The 'Draw' at the Wanderers

When Faf Du Plessis was brilliantly run out by Ajinkya Rahane with 16 runs still to get at the Wanderers yesterday, I thought India had decisively inched ahead of South Africa. During the entire Test match, while South Africa kept coming back; India for the most part seemed ahead of South Africa. Having been in a position of advantage for a longer duration and having Faf Du Plessis run out with 16 still to get, I thought India would be more disappointed at not having won this Test. 

At the end of the ODI series, however, had anyone offered a draw to India at Wanderers, I am sure India would have gladly accepted. 

South Africa on the other hand after the ODI series, would be very disappointed with a draw at the Wanderers. However, Once India's bowlers, Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara put India into a position of authority in this Test by the end of the 4th day; South Africa may be more relieved with escaping with a draw. Of course there must be a sense of disappointment at not having enough left to force a win. even while AB De Villiers and Faf Du Plessis put South Africa to striking distance of a win, at no point I felt South Africa could go for a win without taking risks.

Even after tea time when both Faf Du Plessis and AB De Villiers were batting so well, there was far too many runs and quite a bit of time still left for India to bowl South Africa out. South Africa could ill afford taking any risks. By the time the target had reached touching distance, they were just one wicket away from exposing Imran Tahir and a severely handicapped Morne Morkel to India's fast bowlers.

I can understand why South Africa did not go for the win and settled for a draw. Victory for them was never really possible without risking a loss.

Once South Africa started playing for the draw, what surprised me was that India too did not try to force a win. The last overs bowled at Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander didn't have any balls that looked like balls to take a wicket. The bouncers and short balls at Steyn were way too harmless and the intent was to go along with South Africa's desire to draw the game.

Perhaps, India reflected on how far they had come from the ODI series and assessed the draw positively given how heavily underrated they were to even put up a fight against South Africa. 

Ultimately the first Test of the series ended up being engaging affair and through out the Test I was wondering what Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Gautam Gambhir, and Virendra Sehwag must be thinking. For far too long we were sold the story that only batsmen of that caliber can compete on foreign pitches. In England, Australia and South Africa. Gambhir had us believe that somehow career averages count for runs in matches in progress.

That a young team on their maiden "away" Test arrested the 8 consecutive away losses was in it self uplifting. A win at the Wanderers would have been one of India's greatest away wins. Bigger than Adelaide 2003. 

Why were we holding back these young players and why were we clinging on to players well past their prime who were delivering loss after loss?

Rohit Sharma's debut 100

What is common between Venkatapathi Raju, Sunil Joshi, Vijay Dahiya, Hrishikesh Kanitkar, Vijay Bharadwaj and Rohit Sharma?

These batsmen along with 12 others are the entire set of batsmen who have made their debuts for India in the middle order; numbers 3 through 6; since Sachin Tendulkar's debut Test for India in November 1989.

India has traditionally has had very strong middle orders, so I was half expecting this list to be quite elite but its not quite. I was also expecting this list to be much shorter than 18. Sachin's career has spanned 18 new batsmen tried by India in the middle order. 

As expected however, the period between 2001 and 2010 saw only 2 debuts handed out in the middle order. Virendra Sehwag and Vuvraj Singh

For a while I had resigned myself to the possibility that the seniors carrying on for far too long and Rohit's ODI struggles would unnecessarily derail a promising Test career. Thankfully, Rohit Sharma waited patiently and when the opportunity arose, played one of the more memorable debut innings by a middle order batsman.

The best debut innings, certainly given the match situation, since Sachin Tendulkar's debut.

V Raju, who obviously was not selected to play the middle order appears in this list only because he was sent as a night watchman (presumably). This surely must be an exclusive club. To go out for your debut innings as a night watchman. If I am not mistaken, Mohammed Azharuddin was also making his debut as captain and that surely must be a unique occurrence. A rookie captain, sending a rookie as a nightwatchman! V Raju scored 31 in the match and none of the batsmen he was protecting reached double figures. This included Sachin who was out for a duck

This list has only 3 Bombay batsmen. Praveen Amre, Vinod Kambli and Rohit Sharma. Praveen Amre of course scored a 100 on debut and Vinod Kambli's debut knock was followed by a half century and a double hundred batting with Sachin Tendulkar as India humiliated Graham Gooch's team in 1993.

Notable debuts in the middle order since the emergence of Sachin Tendulkar, that can seriously challenge Rohit Sharma's innings includes only two in my opinion...

Virendra Sehwag's 105, coming in at number 6 with India at 68 for 4 at Bloemfontein in South Africa. Sachin Tendulkar also scored a 100 batting along with Sehwag

Cheteshwar Pujara's 72 in the second innings of the Mohali Test in 2010 as India beat Australia comfortably, chasing a tricky 207 in the 4th innings. In fact I would say it was one of the rarest feats by Pujara to score a half century on debut in a successful chase on the last day.

A doctored sweep

When India lost 4 tests in a row to England while perched at the top of the Test ranking, it was evident something was wrong with the team. Bad Luck and these-things-happen-in-cricket type of analysis offered by the leaders was laughable. 

18 months, and a million more denials later they lost a home series to England in late 2012. After the 0-2 loss to South Africa 12 years earlier, this was a new low in Indian cricket. 

Rahul Dravid had retired and VVS Laxman seemed to have been nudged into retirement, but largely changes weren't deemed necessary for the English series because many involved believed India just have to show up at any ground in India, provide a pitch specification to the curator and the English will just roll over and go back paying rich tributes to Sachin Tendulkar. 

Thankfully, India lost and the new selection committee led by Sandip Patil had the backing of a crisis; albeit publicly denied; to make some serious changes. 

They did...

Gautam Gambhir was dropped, Sehwag was put on notice Zaheer Khan was banished to get himself fixed, and Harbhajan was given a complimentary 100th Test before being benched. 

R Ashwin realized that getting wickets at home too involved some thinking, India rethought their strategy, investing their faith in Ravindra Jadeja to seek a better balance and they unleashed the mustache twirling Shikhar Dhawan after Sehwag's notice period ended. 

and voila! India sweep the Australians 4-0

Just as there was more to India being swept in England than the leadership was capable of admitting, the 4-0 sweep of the Australians is too convenient a story line for me to just take at face value. 

It can't be that simple, can it? 

Yes this was a very weak Australian, in fact the weakest since the 1985-86 Australian team that hosted Kapil Dev's team. India have hosted weak teams before but never had they swept a series of more than 3 Tests. 

What was different this time?

Dhoni's captaincy? Ravindra Jadeja? India's sudden-found ruthlessness? 

I think it's the pitches....

One cause of unease for me is definitely the pitches. Its one thing to be inherently better prepared to use home conditions but when pitches are made to order to spin and crumple from Day 1, its a sign of desperation and insecurity. India were probably not confident enough to win on lets say a typical Chepauk wicket, where Test matches have hasted a full 5 days, that they had to recruit curators to build pitches to a specification.

New Zealand did a similar thing to counter India's strong batting line up when India visited them in 2002 and, I remember there was a Test where all 4 innings of the Test were played on one day; the second day. It was fun (for a while) to watch the ball swing and wickets tumble but with Test Matches lasting barely 2 days, the home advantage was quite obviously artificially engineered and magnified. Even with typical New Zealand wickets, India would still have lost but by going out of their way to make India's famed batting look out of breath, New Zealand deceived only themselves.

I think India have resorted to something similar and only time will tell, how good this Indian team is at home in normal home conditions. 

Dhoni's team scales a peak

A 4-0 blanking was definitely not a predictable script. Other than Harbhajan who also predicted England being blanked, no one seriously thought India would hand such a drubbing to Australia. Although, some may sneer at wins achieved on friendly, doctored surfaces and some (like me) may not derive a great deal of pleasure from such wins, a 4-0 sweep is a huge achievement for any Test side.

Having grown up watching the West Indies take England apart in what were known as "black washes", I had yearned for similar ruthlessness from Indian teams. Even when conditions were favorable for India to deliver such wins, our captains demurred. The 3-0 verdicts against England and Zimbabwe in the early nineties were the closest India came to being ruthless. Kambli being the destroyer in chief in those series.

Our fabled four didn't get to bask in such a series win although they did deliver rare overseas series victories on the back of strong batting performances. The wins in Pakistan and England being the most notable with the drawn series in Australia and South Africa being very engaging.

A new India team has arrived on the scene and the retirements of Dravid and Laxman have hardly caused a hiccup. If anything, it appears that they overstayed slightly in an Indian sort of way. Tendulkar's presence in the team has been rendered irrelevant by mainly Pujara and by that smart batsman Virat Kohli. Pujara's mountain of runs and consistent performances, including 4th innings deliverances have outshone even the genius that is Tendulkar. Pujara and Kohli's consistency gives India the perfect cover to groom a replacement for the master.

Obviously, the hope is that this team takes baby steps overseas and does not get destroyed like Azharuddin's side got drubbed in England in 1996 or Tendulkar's team got blanked in Australia in 1999. Pujara and Kohli have sufficient pedigree and more miles in them than Dravid and Ganguly did on those two tours. Hopefully, the results are better. While a series win in South Africa this winter may be far-fetched, a fight would be well respected. Taking test matches into the fifth day will be a great beginning for a side lacking the quality that Zaheer Khan brought to overseas tests as well as the spine that Dravid provided the batting.

The jury is still probably out on the opening combination. Dhawan's magnificent and confident debut augurs well, but more needs to be seen from him before anointing him successor to the mad genius that Sehwag has been. Vijay has done very well to cement his place. Although at times he has not looked convincing outside the off stump, he has gutted it out. He has heart and that is a critical ingredient to succeed overseas.

Jadeja will likely play as the second spinner even overseas with Ashwin being the main spinner, which means Jadeja has to clock more runs. His 45 in the Delhi match was a promising start hopefully to more consistent batting. Umesh Yadav, Bhuvaneshwar Kumar and Ishant Sharma are likely to be first choice seamers overseas.

All of this means that Dhoni well and truly has steered India through a difficult transition with minimal fuss. All the batsmen barring Tendulkar who delivered the 4-0 away series drubbing are now out of the side. A new look team has emerged and is demonstrating a ruthless streak never before associated with Indian teams. It's a matter of time before a Tiwary or a Sharma or Chand or Rahane or other take the master's place in the side. Kohli will likely take the number 4 position in the lineup. And like all the transition that has happened till now, that too may become a non-event. Maybe that's the greatest contribution that Tendulkar will make in that he didn't leave the team in disarray with his departure.

We are fortunate to have Dhoni who has now led India to World Cup victories and a "brown wash". A series win in Australia and South Africa are the holes in India's resume. Will those happen on Dhoni's watch too?

A rare Test match at Mohali

Winning a Test match after conceding 400+ runs in the first innings is rare. Its happened only 39 times out of over 2000 odd Test matches. Interestingly post 2000, its becoming somewhat of a trend. with 23 of the 39 instances all happening in the last 13 years.

400 is not what it used to be, perhaps because of the rate at which runs are scored these days. It still leaves a lot of time for the conceding team to come back, if they respond with a higher scoring rate.

Of the 23 times it has happened, in the last 13 years, India feature 8 times, 4 against Australia alone. In fact prior to 2000 India never won a Test after conceding 400 runs to the opposition in the first innings. England and Australia have won 6 times each, and Sri Lanka, Pakistan and South Africa once each, since 2000.

But the just concluded Mohali Test was, perhaps, the one and only instance where a side won after conceding 400 runs in the first innings in what was effectively a 4 day Test (4 1/4 if you go by the number of overs bowled).

This was made possible, quite clearly by one person...

Shikhar Dhawan. 

187 runs in 174 balls. 

The rate at which he scored, in a way created time for India to go for a win aided by Australia's fight back. 

At the start of Day 4, India were 283 for no loss still in their first innings. M. Vijay in his interview to the press suggested India would bat on and on and try and dismiss Australia in the second innings while still in deficit. 

Given India's traditional reluctance, underscored in Dominica, to force wins when the series can be won with a draw, whether India would have declared in time for a win is worth pondering. But Australia's fight back played right into India's reluctant hands. 

To add to the time Shikhar Dhawan created, Australia's bowlers created even more time for India's bowlers to go for the kill by dismissing India in their first innings with 115 possible overs still remaining in the match and India only 91 runs ahead. 

Ultimately, India took almost a day to dismiss Australia (90 overs) in the second innings, with 3 crucial wickets coming in the last 20 overs of Day 4. Had Australia not fought back, I wonder when India would have declared. Of course had wickets not fallen, India would have scored more runs in the same time but even so the onus to force a win would be on India. India has rarely grabbed such opportunities, or even thought it necessary to.

In sum Shikhar Dhawan and Austraia's bowlers teamed up to deliver a rare Test. A team won after conceding 400 runs in the first innings in a 4 day Test.

Is this really happening to Australia?

Please...someone please tell me this ain't so...

Is this really happening in the Australian Cricket team? Is modern cricket and coaching come to this? That you have to send in 2 areas of improvement; one individual and one for the team; as a benchmark for meeting 'high standards'. Since when did national cricket teams get infested with corporate ailments.

Filling out reports and post it notes are "standards" created by people in the corporate world to justify their jobs because they have no real work. I was under the wrong impression that cricket coaches were a much nobler creed. How wrong I was...

And what is Michael Clarke thinking? Does he think he is able to score runs because he fills out his work out schedule and slides it under Mickey Arther's hotel room door?  

Yes, I get it...its the little things that matter. It's the little things that add up to creating something bigger and long lasting. When people do get fired however, they should be fired for not getting the big things done. Not for not doing the small things. 

Firing someone for not filling time sheets is petty. 

It takes incredible amounts of foolishness to fire cricketers for not submitting their '2 points worth of improvement ideas'. It's foolish because it means you just fell for your own sales pitch. 

Arther and Clarke would have gained far more in respect had they fired the 4 for non-performance. 

Like India did with Virendra Sehwag.

Like Sunil Gavaskar did when he dropped Kapil Dev and Sandip Patil for playing rash strokes and costing India a Test match 2 decades and more ago. 

And I am curious, what did the 12 cricketers who did comply with the high standards set by Mickey Arthur...what ideas did they have? Daily Wellness Reports? Group hugs? Lunch and learns? Bring your sons and daughters to work day?

India's own reaction to consecutive away white washes, is now beginning to look like a model of restraint and common sense. 

Duncan Fletcher's stock in my eyes has sky rocketed. 

Australia In India: Questions in the middle of the BIG series

Where is the series headed?

It pretty much looks like humiliation for Australia and unlike when India lose, Australia don't even get into denial mode, so there's that much less to make fun of. If Gautam Gambhir were in the Australian team, he would have issued the 2015 threat, right after the first test and we would have known David Warner and Shane Watson's average strike rate in the IPL.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni is now the winning-est Indian captain. Is he also the best?

When Sachin Tendulkar was approaching his 50th Test 100 and later his 100th International, he kept saying 'Its just another 100'. His celebrations on reaching  his 50th 100,in  a Test which India lost was pretty revolting and betrayed the 'just another 100' remark. Similarly, Mahendra Singh Dhoni has suggested that the team does not think in terms of wins by captains and that this is all hype. 

It is quite disappointing that India's cricketers themselves are incapable to putting in perspective their own achievements. One can only wonder and speculate why they do that. Why is a Dhoni incapable of giving a coherent response to what he thinks his achievement means in the context of Indian cricket?

All of them approach questions thinking that there is a right and wrong answer and they don't want to get into trouble with anyone by giving a wrong answer, so the strategy they employ is to ridicule the question. Its worked for decades; so why change?

Who is a better bowler Vernon Philander or Ravichandran Ashwin?

ESPN takes a unwarranted dig at
Sachin Tendulkar

If you judge them by their wicket taking ability then clearly there is reason to get excited. No other pair in history has started their careers in such prolific manner. Between them they average 5.7 wickets per Test with not much separating them. However, neither has dismissed Sachin Tendulkar even once so neither can be considered much of bowler anyways. 

(If you are wondering what we are blabbering check out the image)

Has India turned the corner with these 2 Tests?

Most certainly. At Hyderabad, two young Indian batsmen scored 100s. No one from the media sought them for questions on Sachin Tendulkar. In the Indian sports setup, to achieve something and not be asked questions about Sachin, not having Sachin congratulate them, not thanking Sachin for his role in influencing those achievements had never happened before Hyderabad. I think its a big step in the right direction for India

Is this the worst Australian Team to visit India?

Yes. Ravi Shastri has said so without his ego being under the influence of IPL induced intoxication. So it must be true. Kim Hughes Australian team that visited in the late 70s/early 80s might come close.

And what of Ravindra Jadeja?

If any team thinks that they absolutely need to have a player like him in the side like India does, I would say, the ICC should revoke the team's Test status. But India is winning and he is taking wickets and the ICC is in subservience to the BCCI. So we will just shut up and grin and bear. Not before suggesting however, that once India finds a performing batsman at number 4, they won't need a Ravindra Jadeja. 

Is there any way for Australia to come back?

India's template to win is always based on scoring runs. Their bowlers, however strong, have always needed the cushion of runs to win matches, home or away. Australia will have to find a way to get India out, more than they need to find a way to look less bemused against spin, which also undeniably is a tough ask. I think, in short, based on evidence its a 0-4 wash with another 10 Tests against England. Things don't look good for Australia.

Can anything go wrong for India?

Yes, if the selectors expand the reservation quota for seniors from 33% to 50%. India can carry Sehwag and Sachin and still win but if Gambhir walks in then it will be tough. 

Does this series add anything to the legend of the Border-Gavaskar trophy?

I think, Mahendra Singh Dhoni's double hundred does add a dimension to it. It was one of a kind, certainly. It also adds to an already rich set of achievements for Dhoni. In a land of batting captains, it took a wicket keeper to become the only Indian captain to score a double hundred in a winning cause. And even when you  consider other teams, no wicket-keeping captain has won a Test match for his country with a double hundred.

Rethinking "Settled Combination"

"I never learned anything while I was talking", said Larry King, the popular CNN host. I should do that more often. I spent some time through ESPN's videos. Rahul Dravid's latest video provided an interesting insight to me about some of the spin strategies that teams apply on the sub-continent. This wasn't new information or a brand new tactic, just that I had lost sight of a vital piece of the puzzle.

Dravid mentioned Panesar's spell on day one at the Eden Gardens when he conceded only 70 odd runs in 35 overs. This put the lid on one side and racheted up pressure on the batting team to score more runs. Obviously, Indian batsmen didn't step up and they lost. Jadeja is expected to play a similar role in the current set up where his role is to bottle one end up. Keeping this in mind, a 3-fer or a 2-fer is fair game provided he concedes less than two and a half runs per over.

A tight bowler at one end and an attacking one at the other is the most basic template of test match bowling. Play on the batsmen's minds, don't give them balls in the areas where they are strong and let them make decisions to attack or not. More often than not, batsmen who are successful playing long innings are probably likely to play the waiting game rather than make anything happen. And then there are the others who probably instinctively know when it's time to take over and disrupt bowling team strategies. Tendulkar did this in 1998 against Australia. Kevin Pietersen did that in Mumbai, Richards would routinely do it and most recently Dhoni against Australia when nothing you throw at him seemed to matter. He literally willed the bowlers to bowl into his "areas".

Australia don't have such a batsman right now. I think Hussey could have been it, but he's retired. Watson could don that role, but he doesn't want to bat that far down the order. Clarke remains too classical and too effective with his current methods to do anything different. Henriques demonstrated great patience and effectiveness in dealing with the situation, but he didn't seem to have the audacity and confidence required to be disruptive.

So maybe, this is what Dhoni meant when he was talking about a "settled combination". Maybe he's not looking for wickets and runs from Jadeja. Maybe he's simply looking for tight, disciplined bowling spells that Ravi Shastri would often reel off. Maybe he's looking for Jadeja to simply occupy the crease and let Dhoni and Kohli do the damage required, except perhaps in the rarest of cases. India no longer have the batsmen of Dravid and Laxman's pedigree for whom conditions didn't matter. Clearly, Dhoni seems to be ok carrying Tendulkar at this time given his stature. Tendulkar couldn't convert his great start into a big one and for a number four to not score centuries at least once every four to five tests is tough on the rest of the folks. It's  prime batting order real estate when it comes to opportunities to score big. But I suppose this is a not so good Australian bowling attack and it's ok.

However, India do need to look at things in a different perspective when it comes to selecting a team for South Africa. Bhuvaneshwar Kumar and Umesh Yadav should be cut loose and a good bowler to control runs such as Praveen Kumar or even Ishant Sharma (given his inability to take wickets despite being oh-so-close). Batting-wise this supports the need for Gambhir to come back and bat within himself. It would be unfair to blood a new opener in South Africa of all places

So it appears that India will go in with four spinners into the Hyderabad test, with perhaps Kohli opening the bowling with Ishant or Bhuvaneshwar.  Looking forward to a "disruption" strategy from Australia. Who will it be?

Dhoni must be kidding...settled combination?

India wrapped up proceedings and normal service has resumed. Ashwin has proven to be Kumble's second coming in India. The England home series was an aberration simply because they had good spinners and good batsmen. I say that tongue in cheek of course.

What's disturbing is that Dhoni thinks India have a settled side. Openers haven't provided a decent start in several innings. Neither opener has managed good scores consistently. Pujara keeps getting to bat too early and Sachin's waning days mean that this test could have been an aberration. Australia don't have the batsmen to take India on like England did. Australian batsmen just want to get on with it and that's a terrible mindset in Indian conditions.

This Indian side will get creamed in South Africa. A third whitewash in three overseas series is not progress or even mildly amusing. India can take cue from the time when Gilchrist was still in the Australian side. He played pressure free for most part because there were accomplished batsmen ahead of him. He was the "all rounder" in the side. Dhoni would do well to think about building a team with those fundamentals. It's time to give Rahane a go as opener instead of thinking that Vijay can step up in South Africa.

Jadeja can play if he proves that he can bat with the tail or if he can make the number seven spot his own. At this time he is not showing any of those possibilities. It's time to put Tiwary in the hopper to see what he can do. Taking a rookie to South Africa may work like Amre and Sehwag coming good, but its a risk given the bowling attack that they are going to confront.

India is paying the price for not looking beyond Raina and Yuvraj in a timely manner. In fact, I would argue that they still have no plan for life after Tendulkar. While the IPL is certainly to blame, I see meaningless domestic matches also as a problem.

The fact that Mumbai has won 40 times should us something about lack of competitiveness. In addition, first innings lead rules means to me, less emphasis on team work and more on individual glory. Personally, I think the Ranji Trophy should be trimmed to 20 teams or less. An NFL like format needs to applied to foster intra-division rivalry. A nationwide draft should be instituted to bring parity to teams. This way a 303 not out score truly has meaning and gravitas as opposed to a number to justify inclusion in the national team.

And maybe a minor league needs to be put into play for very major team. These could be in smaller towns. Maybe even privately owned teams or player owned teams. Like a partnership model. What's frustrating is that there is talent in India that's being wasted. Poor coaching, un-supportive set up and misplaced incentives such as IPL. BCCI can funnel money in a way such that young cricketers are forced to consider test cricket. No one should be coerced but the money on the table should provide a positive motivation. Plus, cricket awards etc can be other sources of recognition for test cricket.

Tendulkar's departure is likely to make no difference anymore.

Selectorial boldness needed for India

Australia hurtled to 317 runs at the end of day 1 at Chennai. Despite the loss of 7 wickets, Australia can take comfort from two facts. One, their scoring rate was pretty good and it allowed them to maintain pressure on India. Two, barring Ashwin none of the other Indian bowlers came close to taking wickets. My own view is that the Australians will work Ashwin out by the next test match. The reason being that the LBW wickets he got were almost all due to batsmen errors with the Shane Watson one being the lone surprise. There were no caught behinds, no bamboozle bowled batsmen. But wickets are wickets and Ashwin can feel good about his bowling. Hopefully, he'll bring a few more tricks to the next innings, to counter a potential tactic change by the Australians.

The less said about Harbhajan the better. Jadeja is doing what he was picked to do. He needs to score runs in this test otherwise, there should be no room for him in a test match side. Both Harbhajan and Ashwin have test centuries against their names and I have often wondered what the heck Dhoni is so scared about that he packs his side with more batsmen. India theoretically bat right down to number 11 (Ishant being the sole non-batsman). Ojha would have been real useful on this track.

All eyes will be on the Indian batsmen though because Australia is likely to fold for 350-400 runs. If things go per India's plan, then India should pile up around 550 with major contributions from Sehwag, Pujara and Kohli/Tendulkar. However, from a future stand-point, even if Tendulkar is the major contributor, India should be worried that the load hasn't yet spread to the others. It's time to bring new blood in and challenge them to come good. This is post-Gavaskar again, when Vengsarkar, Amarnath, Srikkanth were not able to deliver, yet were persisted with citing lack of alternatives. Azhar and Shastri being the others.

While Tendulkar decides when to leave, India need to rid itself of the Jadeja-like, balancer type players and bet on the come. Sehwag, Gambhir, Harbhajan, Tendulkar and perhaps even Dhoni are 2-5 year players. Pujara and Kohli are the only two that are already blooded that will go longer. India's test future cannot be so fragile. Pujara and Kohli are looking at years of draws and defeats if selectors don't become bolder.

Rahane, Tiwary, Rayudu, Raina, Sharma (yes-him), maybe Nayar, need to be blooded to bat around Pujara and Kohli. Openers are an issue, but I think Gambhir will claim his spot back. He's likely to put the pettiness aside and start thinking big picture. I have been impressed by his commitment in the past. Especially, the chaperoning role he played in South Africa and the World Cup. I believe he will be back to doing that again. Maybe under a different captain, but for sure he's capable. Sehwag appears to have run out of gas. Age or fatigue seems to have dulled his performance. With a less experienced attack to face, maybe he'll come good, just like Ponting made hay against India, only to be shown his place by a better attack.

This test match offers Pujara and Kohli a great chance to test themselves against good fast bowlers on a benign wicket. It would be a great learning opportunity before they head off to take on fast bowlers on overseas seamer friendly wickets. While people may say it's not the same and it may make them complacent, I feel that batting against genuine pace in any conditions is a good thing, so long as they don't get carried away with their performances (assuming they come good). There are always lessons that can be learned by the smart batsmen.

It's too early to tell where this test match is headed. Clarke continued in the tradition of good captains demonstrating intent in the first innings of a series. Although, Dharmasena reprieved him off Ashwin during the post-lunch session, Clarke appeared to be in good control for most part. Henriques took a huge step towards becoming an heir to Andy Symonds. I was impressed by his poise and clarity of approach. However, recently such folks seem to be fading -- Duminy being the other that comes to mind.

I see Duminy, DuPlessis, Henriques, Hafeez, Root and perhaps Jadeja as similar contributors. Jadeja can get there provided he demonstrates that his batting isn't a joke. If were to predict what happens tomorrow, I would say a biggie from Tendulkar is coming with Pujara for company.

India get ready for Australia

Someone forgot to tell the BCCI that Ponting has retired. Harbhajan Singh's selection after a non-performance in this year's Ranji Trophy is surely a backward step despite his not-so-advanced age. With Sehwag, Gambhir, Yuvraj and Dhoni, Harbhajan had once been the senior in waiting. Unfortunately, the seniors never let go until it was too late for Harbhajan to actually mature and become the senior. If you get my drift.

Needless to say, I'm not very pleased with the selections for the Australia series. The team does not get to move forward. Neither Dhawan nor Jadeja are inspired selections that will cement their places for the long term. In fact, they may fill a minor gap at best, and leave the bulk of heavy lifting to Pujara, Tendulkar and Dhoni. Since Rohit Sharma blew his chances at Irani Trophy, why not bring in Manoj Tiwary and give him a go. He recently returned from injury and scored a dogged 37. For someone that rusty, it's not a bad effort.

In addition, if moving sideways or backwards was the plan, then why not give Raina another go. The guy has expressed desire and demonstrated that he's willing to work for his test place with a good performance in the Irani Trophy. Funnily enough, no one's centuries in the Irani Trophy have counted. Jaffer would  have been a much better bench-warmer in Indian conditions than Shikhar Dhawan is going to be. And please spare me the garbage about a left-right combination. The most successful pairs - Hayden-Langer and Greenidge-Haynes both batted the same side.

While Bhuvaneshwar Kumar is a welcome addition to the team, I thought Sreesanth merited selection too. Unfortunately, the team might relegate Kumar to the role of a stock bowler instead of an attacking option, unless all three fast (sic) bowlers play. Awana might have been a good choice if the team needed someone to send down a lot of overs during the containment periods. Sorta like Morne Morkel or even Peter Siddle at times.

Ashwin is a better all-rounder than Jadeja. So if Harbhajan was picked, why was Jadeja picked. Ashwin has a test century and Jadeja has had a century of opportunities to prove himself worthy. With Ojha in as the left-armer, Jadeja shouldn't play. Or Ojha will be benched and India will struggle to take 20 wickets. Jadeja is 3-fer bowler but not a 5 or 6-fer guy. Rayudu looks like a good option for a number 6, right now given his form. Rasool's all-round abilities also offer an option to replace Jadeja with a bowling all-rounder instead of a batting one. Hopefully, for the third test some changes will be made including giving Rayudu or Tiwary a go.

All in all, the selectors and BCCI have shown no vision. Once again, Pujara and Kohli will have to score a bunch of runs to haul India to safety and Australia will be content to play for draws. Tendulkar should have retired months ago and he may score many more centuries, but it's like watching a black-and-white movie in IMAX for me. Ho-hum.

As far as the series goes, India will win it. The Australian team is in worse shape than India's in terms of batting. I think Sehwag, Kohli and Pujara can put it across the Aussie seamers in Indian conditions. I don't believe either Lyon or Doherty are good enough to trouble even Jadeja. They are not in the Panesar, Swann league, although Nathan Lyon can surprise us.

This is going to be a fun series. A few new Aussie batsmen are going to arrive. My bet is on Henriques. Neither Khawaja nor any of the others are showing much spark. But I bet Phil Hughes, Shane Watson and Clarke will be hard to bowl to in India, regardless of conditions.

Looking forward to real cricket again.

Competence can be found but what about loyalty?

I would like to see Dhoni given a chance to run his own team. A team wherein he is the undisputed decision maker. A team where he does not have to worry about the legends who inadvertently command more respect and influence on decisions than he does. 

It is one thing to be captain. Quite another to be a Sachin Tendulkar or a Rahul Dravid.

I think he will do well if he is the undisputed leader of the team. 

He was man enough to lead a side wherein almost everyone was his senior, either in age or length of career. Even Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Virendra Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh had played a good 5-6 years of cricket for India when Dhoni was made captain.

While he initially enjoyed the fruits of superlative individuals  in his team, once the IPL started encroaching on national interests and priorities got jumbled up, none of the seniors stood up to support him. They had their own money making ideas over the fate of the national team.

Sachin Tendulkar and co. were more interested in negotiating with the BCCI a deal wherein they will get compensated if they were to miss the IPL while playing for India, than to discuss with the BCCI how to protect the National team's interest. 

That became only Mahendra Singh Dhoni's problem.

Team India's culture that allows leadership shy cricketers to play 'just as a player' means the team has many leaders who demand a share in its success but only one that can be held accountable for failures. 

Its fine to assume and say that Sachin Tendulkar is a great influence on the team. Its fine to assume and say that the 'dressing room benefits from his vast experience'. How does one measure the effectiveness of these contributions. How much of India's recent poor performances can be attributed to Sachin not doing his job as a mentor? 

Its tough and probably harsh on SachinTendulkar to be asked the question. 

But that is precisely the problem with having so many non performing seniors in the team, who are held to no accountability when the times are bad.

India's lamentable record warrants changes. Also warrants a hard look at Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

But India's problems are not problems of competency. Its an issue of attitude, priorities and loyalty to national interests. 

Ever since Lala Amarnath scored a 100 on debut against Douglas Jardine's English team, there haven't been many periods where India have been without great batting talent. India may feel that replacing Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman and Sachin Tendulkar will be impossible, but neither is such talent a prerequisite for winning nor is it prudent to believe that there is no talent waiting to be found. 

Talent will be found. Both batting and bowling.

What we need a solution for is how to balance the IPL with national interests. A problem Sachin and other seniors have become a part of.

No captain can lead India again with honor and distinction unless the national game is given priority. Its not the losing that hurts its the mortgaging of India's national team to the IPL by the seniors that rankles. 

To hold Mahendra Singh Dhoni alone responsible for that and expect that somehow Virat Kohli can fix that is delusional.

England In India: Questions in the middle of an ugly series

This is a sequel to the post England In India: Questions ahead of a potentially ugly series

Who is winning the series?

The IPL

Are there any positives for India?

Plenty. 

For starters there is no infighting like when England lost to South Africa or when Pakistan plays. Although I won't call it a complete positive. I think it makes me quite uncomfortable that the team is so united in humiliation. I smell something fishy. 

Secondly, as bad as they have played, the series is still not lost. 

Thirdly, the best fielder in the series is Indian. Don't trust what you hear about Sehwag's careless running and Gambhir's poor signalling, that led to the match starting horribly for India. While all that is true, it was triggered by Samit Patel's brilliant effort on the boundary line. 

And Finally Zaheer Khan did not break down as we had incorrectly predicted. In our view he is in the top 56 of the fittest bowlers in the world 

How will the series end?

With Sachin Tendulkar not retiring.

No seriously, what's the prediction?

The series will end with the Pakistan circus series as a 'fresh start'. 

Is Naseer Hussain right to call India's cricketers 'God-like'?

Yes. But it must be tough being Naseer Hussain. Last year he called them donkeys and got criticized. This year he calls them God-like and he still is unlikely to win fans. My advice to Naseer is this...call them salesmen or entertainers. It will strike a chord.

Why do Indian cricketers and coaches bother to speak to the media?

With the express intent to launch an assault on people's intelligence. I think in their minds we have brains the size of Gautam Gambhir.

How good is England really?

Once they investigate why they lost in Ahmedabad, they can build on the series result.

Who is to blame for India's losses? Bowlers or Batsmen?

This one is easy - Batsmen. You need good bowlers to win consistently. You need good batsmen to draw matches consistently. But matches are almost always lost with poor batting. It means you are not good enough to draw. In fact the weaker your bowling, your batsmen have that much less to bat to force draws.

Who is more angry Sachin-ists or Sach-atheists?

Sachin's fans are more angry. Just based on personal experience, I get a lot of (okay may be one or two....hmmm...one) 'You...Sachin hater' type greetings from well wishers. I don't know of anyone who is angry with Sachin fans. Perhaps its proof that Sachin is not God after all. People who don't believe in God are not called God-haters so why this venom against people who no longer believe in the 'Sachin Story'...Just like traditional atheists I just don't believe Sachin should exist in the team. The rest are free to enjoy and experience his existence. Stop being angry with me. I am as stupid as you are.

If there is one lesson in this series for India what is it?

Next time a visiting side arrives, please give adequate practice to Indian batsmen against visiting spinners. When you are this bad, tour games are opportunities for home teams as well. Think outside the box.

Can things get any worse for India?

Yes, If they win at Nagpur

Positives for India

It’s not all bad for India. It may seem that way. Dig a little bit deeper. There are positives all around.

In 3 innings, Sachin Tendulkar has been clean bowled only once. Surely the man’s reflexes are still at his peak.

The lower order has shown spine. Once they stop showing that the mauling India will receive in the next 2 tests will make the Mumbai loss seem like an honorable effort.

The IPL is still the biggest league around the world

No one is yet calling for VVS Laxman to come out of retirement. This is a clear indication that India has its eyes firmly on building a team for the future.

Virendra Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir (Average 53) are still the best opening pair India has ever had

The world is still jealous of the IPL

Sachin Tendulkar is still not the worst batsman in the line up. Statistically he is but we are giving consideration to his ‘colossal record’

The best spinner in the series is a Sardar

Harbhajan Singh’s stature and non-performance has slowly risen to levels that has Mahendra Singh Dhoni itching to call him the ‘Sachin of Spinners’

The IPL is still the biggest league around the world

The one thing that irks Indian fans is no longer true. We are no longer bullies at home. Now we can lose abroad with our heads held high.

The IPL is still the biggest league around the world

The best fast bowler in the series is an Indian. So what if he now injured.

Nobody’s houses were burnt after the loss. This is a sure sign that Indian fans are maturing. Either that or they don’t care.

Dhoni got to retire to his hotel room early

The IPL is still the biggest league around the world

India has accidentally found a nice transition plan. We can now transition to a young team who can match the seniors; loss-for-loss

The IPL is still the biggest league around the world

Mumbai may end in dull draw

Michael Clarke, David Warner and Mike Hussey lit up my TV screen like nothing else in recent times. The counterattack that Clarke and Warner launched post lunch was breathtaking. Clarke has scaled a batting peak few others will come close to. Granted it was achieved in home conditions, against the worlds best attack minus two. Plus, if SA are settling for Imran Tahir, then Amit Mishra and Piyush Chawla may want to consider emigrating to SA.

I was wrong about Clarke. In the aftermath of the Sydney fiasco versus India in 2008, I had boldly opined that Clarke would meet the same fate as Kim Hughes. That the coming changes in the Australian team would lead him to despair. But Clarke is made of tougher stuff. Hats off to him on his batting. And for being an inspirational leader in his own right.

We now await India's next encounter with England. Given that Mumbai has recently lost its warlord, the curator will likely make a wicket for a draw. The logic being that a flat wicket would ensure that India don't lose and that a Sachin century would make him a hero. He would then dedicate his work to the recently departed satrap. India have no confidence in their attack though they eked out a win in Ahmedabad. Plus, a win in Mumbai without a significant contribution from Sachin would not satisfy the diehards. All in all expect a flat track with a run fest in the making.

India's attempted shortcut to redemption hits a roadblock

England have already proved, inside 4 days, that they are less bad in India than India were in England in 2011. For one, India never reached 300 in any of their 8 innings, I think.

When India arrived in England, they were not only the best ranked Test side, they also had been unbeaten in a Test Series in England for 15 years. 

They knew how to not lose and sneak in a few Test wins to win an entire series in England. Its not like to expect them to compete was to expect the BCCI to be statesmanlike.

The last time England won in India, Alastair Cook was not even born. England achieved their #1 ranking without conquering the sub continent. Early this year they were humiliated by Pakistan and their weakness against spin laid bare by Saeed Ajmal.

Yet, they came to India wanting to win. They gave themselves everything they thought they needed to win. They even patched up with disruptive forces in the dressing room. They gave themselves 3 practice games ahead of the Tests.

Contrast this to the summer of 2011 when India landed in England...

Indian players hid injuries, and exhausted themselves playing the IPL. India's losses in England and then in Australia were not because of inherent weaknesses to conquer these conditions. Those were conquered to the point where India knew how to compete in these places. India's losses in England and Australia were because something basic had changed in her thinking and priorities. 

And yet India's plan to redemption was to do nothing. Cook up delusional excuses. Confront none of the tough questions about the Seniors the IPL, etc. Their short cut plan was to prepare turning tracks, pick a few spinners, show up for the Test matches, expect England to roll over and then go on stage and say..."See nothings changed.."

After the first 2 1/2 days, I watched the score every morning worried that India's shortcut plan to redemption was working.

Then Alastair Cook stood up. Then Nick Comption. Then Matt Prior. And I know Tim Bresnan and Stuart Board will too, tomorrow

I am hoping again.

Hoping that England will pull this off. Hold on for a draw or score just enough runs that forces them to force a win.

I don't think its unpatriotic to hope your country loses or is embarrassed in a win. India's focus on the IPL that hampers their Test outcomes, as happened in 2011...that is unpatriotic.

Familiar Script, But India needs the Confidence....

Two days of the first test match are behind us. A very familiar script is unfolding. England have their best weapons in the middle at the end of this day. If they are to make a match of this test, KP and Cook are their only hopes. Cook, made a debut hundred in India and is right up there among the best to have played the game of test cricket. His record of reeling off hundreds at a pace faster than Tendulkar is out there for everyone to see. KP is well, just KP. He is Tendulkar, Sehwag and Laxman rolled into one when the mood is right. The ask is steep and two batsmen can't win England test matches in India.

Graeme Swann has done what Shane Warne couldn't do before. Commanded the respect of Indian batsmen and at times even foxed them and bossed them. Watching him bowl, with virtually no variation, but good, disciplined off-spin makes one feel if doosras and carroms are over-rated balls. Most pundits have pronounced that Shane Warne's success was attributable chiefly to his accuracy and then to his ability to intimidate. Swann may be the off-spinning version of a Shane Warne style bowler. It's always fun watching Indian batsmen play good spinners.

If anyone truly mastered Swann, it was Cheteshwar Pujara. This guy has vindicated everyone's trust in his ability. His composure is remarkable. He wasn't batting too slowly. He was simply batting according to the ball being bowled. So at times he seemed to be circumspect and at other times he seemed aggressive. But nothing was pre-determined about his batting. It was like watching Geet Sethi notch up his huge billards scores. Keep going by playing according to the merit of every ball being bowled. Nothing more or less. Being on 98 overnight was a direct product of this discipline. It was almost like he truly internalized Tendulkar's mantra that 100 is just a number. Pujara is practising what Tendulkar wishes he could. We all know that even the great Tendulkar plays differently while approaching landmarks.

The question that comes to mind is this. Are the selectors looking in the wrong places for replacements? Pujara doesn't set the T20 world alight. He doesn't play ODIs for India. He is a thoroughbred test batsman. Maybe he'll break into the ODI team, maybe he won't. But his test place is assured. We worried about whether he can replace Dravid and he has. Pundits will say, "Well, we have to see how he performs overseas." But we all know that  Pujara has bought himself one or two overseas series before doubts are cast about his ability to step up overseas. Personally, considering his temperament, I'm sure he'll do well overseas too. He'll defintely prosper in the Adelaides, Sydneys and Ovals. And if one or two centuries per overseas series are the benchmark to keep your place in the team, then he'll easily make it.

Virat Kohli seems to be hitting a slight patch of bad form. He could do no wrong in the last 12 months and it appears that he is now finding run making that much more difficult. But I give him a lot of credit for struggling through his 67 balls and not giving away his wicket. He should have been taken by Trott, but he shrugged that off and kept going. Attitude wise, there was no shortcomings, but I do believe that his form is beginning a worrisome downward trend. Happens to every batsman, but they work it off. Time for Virat to spend time with coach Fletcher and figure out a way out of this. Grit it out - as they say.

Yuvraj too played a determined innings and his hunger was evident in his approach. This is fantastic for Indian cricket that Yuvraj is respecting test match cricket for what it is and is working to crack the code. This is great news for the survival of test cricket too. I hope he makes a couple of good hundreds in the next few tests coming up and cements his place in the side for the next 8 or so years. For India, a formidable Yuvraj coming in at number 6 can only demoralize the opposition bowlers. He can take the right to the opposition as the situation demands and looks like is willing to buckle down and graft if the situation requires. Fantastic.

If I have no words about Sehwag's hundred, its because whatever I say, he can prove me wrong in the next few matches. He could end up throwing his wicket away or he could slam a triple. The guy is nuts. The team can afford him and also feed off him. His failures don't necessarily result in losses, but his successes invariably lead to victory. A nice place for the Indian team to be.

And finally the elephant in the room, Tendulkar. What's he doing in this team of kids? It feels like Amitabh playing a college kid in a bollywood movie. Of course the man can act well, even act like a college kid. But why? I'm sure he'll reel off a couple of hundreds in this series. He's still got it. But I ain't watching test matches to see him score hundreds anymore. Been there, done that. Now I'm watching Pujara, Kohli and even the new Yuvraj and perhaps Rahane or Rohit Sharma. That's right, I  haven't given up on that guy yet. :-)

Winning in Transition

India's transition has one foot stubbornly in the late 80s but ignoring that, the series win against New Zealand though anticipated, is a welcome relief after the string of losses in England and Australia.

The Indian side does not look settled at all but no side can be after the string of recent losses and the retirements of 2 of the game's greats. What is of concern though is that it is not the transitory elements but the established ones that are looking vulnerable. Zaheer Khan averaged 60 for his 3 wickets and Sachin Tendulkar 21 for his 63 runs. Yet conventional wisdom among experts is to 'preserve them' for South Africa. An idea that is unlikely to flatter India's youngsters while also being debatable given the two might be past their prime.

Both Gautam Gambhir and Virendra Sehwag are 'under observation'. Patience with both is running thin and given that both have spoken their minds against Mahendra Singh Dhoni's tactics neither has an option to just be passengers in the team. In normal circumstances, a prolonged period of less than optimal productivity will leave their fate in the hands of the captain and the selectors. Neither performed in this series and set bad examples with the choice of their shots. With the IPL and private money (and thus influence) nothing is normal about cricket any more. Neither the captain nor the selectors may have any say in how long is prolonged. I for one doubt whether the two will produce anything meaningful when India travels abroad. Bad habits have crept into their batting a direct influence of T20 cricket and whether they have the discipline to curb the T20 instincts is something we will know only in time

India’s transitory elements Virat Kohli, Pragyan Ojha, Cheteshwar Pujara and R Ashwin were the core team that engineered the series win and that is the biggest positive from the series.

Even Rahul Dravid has acclaimed Virat Kholi as the best Indian batsman today. It is as much a statement on Sachin as it is a compliment to Virat. How much in future monetary compensation this statement may cost him remains to be seen but cynical remarks aside, seeing Sachin Tendulkar struggle against the weakest team in Test cricket was painful to watch. It is entirely his choice that he is okay to reduce himself to a passenger on the team.

Another problem is Suresh Raina but he is a problem produced by the system or ‘process’ as is fashionable these days with cricket. Whatever ODI opportunities he has been given he has come through. Even in the most high pressure situations; most notably his batting in the World Cup quarter finals against Australia and semi-finals against Pakistan. It is hard to ignore him. His captains and coaches all seem to love his work ethics. His inclusion in the Test team can be justified because he meets all ‘pre-requisites’. Yet I have never harbored any great hopes from him. He just doesn’t look like a proper batsman to me. I hope he has something else in him that will help him sustain his Test career.

In sum, I believe it is reasonable to say that India’s youngsters delivered a series win under Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s captaincy in spite of the seniors.

South Africa Ascend to the Top

South Africa is the new number one test team. In hindsight, England gave in rather tamely, though they had a good chance at Lords. Their panicked response to the chase was in stark contrast to their attritional bowling plans which seek out unforced errors from opposing batsmen. These things are probably more likely to happen when a team is distracted.

The unfortunate axing of Kevin Pietersen, followed by premature ejaculations of proclaiming Jonny Bairstow as having “test match temperament” is strange, but highly English. Justifying “proper” behavior is probably higher priority than celebrating flair and irreverence. Pietersen may as well feel like one of Putin’s punk protestors. Jonny Bairstow is anything but test class. Lashing at bowlers and getting lucky isn’t test match batting. Jonny will "be good” in due course. He has the attitude and the heart, but temperament? – nein!

South Africa may keep the number one ranking for a while yet, but only if they beat Australia in Australia in what is looking like another mouth watering contest. In Philander, they have a player who brings luck as well as skill to the middle. This was my first series watching Philander bowl. I felt he was under-bowled at times. But that’s probably how Smith and Kirsten have figured out he’s best utilized to breach the opposing line up. Morne Morkel coming of age has been great news for South Africa and Dale Steyn’s continuing excellence is a sight to behold. On the Morkel subject, he seems to have found his mojo in the IPL this year.

Teams are probably looking to keep out these two bowlers and see a chance to relax just that wee bit against Philander. His pace is inviting after the hammering from Steyn and Morkel’s testing bounce. But Philander is also a skilled bowler who seems to just know where and what to bowl. He just seems to have that x-factor or instinct. All in all, it’s great fun watching him bowl because something happens every ball. Plus, he’s a good-lucking, athletic, expressive cricketer, unlike the robotic Steyn. He has all the ingredients to become a popular cricketer world-wide.

South Africa has another unwritten good story. This series and perhaps ranking was delivered due to huge contributions by colored players. Amla, Petersen and Philander played exceptionally well. In fact Amla's performance in this series signals his transition from good to possibly a future great. Duminy stood tall in ruins at times. While Smith, Kallis and Steyn played consistently as always, Amla and Philander turned the screws on and delivered “those” performances that change the test match tides. Tahir too bowled reasonably well to continue to merit his place in the side. The sole disappointment has to be Rudolph who despite a lot of experience in English conditions was unable to flourish. ABDV too probably needs to rethink his approach to test match batting.

From the ruins of the apartheid era, this is a great place to be for a country with so much tragic history. Reconciliation has brought about its rightful fruit. The road has been a little rocky with some missteps and misguided selection policies at times, but there is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow!

South Africa v England

A summer ago, a team, bruised and battered by the IPL, came to defend its No.1 status in Test matches. A well-rested and purposeful English team humiliated India’s batsmen, toyed with its bowlers and left the team making excuses that stun its ardent fans even to this day. The England team left the India team in disarray and destroyed its unity - Unity that had resulted in a number one ranking and a World Cup.

South Africa arrived in England as the putative number one team. A team that was prone to choking and perennially flattered to deceive. Graeme Smith was the bad boy among cricket captains and struggled to earn respect for his captaincy and batting. Much like Ganguly arrived in Australia in 2003 with a team that was hopeful, yet not expected to give the mighty Australians a run for their money, Smith’s team too was expected to give a tough fight, but probably not win.

In a matter of a week, the world has changed. England was seemingly invincible at home. Anderson, Broad and Bresnan were masters of the conditions in England. With the wettest summer on record, the conditions favored them. English batsmen were in form with all of them doing well, with the possible exception of tyro Bopara.

Morne Morkel’s improvement into a strike bowler from a stock bowler has probably played a large hand in South Africa’s bowling performance. Morkel enjoyed the IPL like never before and carried on. Vernon Philander, a huge find for South Africa, did not give anything away on his maiden tour to England. Imran Tahir who is bringing much needed balance to the South Africa attack is reasonably effective. And Dale Steyn, the fiercest of competitors, master fast bowler, the best since Dennis Lillee, in my book, when it comes to text book fast bowling, delivered like he always has.

England may have fancied their chances after extending their first innings to score 385 on the back of Cook’s brilliant hundred and Bell and Prior’s resilience. Graeme Smith, however, knew that if there was ever a time to show up, this was it. Watching him bat is somewhat painful. He is ungainly and brutal. He played a Matt Hayden-like innings (from 2001). It wasn’t all easy when Anderson was fired up getting Peterson. The ball was moving some and Anderson and Broad were effective. But Smith and Amla slowly bled the English bowling out. When South Africa were finished after the epic from Amla and the master class from Kallis, all talk of variety, pace and penetration of the English attack was over. Broad was delivering pies at a pace that would have made Madan Lal look fast in comparison. Anderson’s heart was nowhere to be seen and Bresnan, trying hard was helpless because his heart is not matched by his talent.

Pakistan had exposed England in UAE, but no one thought there would be a repeat in England. What South Africa has perhaps shown us is that India was vastly over-rated when they arrived in England. And a 4-0 thrashing shows how badly India is off the rails and needs to rebuild and ready a team for the new order in test match cricket. Clinging to an aging icon and a formula from early 2000s, India, will likely not even win matches at home anymore. They might blame bowlers, but its aging batsmen are not putting up runs.

Hashim Amla is playing at a level that only Rahul Dravid and Mohammed Yousuf have attained in recent times. He too, like the other two, is modest, studious, and reflective and channels his intensity into his batting. He came in early and made it count. He may never get an opportunity to score another triple hundred, but for sure, the way he is batting, he can score test cricket’s first 500. His concentration, desire, serenity, endurance and technique are all worthy of praise. His humility has an endearing quality to it.

Dale Steyn delivered the death blows to a demoralized English batting line up in the second innings a day after another South African Ernie Els won the British Open. England seemed to have an endless line of batsmen and South Africa had only three (not including Smith). But the shoe is on the other foot now. With Amla and Kallis immovable, what will England’s plan B be? Can they breach through these guys and test AB, Duminy and the rest?

The second test match is going to tell us if the England team is real. It’s going to tell us whether the spirit of 2005 is still around. South Africa have showed up in style.