Team India paid the price for some unimaginative cricket. For Sri Lanka, it was just reward for displaying grit, aggression and, more importantly, for possessing a game plan.

The decision to bowl first was without doubt the right move on Dravid’s part. It gave Team India the best of the conditions, with the ball doing enough in the air early on and the wicket offering bounce and some movement. And when it was India’s turn to bat, the strip had eased out considerably and the target of 255 should have been achieved with something to spare.

The team did not even have a modicum of confidence in their batting. With follow suit. Chaminda Vaas was his usual steady self while Muralitharan continues to mesmerize. The duo should have been played out with an eye on making safe runs against them rather than spectacular attempts. Without wickets, the pair would have tried extra hard and strayed or sprayed. An asking rate of six plus could have been met without ado later. The decision to go after the experienced pair lacked logic.

After going for a few in his first over, Murali cleverly switched to bowling from round the wicket. That was a masterstroke. He cut down the angle and with the Doosra that would always keep the batsmen guessing, he became more than a handful.

Dhoni who represented the last ray of hope paid the penalty for going on the back foot to a spinner who can turn the ball a mile. It was a judgmental error. Any player at this level would tell you to stick your pad out in the beginning of the the writing clearly on the wall, India should have approached the match fearlessly. A no-holds barred strategy would have at least given the team a decent tilt at the target. Yet, most of the pressure was self inflicted.

Sourav and Sachin looked nervy for no reason at all. What use 10,000+ ODI runs if that fact is not reflected when they faced up to the bowlers? Batting out 50 overs may even have ensured India the win but wickets at regular intervals ensured no sizeable partnerships were built, leading to the swift downfall.

The knock by Sehwag clearly pointed there were no demons in the pitch. If a player who is battling poor form can show this kind of assurance, it should not have been difficult for others to innings to a spinner unless the ball is pitched in the bowler’s half.

The dismissal of Yuvraj summed up India’s despair. With pressure mounting, the confusion got to the youngster. The India bowling was good in parts. Allowing the Lankans to claw back through Chamara Silva and Tillakaratne Dilshan cost the match. The body language of the entire side when Russell Arnold and Vass went berserk in the final five overs was awful.

Heads will definitely roll. They should. Senior members should take responsibility for this terrible result. The Greg Chappell-Rahul Dravid combine made too many experiments but had very few positive results to offer.

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