"We were almost all wrong"?

The title, of course, is the quote from David Kay who made that conclusion after finding no WMD in Iraq. Well, we might as well draw the same conclusion about the India-New Zealand series. This performance from NZ is as surprising as Australia's was in 1986. They were expected to be rolled over by the India batting led by Gavaskar, Amarnath, Vengsarkar and new golden boy Azhar. And just like India then stared at follow on in the Chennai test, Martin embarrassed India in Ahmedabad. And here's Harbhajan saving India the blushes again.

Australia came back months later to claim the Reliance World Cup and spark their revival. Is New Zealand going to do something similar?

India have set their sights on a maiden series win in South Africa. But they seem to be headed in the wrong direction. Tendulkar can perhaps be added to the list of Dravid, Raina and Dhoni whose form seems skeptical. Raina is obviously not well equipped to deal with South Africa down under, unless he's playing the older ball and on a flat bed. But it appears that he can't score runs anymore on flat-beds either. Of the lot, Dhoni must be most worried. He's had enough chances in the last two tests to come to party, but has blown it each time.

Meanwhile, a depleted Pakistan is giving South Africa some food for thought. Pakistan's bowling has been intelligent and capable, despite Amla's stupendous form. Just like Sehwag has become the bulwark of the Indian line-up, Amla is the man to get in South Africa. Ian Chappell's piece extolling Jardine's strategy is revealing, though to some it may seem obvious. It's clear that teams without good bowling resources cannot control or plan around the top batsman of the opposing side.

It is in this context New Zealand are doing much better than anticipated. They are planning around Sehwag. If this was basketball, that's like saying we'll not double team Bryant, but shut down everyone else. On a bad night for that strategy, Kobe might pour in 70 points. Likewise, Sehwag might rain a double or triple hundred.

Besides Sehwag and Laxman, India's form seems sketchy. We have to hope that Tendulkar has not peaked too early. Meanwhile, South Africa leaving out Duminy in favor or Prince or Botha seems brainless. Duminy is a dynamite and excluding him makes no sense at all and shows their lack of creativity and extreme conservatism. Neither Botha nor Prince comes close to him for the x factor that he offers. In my estimation, Duminy is just like Andrew Symonds. You don't leave them out.

India seem like they will not get past NZ easily and will go to South Africa, chastened. South Africa will gladly return home after victory in UAE, but skeptical of their batting and surprisingly fielding too.