landed into the hands of the fielder just short of the boundary. Yuvraj Singh, with a reverse sweep, however ensured that Punjab did not lose this golden opportunity.

With all due credit to Punjab for their first win, it has to be said that Chennai kicked themselves in the foot. After openers Hayden (33) and Pathiv Patel (57) gave them another flying start, they should have easily won the game. However that was not to be. Instead, skipper Raina ran himself out for 15 and Murali Vijay was trapped in front of the stumps for a duck by the impressive Theron.

S Badrinath did not help the team’s cause by edging Yuvraj behind the wickets for 2, Kumar Sangakkara taking a brilliant fumbling catch, standing up to the wickets. Despite the quick loss of wickets, at 104/4 and with Patel still at the crease, Chennai continued to remain favourites. But, the momentum was now with Punjab and they used it to the best possible advantage.

Patel, who was well set having reached his half-century, threw his wicket away, blindly going for a slog against Piyush Chawla, Truly, the pressure had got to him. The remaining batsmen found it equally tougher. Chennai were not helped in the cause as big-hitting Justin Kemp was hurt earlier in the day and could not bat at his usual position.

Instead, Manpreet Gony came in and went without having made much of a contribution and when R Ashwin was dismissed in the final over, try to hit the winning runs, Punjab knew that they had a great chance of pulling it off in the super over.

Chennai’s poor batting effort meant the excellent bowling effort of Muralitharan earlier in the day went in vain. The Sri Lankan great picked up his two countrymen from the opposition – Jayawardene and Sangakkara — and later added Mhd Kaif to his kitty, as Punjab came up with yet another disappointing batting effort. Murali was excellently supported by Albie Morkel, who picked up the other two big fishes from Punjab, Ravi Bopara and Yuvraj.

The Kings XI did experiment with their batting order, sending Irfan Pathan in to the open the innings. It did click as he smashed 39 from 32 balls. However, with Yuvraj (43) being the only other substantial contributor, they could accumulate only 136, good enough on a day Chennai faltered.

On a slow, low pitch at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack, Deccan Chargers batted sensibly to post a challenging total of 170 after being invited to bat. Veteran pacer Chaminda Vaas then bowled a probing first spell, during which he claimed the important scalps of Kumar Sangakkara and Yuvraj Singh which all but put paid to Kings XI Punjab’s hopes of registering their first victory in the tournament. Vaas was well supported by the remaining bowlers as well.

Punjab, though, fought back as Irfan Pathan launched a marvellous late assault, slamming 60 from 29 balls. S. Sreesanth then hit three boundaries in the final over. But, it still wasn’t enough to see Punjab through as they fell short by a mere six runs in the end.

Coming back to Vaas, he brought all his experience into play to ensure that Punjab did not get off to a flyer in their chase. The slower delivery with which he cleaned up his Lankan team-mate and current skipper Kumar Sangakkara proved that there is still some fire left in him. As if he hadn’t made a strong enough point, he soon had Yuvraj Singh caught out.

Before the match, Punjab knew that for them to win Sangakkara and Yuvraj will have to play key roles. But, with Vaas consuming both of them, Punjab never recovered until the final flourish. The batting side did not help their cause as the in-form Manvinder Bisla was run-out early on following a mix-up with Ravi Bopara.

Punjab still had Mahela Jayawardene in their ranks, but the Deccan bowlers were on a roll and never allowed anyone to settle down. Andrew Symonds and Pragyan Ojha played their parts well Jayawardene and Adrian Barath respectively. All this while, Bopara was watching the carnage from the other end. He played some typical fluent strokes and reached 38.

But, with wickets tumbling, he had to go for the big shots and perished in the deep to Rohit Sharma. At 68 for 6, the match seemed out of grasp. However, credit to the ‘left-handed’ Pathan for almost pulling it off. The Baroda all-rounder played some breathtaking strokes, hitting five sixes in all to take his side to the brink.

Earlier in the day, Adam Gilchrist got his side off to a cracking start. He destroyed a wayward Sreesanth and dispatched him to all parts of the ground en route to his 12-ball stay of 33. Sreesanth’s performance was disappointing yet again for Punjab as he bowled length and gave ample room for Gilchrist to free his arms. As expected, the Deccan Chargers skipper did not miss out. It was eventually, the slow nature of the pitch that got the better of him, as he went for a half-hearted pull.

Gilchrist’s dismissal silenced the innings for a while. However, batting like a true pro, the bad boy of Australian cricket, Andrew Symonds notched up a half-century. Symonds got the measure of the slow pitch early in his innings and adjusted accordingly. It was his smart innings combined by useful contributions from Herschelle Gibbs and T Suman that helped Deccan post 170. And with Vaas in top form, they were able to successfully defend it.

A look at the lower middle order of the Top 3 teams in the world
A strong team is one that is versatile whether that means batting deep or adaptation or simply more options for the captain is subjective. In the past we have seen the tailenders or in today’s day the lower middle order who often change the coarse of matches. Today, I will be comparing the lower middle order of the top 3 ranked teams in the world namely:

Australia, South Africa and India.
Staring off by looking at the test arena,
Australian number 6——-Marcus North
South African number 6— JP Duminy
Indian Number 6———– Yuvraj Singh

Marcus North, One of Australia’s new found heroes along with Philip Hughes is one to certainly look forward to in the future. Marcus North announced himself at the international arena after having scored a century on debut against South Africa. North had to wait for long in domestic cricket before having got a chance.

North played a wonderful hand in the ashes and along with Clarke and Katich he was one of Australia’s best summers. However, after having a pretty average home summer north’s place in the team is now under jeopardy. If picked it would be vital for north to prove his critics wrong with some runs come New Zealand.

JP Duminy- Duminy struck a phenomenal hundred at 2008′s boxing day test match after combing with the tail which eventually won South Africa the match. Duminy after 1 innings of his shot to fame and after that has underperformed a bit.

With the Melbourne century being his one and only one and having scored just 1 century in 54 ODI’s clearly one match doesn’t make a career son. Duminy will have to refine his technique and be more productive with the shorter ones.

Yuvraj Singh: Purely the best out of the above mentioned. Yuvraj had a stuttering start to his test match career. He finally made amends for his chances after the retirement of former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly and has now made the number six position his own.

Australia number 7———- Brad Haddin
South African number 7—- Mark Boucher
Indian number 7————- MS Dhoni

Brad Haddin: Australia couldn’t have asked for a better replacement for Adam gilchrist. The same attacking, flamboyant flair—however, the saint part of him seems missing. Haddin was always the man after gilchrist.

Having served as Gilchrist’s understudy for over 5 years Haddin seems to have done the transition quite well. He did play for Australia in several ODI fixtures all be it not as keeper.

His batting talent and his footwork against spin was always one to match. Haddin provides a good hitting option for Australia down the order and thus provides the innings with some much needed impetus considering they need to declare.

Mark Boucher: One of the game’s best finishers in the modern era probably second only to Michael hussey. Boucher’s stats don’t reveal his contribution for South Africa with just an average in the mid 30’s. Boucher has played over 100 tests and almost about 300 ODI’s for South Africa.

His contribution to the South African unit is priceless. A hallmark of great players—Boucher always stands up to the occasion. This was recently seen in the england’s tour of South Africa where Boucher scored a fighting 50 in the 1st innings of the 4th test on a seamng Johannesburg wicket and thus won the proteas the match.

MS Dhoni: India’s skipper made a point with his first test 100 when he tore the Pakistan bowling apart with a brilliant 148 at Faisalabad. MS Dhoni doesn’t seem to have a very correct technique but it’s his hand eye co-ordination that enables him to be such a ferocious hitter. Off late Dhoni has matured and has shown to faces to his game—the role of the nurdler and the hitter.

He’s become competent enough to tackle the seaming wickets in Australia and South Africa. Keeping aside what he bring to the team as a batsman, Dhoni has lifted his team from just the ‘there and there abouts’ to finishing the match and even lifting titles. India have a wonderful record with Dhoni as captain. He’s been captaining India since mid 2008 and India haven’t lost a single test match under him as captain.

Australia number 8– Mitchell Johnson
South African number 8—Morne Morkel
Indian number 8- Harbhajan Singh

Mitchell Johnson: What a player to have at number 8. Australia do have the best number 8 in the world which clearly means that there’s a place up the order for mitch. But, unfortunately for mitch he hasn’t been needed there because all the Australian batsmen are doing their job. Johnson has got a test century to his name and against South Africa. Johnson is a ferocious hitter but unlike other number 8’s; Johnson’s policy isn’t hit out or get out.

There is some method and some brain in his hitting. He is one of the most feared bowling all rounder’s in the world not just in the test but in the one-day and T20 game as well. As far as Australia are concerned he along with Haddin are near perfect when it comes to providing the impetus to the innings.

If Johnson continues in the array that he has been going there’s certainly a lot more centuries from Johnson to come. The only bowling all rounder you’d say is better than Johnson is probably Vettori. But, when it comes to clean strikers Johnson is second to none.

Morne Morkel: Morne Morkel doesn’t seem to have much talent with the bat. He has no definite role either as a hitter or as a nerdler; morkel hasn’t yet proved himself at the international level as far as the batting is concerned. South Africa are more dependent on their top order to perform as they seem to be lacking the same fire power that other teams have low down the order.

Harbhajan Singh: ‘Bhajji’ as he is known can handle the willow fairly well and has shown it in recent times. He has done so and done so in crunch situations when the team needed it the most. Earlier Bhajji was just a slogger but with age and experience there seems to have come a method to all this and he has become a very useful lower order option for India. Bhajji has just one way of playing; but that way has been effective and does hurt and demoralize the bowlers.

Unlike Johnson harbhajan doesn’t have the same clean swing of the bat or the technique to go to it. But, the Indians say “Who cares! As long as he scores” and that’s what happens. Harbhajan seems to bring out the best in him against Australia. Some of his notable performances has been the one at Sydney against Australia in 2008 and the recent 50 which he managed against Australia at vadodara when the Aussies toured India.

Australian number 9—Nathan Hauritz
South African number 9—Paul Harris
Indian number 9—Zaheer Khan

Nathan Hauritz: Nathan Hauritz is slowly showing his batting talent. He is definitely capable of being an all rounder. The recent tour of Pakistan to Australia showed his batting talent. He scored a test match high score of 75 against them and also a quick fire 39 ball 53. With Hauritz at 9 Australia’s batting line up seems never ending.

This is the reason why Australia do have the best batting line up. This might be a controversial statement but if the Aussie top order doesn’t do the job there’s always a chance that the lower order may bail them out. This is the strength that the Aussies secretly possess.

Paul Harris: similar to Morkel he doesn’t seem to be a batman of any sorts. His inability to ever come on the front foot gives him absolutely no chance of coming on the front foot and playing attacking shots. All he can do is wait wait and wait and tire the bowlers.

This is that part of their game that South Africa have to seriously work on if they want to be the number one ranked team for long. Top order batting may fail and if/when that happens if you have a long lower order it always helps. In South Africa’s case the tail seems never ending.

Zaheer Khan: India’s only pace man who is sure of a spot in the starting 11. He has a high score of 75 but his batting skills wouldn’t raise an eyebrow or too. He can play both roles of either hanging around or throwing caution to the winds and going hell for leather.

He has a paltry average of 13 which tells you that either he doesn’t have the skills or the Indian top order is extremely consistent which has been the case to an extent.

Teams with a good lower order do have a certain edge over the opponent which most opposition teams seem to underestimate. In the modern era most teams are pushing for bowlers who can handle the willow. Another team that I didn’t mention but has this talent is England.

With broad, Rashid and Graeme Swann England have a very potent and capable lower order which holds them in very good stead for the future. For West Indies they have Jerome Taylor and a bit of Suliemann Benn. Barring that no one is to be seen.

As far as New Zealand are concerned; they seem to have only a lower order with Brendon McCullum and Daniel Vettori comprising 2 of their lower order spots. The Lankans don’t seem to have anyone after veteran Chaminda Vaas was left out. Angelo Matthews looks a very bright prospect at 6.

Pinch hitters in the lower order have been of immense help. Harbhajan Singh and Mitchell Johnson’s contribution to India and Australia respectively have been priceless as far as the two nations are concerned. For Australia it’s a huge bonus as the guy can hit 150+ kmph, he is a brilliant fielder and a wonderful number 8 to have.

Recently Johnson showed his interest in opening the batting as well. However, there’s time for that and Australia surely wouldn’t want to risk that considering he might lose it all like fellow Indian all rounder irfan pathan.

Harbhajan and Mitchell Johnson are certainly men at number 8 to look forward to in the future

Is this the stroke of luck Sri Lanka needed? For the first time in five years, India will be without the two lynchpins of their middle-order – skipper MS Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh, one serving a ban and the other ruled out due to a recurrence of his finger injury. Moreover, Lanka have fond memories of the venue for the fourth and crucial ODI. Thirteen years ago, it was here at Eden Gardens, Kolkata that a rampaging Lankans knocked India out of the World Cup in an embarrassing fashion. So despite being 2-1 down, they still have enough going for them. It’s now up to the visitors to exploit the situation to the hilt.

Let’s not be unfair to India though. Considering that they won at Cuttack in an extremely handsome fashion, the home side will start as favourites even in the absence of Dhoni and Yuvraj. In Virender Sehwag, they have a positive stand-in skipper and a batsman whose credentials do not need to be discussed. It will help that he has been in great form. Additionally, Sachin Tendulkar too has played with a lot of comfort. His knock at Cuttack should given the side further assurance that they can afford a somewhat brittle middle-order. While Sehwag and Tendulkar have been among the runs, the same cannot be said around Gautam Gambhir. And so India would be hoping that the southpaw has a big one reserved for Kolkata.

Coming back to the middle-order, this game will be a great opportunity for the youngsters to stand up and show what stuff they are made of. Suresh Raina will get an opportunity to bat up the order, and it’s about time he starts converting his 30s and 40s into big scores. Ditto with Virat Kohli. In his short stint at the international level, it has been observed that Kohli loses focus after getting a good start and looking well set for a big score. Here’s a chance for him to set the record straight. Among the others, Dinesh Karthik and Ravindra Jadeja would be expected to chip in if needed.

As has been the case throughout the series, the Indian bowling and fielding, in particular, will be under the scanner. The pacemen continued to struggle in the third ODI and it was only due to the efforts of the spinners that India could make a superb comeback. While it is good news that the Eden Gardens pitch will offer assistance to the slow bowlers in the latter half of the innings, the fast bowlers will have to put up a better show else the efficiency of the spinners will automatically be reduced.

One should also be careful of not putting excessive pressure on Jadeja, the bowler. While it is true that he bowled excellently in the last game, it is also a fact that he’s more of a part-time spinner and won’t be as successful consistently. That responsibility is still to be shouldered by Harbhajan Singh. If Jadeja manages to get through his quota of overs without being overtly expensive and picks up the odd wicket, he will have done his bit. And if India succeeds in wrapping up the series at Kolkata, the team too would have done its job well.

Resuming at their overnight score of 417/2, India continued with their good work courtesy another impressive century by Rahul Dravid and half-centuries by VVS Laxman and Yuvraj Singh. Sri Lanka struck back thanks to an excellent spell by Rangana Herath, who ended up with a five-wicket haul as India lost their last five wickets for a mere 29. The Indians, however, still managed to amass a mammoth 642. In response, Sri Lanka ended the day on a sedate 66/1, trailing by a huge margin of 576 runs. Tillakaratne Dilshan was the man out for the visitors.

Earlier in the day, Dravid was elements right from the start as he registered his 28th Test century and second of the series. In the process, the India great also crossed Allan Border’s Test tally to move up to number four in the record books – only Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara and Ricky Ponting are ahead of him now. Continuing with the positive intent he has been showing since the start of the series, a determined Dravid led India’s charge on the second day. He went down the track fearlessly while pleasant drives and punches also kept coming regularly.

At the other end, Tendulkar also looked set for a big one. And when he was dropped in the 30s, it seemed lady luck was shining on him. He even celebrated the chance by dancing down the track and slamming Ajantha Mendis for a maximum. However, he did not last long after that. Going for a repeat of the six stroke, he holed out. Dravid, meanwhile, continued to go from strength to strength, looking almost impregnable. And so it wasn’t surprising that he was eventually out for no fault of his. Dravid’s old friend Laxman hit one straight back at Rangana Herath uppishly. The left-arm spinner could not hold on to the catch, but, as fate would have it, the ball disturbed the stumps at the non-striker’s end with Dravid having no chance to make it back to the crease. A crestfallen Dravid could do little but walk back dejectedly knowing all to well that there was a double century for the taking.

The dismissal of Dravid, however, did not stop the flow of runs. Having gotten over the unfortunate turn of events, Laxman and Yuvraj went about adding to Lanka’s agony. While Laxman brought out the fluent drives he is admired for, Yuvraj was at his murderous best against the spinners. Both Mendis and Murali, who have troubled the left-handed batsman in the past, could do precious little to unsettle Yuvraj as he raced towards his half-century. Having crossed his 50, Laxman also looked set for a big one till he was beaten in the flight from Herath. Laxman fell for 63, with the Indian score reading an imposing 613/4. From there though started a collapse of unimaginable proportions. MS Dhoni, Harbhajan Singh and the rest of the tail failed to pick Herath and India folded up well short of 700.

India snatched back the advantage when Dilshan mistimed the first ball he faced from Zaheer Khan into the hands of debutant Pragyan Ojha. And though the Lankans fought back well, with three days to go they are in for a mighty battle.

The heartbreak at Hyderabad will rankle the Indians just as much as the loss in the Chennai Test against Pakistan a decade ago. It was a match India should have won considering they had six wickets in hand and just over 50 to get. But they blew it away rather embarrassingly and the last few minutes of game proved why they do not deserve to be the number one team in the world. The frenetic running between the wickets was absolutely pathetic, and that is to put it mildly; Ravindra Jadeja’s run-out was symptomatic of the Indian effort, if you take out Sachin Tendulkar and the contribution Suresh Raina to an extent.

The defeat will once again raise questions regarding Sachin not being a finisher despite the fact that he scored more than 50 per cent of the runs in the chase. However, it was clearly the younger brigade which let India down. The fact that Raina doesn’t know how to pull has been demonstrated in his dismissals umpteen times, yet he keeps playing that fatal stroke at inopportune moments. And Thursday’s dismissal is one he would not like to remember, but one is sure he won’t be able to forget it soon considering it ended up costing India the match. Time and again, Raina has looked good enough to take India to the finishing line. However, he’s been a failure on most occasions.

Similarly, Jadeja had another great opportunity to become a hero, only to squander it away with some nonsensical play. His charge down the pitch when the ball hadn’t gone anywhere but straight to the fielder was a clear indication that he couldn’t handle the pressure out in the middle. And the Aussies pounced on him and every chance they got to mow down the Indians. Praveen Kumar’s six in the dying moments did give India hope. Unfortunately, the earlier batsmen had just left him with a little too much to achieve.

What hurt India most was there was only one partnership of note, which took them to the doorsteps of victory, but was broken just as the Aussies were beginning to run out of ideas. Virender Sehwag cannot be blamed on this occasion, since he had not option but to go after the bowlers right from the start. However, chasing such a mammoth target, India desperately needed at least two out of Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh and Mahendra Singh Dhoni to fire. That did not happen and if India still got so tantalizingly close to the target, it was only due to Sachin’s efforts. He has to ask himself though whether he needs such stressful times at this stage of his career.

India have now lost two consecutive matches chasing. Remember they came into the series with a strong batting line-up as their strength and have faced what can be termed as an efficient bowling line-up at best considering the number of injured players in the Australian side. This certainly doesn’t augur well for the home side. Their bowling too struggled at Hyderabad, however that had more to do with the pitch. The loss though has to be attributed to a total lack of mental application by the batters, especially towards the end when a cool head would have done the trick.

Following the marvellous victory at Nagpur, India would like to believe that they have gained the upper hand in the series for the moment. Add to it Australia’s injury woes as well as the training debacle at Kotla – they had to skip proper practice due to wet pitches – and India are in with a realistically great chance of going 2-1 up in the series. That said, they need to exercise caution. India have often stumbled in the recent past due to complacency, the signs of which were there during the closing stages in Nagpur. Their lethargic approach meant the last Aussie pair managed to get some good batting practice. However, if the Indians do get their act right for the second time running, Australia could be in for a real tough time.

What the Australians need at the present moment is an uplifting effort from one of their seniors. A century from either among Ponting, Hussey or Watson can turn things around for them. One exceptional performance is often enough to ensure a side’s win in a one-dayer. More than their batting though, it is their bowling to which they need to give some serious thought. Now that Brett Lee is unavailable, Mitchell Johnson has to take over the responsibility of the senior bowling pro. True, he himself is not 100 per cent fit. However, considering the state of his team, he will be expected to rise above the pain and perform.

Ben Hilfenhaus found the going pretty tough at Nagpur, which means the other pacer in the squad Doug Bollinger might get a chance, so also may Moises Henriques, who could replace Adam Voges, in an effort to strengthen the all-round department. Peter Siddle and Nathan Hauritz have been Australia’s two best bowlers on display so far and their side would want them to continue in the same vein. If anything, Hauritz will be expected to be slightly more attacking.

Probably the only good news the Australian team has received in recent hours is that Tim Paine’s replacement Graham Manou will arrive in time for the Delhi match. That he also has some international experience is an additional plus. But expecting something extraordinary from him would be asking for too much, as he is sure to suffer from some amount of jetlag. Even so, the fact that he will available itself is good enough for Australia considering the crisis situation.

In sharp contrast, India are suddenly looking like a winning combination. With Gambhir, Dhoni and Raina among the runs, India managed to put up a rock-solid batting performance at Nagpur. Add to it, the ominous cameos played by Yuvraj Singh and Virender Sehwag and the fact that Tendulkar has yet to reach double figures in the tournament. The opposition camp would be feeling rather jittery. One has to keep in mind though that it was just one game where everything clicked. The Aussies would undoubtedly come back hard at the Indians despite all their troubles.

The home side thus needs to carry on from where they finished off on Wednesday. The low, slow Kotla pitch will offer a tougher challenge and the batters need to be prepared to adapt to the conditions. Bowling wise as well the Indians must stick to their guns. Now that Ishant Sharma has rediscovered his rhythm, he should also realize what suits him best. Praveen Kumar has to just continue doing what he did so well at Nagpur, get the early breakthroughs as well as dry up the runs. The temporary spearhead of the bowling attack, Ashish Nehra, is going through one of his better patches and India would hope it lasts for a longer duration, since his presence makes the bowling line-up all the more potent. Regarding Harbhajan Singh, it remains to be seen how he is dealt with – both by the team management and the Aussie batsmen, who are getting increasing confident against him.

As mentioned in the very beginning, all the pointers suggest India have the upper hand. But while they do possess the better arsenal, the men in blue still have to go out and perform. How well India exploit this golden opportunity will in all certainty determine the fate of the game.

If cricket matches were played only on paper, India would win hands down at Nagpur. Australia will be depleted by the absence of Brett Lee and James Hopes, taken out of the equation by injuries, whereas India would be bolstered with Yuvraj Singh, in all probability, returning to action. However, that’s not how things work out on the cricket field. So even though India would consider themselves lucky to be taking on a depleted Aussie XI, they will still have to go out and perform to level the series at Nagpur. Moreover, the Indians have to pull their socks up in each and every department.

There are likely to be some definite changes in the home team. If Yuvraj comes in, it will be a straightforward decision to be bench one of the young guns – Virat Kohli or Ravindra Jadeja. There is a faint possibility that both might sit out if India decide to go in with the extra spinner in Amit Mishra, with Yuvraj as the part-time option. Apart from that, there shouldn’t be any modifications in the batting department. However, that doesn’t mean all’s well. The top and middle order needs to get its act together. They can be excused for the Vadodara failure considering it was the first game of the series, but cannot afford to repeat their mistakes at Nagpur.

Virender Sehwag looked ominous during his brief stay on Sunday and would be itching for a big score. Among the others, Sachin Tendulkar would be keen to find the middle of the bat after an unusually below-par performance whereas MS Dhoni must be keen to lead from the front. Opener Gautam Gambhir was the only one who lent some solidity to the Indian chase at Vadodara and the rest, including the ‘sometimes flattering, sometimes deceiving’ Suresh Raina, can learn a lesson from his batsmanship. Gambhir, himself, has to continue with his good work.

Bowling wise as well, Dhoni and co have plenty to ponder upon. After the pasting he took at Vadodara, Praveen Kumar’s confidence might well have taken a beating, his fighting knock with the willow notwithstanding. And so, it is a risk the Indians would not like to take in a crucial game. Munaf Patel will most likely be his replacement, but whether he will prove to be a suitable alternative remains to be seen. Ishant Sharma has found some rhythm no doubt, but needs to maintain the consistency over a period of time for him to be blindly trusted by the team management. Finally, the time has come for Harbhajan Singh to sit down with the team think-tank and discuss what role he has to play in the one-day side. Of late, he has been neither been totally attacking nor completely defensive in his tactics, but has been stuck somewhere in between, barring a few games, in which he managed to make an impression. That leaves India with only comeback man Ashish Nehra as the form bowler, a far from ideal situation.

For Australia, expect Ben Hilfenhaus and Shaun Marsh to get an opportunity in place of Lee and Hopes. That apart, they don’t have too many worries. All their batsmen got runs and bowlers crucial wickets. If anything, some improvement is needed in the death overs bowling as well as in the field. Also, they stumbled during the batting powerplay, but the same applies to India as well.

As it often happens in this part of the world, day-night games are affected heavily by dew. Hence, the team batting first will have to post a huge score if they want to beat the wet conditions in the field. One only hopes that the final result is decided on the basis on which team played better cricket and not external factors.