India loses test series

The actual headline today morning was ‘Pakistan square test series’. To me, they are both equivalent. This is a shame, a national disgrace. A relatively inexperienced bowling attack like Pakistan’s ran through a ‘strong’ Indian batting lineup on a docile pitch on the final day of a test match. How come it happens to us? How do we let it happen to us? Until last year, we were anointed Contenders to Australia. Indeed, had we won this series 2-0, we would have also been listed as number 2 in the ICC test rankings. But contenders do not grovel like this, they register victories (a draw in this test match would have been akin to a win). We are Pretenders at best.

Look at the way the series went. We let Pakistan draw the first test match even though there were only four wickets to take on the last day of the match, somehow managed to register a win in the second test and were wholesomely humiliated in the third test. Sehwag and Dravid notwithstanding, the other batsman did not get going. Pathan was woefully out of form, and the other bowlers were good in patches.

I don’t personally care about the one-day matches. For me, the charm and importance is reserved for tests. In all probability, we might end up drawing the one-day series 3-3 as well. I feel angry and cheated by a team that shows promise and doesn’t live up to it.

There will be some fallouts of this test series. The test career of VVS Laxman will end. Ironical as it may be, the duo of John Wright and Ganguly will make way for the next coach and captain at the same time. Ganguly has done some great things for the team, but has outlived his nine lives. Of course, these are simply my predictions, and a lot may be forgotten if we do really well in the one-day series. That is how our selectors function anyway. In the meanwhile, I’ll wait, watch and expect better from my favorite cricket team in this whole wide world!