Chika Talk
Kris Srikkanth
India did not deserve to lose series
January 29, 2008
A draw was the most honorable result in the final Test. Both sides played some tight cricket over five days not giving inch. The stalemate was an apt reflection of the strength of the two teams. If only India had survived those seven balls at the SCG, it would have been a better series.
Anil Kumble and his boys did not deserve to lose the series but there were certain areas they had no control over. Kudos to the side that showed great Spirit throughout the series.
Adelaide is one venue where India have always done well. The wicket there is ideal for an Indian side. Two factors that pushed India back were the injury to R.P. Singh and the inconsistent show of Harbhajan Singh.
The ball did reverse from day two courtesy the side wickets on the square that were abrasive. RP would have been a handful in the last three days. The Aussies have never had it easy against the swinging ball, both conventional and reverse.
If a total of 526 is not enough for Harbhajan to toss the ball up and force the batsmen to drive off the front foot, how much would he need?
Ponting who was as comfortable as a cow on thin ice in the first 10 minutes was not tested enough by Harbhajan. His flatter trajectory will get purchase only in the dustbowls back home. Once the flight was sacrificed, bounce was also taken out of the equation.
India can take many positives out of this series and none bigger than the emergence of Ishant Sharma. All of 19, the Delhi lad showed maturity beyond his years. I have not seen an Indian medium pacer run in tirelessly with so little luck in a long time.
When wickets are there against your name, it keeps the flow going but Sharma kept running in hard inspite of having so little luck.
It brought back memories of the Adelaide Test in 1991-92 when the legendary Kapil Dev just did not stop bowling. He was suffering from a stiff neck and Azharuddin, then captain requested him to stop but Kapil did not buy that and continued. Sharma has a good future ahead of him. It is important that he is nurtured well.
The comeback men Irfan Pathan and Virendar Sehwag gave solid accounts of their true worth. Pathan looks more confident and his contributions with the bat were another plus. Viru had a good Test at Perth and an outstanding one at Adelaide.
Sehwag's attitude was refreshing. It is important to attack the new ball in Australia and Viru did just that. The improvement could be seen in his defence. He offered the full face of the bat while defending and threw his bat hard when he went for his shots. His footwork was decisive, he was either fully in front or back.
Sachin Tendulkar's form was another major plus. When the best batsman in the side performs like that it lifts the entire side. Anil Kumble handled the team well, getting the best out of each member.
Don't worry about what the computers tell - India are easily the second best side in the World. They are nearly unbeatable at home and also have Test wins in every country barring New Zealand in recent times.
India had their moments and did shake up Ponting and his men consistently. And they remain the only side to have done that except for England in the 2005 Ashes in the last decade.
If Team India can take this confidence and rhythm into the Triangular series, it would promise riveting action.
Republished with permission from The Asian Age
Anil Kumble and his boys did not deserve to lose the series but there were certain areas they had no control over. Kudos to the side that showed great Spirit throughout the series.
Adelaide is one venue where India have always done well. The wicket there is ideal for an Indian side. Two factors that pushed India back were the injury to R.P. Singh and the inconsistent show of Harbhajan Singh.
The ball did reverse from day two courtesy the side wickets on the square that were abrasive. RP would have been a handful in the last three days. The Aussies have never had it easy against the swinging ball, both conventional and reverse.
If a total of 526 is not enough for Harbhajan to toss the ball up and force the batsmen to drive off the front foot, how much would he need?
Ponting who was as comfortable as a cow on thin ice in the first 10 minutes was not tested enough by Harbhajan. His flatter trajectory will get purchase only in the dustbowls back home. Once the flight was sacrificed, bounce was also taken out of the equation.
India can take many positives out of this series and none bigger than the emergence of Ishant Sharma. All of 19, the Delhi lad showed maturity beyond his years. I have not seen an Indian medium pacer run in tirelessly with so little luck in a long time.
When wickets are there against your name, it keeps the flow going but Sharma kept running in hard inspite of having so little luck.
It brought back memories of the Adelaide Test in 1991-92 when the legendary Kapil Dev just did not stop bowling. He was suffering from a stiff neck and Azharuddin, then captain requested him to stop but Kapil did not buy that and continued. Sharma has a good future ahead of him. It is important that he is nurtured well.
The comeback men Irfan Pathan and Virendar Sehwag gave solid accounts of their true worth. Pathan looks more confident and his contributions with the bat were another plus. Viru had a good Test at Perth and an outstanding one at Adelaide.
Sehwag's attitude was refreshing. It is important to attack the new ball in Australia and Viru did just that. The improvement could be seen in his defence. He offered the full face of the bat while defending and threw his bat hard when he went for his shots. His footwork was decisive, he was either fully in front or back.
Sachin Tendulkar's form was another major plus. When the best batsman in the side performs like that it lifts the entire side. Anil Kumble handled the team well, getting the best out of each member.
Don't worry about what the computers tell - India are easily the second best side in the World. They are nearly unbeatable at home and also have Test wins in every country barring New Zealand in recent times.
India had their moments and did shake up Ponting and his men consistently. And they remain the only side to have done that except for England in the 2005 Ashes in the last decade.
If Team India can take this confidence and rhythm into the Triangular series, it would promise riveting action.
Republished with permission from The Asian Age
