Australia 2 India 0

The India-Australia Test series is turning out to be grossly one-sided and I shudder to think that if a side boasting of the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman and Virender Sehwag can’t deliver the goods, who else will?
To be honest, it’s just about 10 days since the series and I feel it has been a month. The Indian team seemed to have donned the Santa Claus hats, gifting one win after another. To have crossed the 300-run mark just once in four innings so far against this Australian attack is not pardonable.
This period calls for grit, not glamour. This period calls for playing the ball on merit, not panache. This period calls for application more than anything else. If Australians can bat out sessions, why can’t India?
Ever since the series began, I have had this odd feeling of the era of 1990’s being replayed. Runs in buckets being scored by the Australians, Indian batting caving in meekly, Sachin Tendulkar scoring a quickfire 30-40 or even crossing 50s, while the rest fold up cheaply.
Friday morning promised a lot with Sachin and Gautam Gambhir battling to save the Test. For the better part of the first session, the promise was intact till Gambhir’s shot ballooned to David Warner at point for India to lose their fourth, and the giggles were back in the Australian dressing room. The shaky Indian dressing room sent fourth innings specialist Vangipurappu Venkatsai Laxman to a rousing reception, and the Hyderabadi appeared understandably edgy.
But Michael Clarke surprisingly allowed Laxman to settle down with the advent of off-spinner Nathan Lyon at the crease. Rasping cover drives, quick-footed flicks towards the square boundaries flowed from Laxman’s willow and the match was slowly beginning to shift balance, yes, only just.
Tendulkar was concentration personified. He knew where the fielders were and essayed his shots accordingly. Dodge this — Sachin had cut Pattinson towards the point boundary, and Clarke plugged the gap by bringing in a fielder from covers.
Next ball was similar in length and what does Sachin do? Use his willow to steer past the cover region much to the agony of the bowler and the fielding captain. It was Master at his very best. But the romance with Sachin’s innings met with a sad end. Sachin’s supposedly last Test innings in Sydney ended when he was beaten with drift and bounce as offered a slip catch off ‘part-timer’ Clarke which was gleefully accepted by Michael Hussey.
The lesser said about the rest of the Indian batting, the better. The margin of loss — an innings and 68 runs — will definitely demoralise the Indian side. As I said earlier, application in the middle is more important than those hours of sweat being shed at practice. The likes of Virat Kohli and some famous names in the batting order will be under notice.
The Perth Test which starts at the WACA (West Australian Cricket Association) Ground in a few days time will test Dhoni and his team. Will they stand up for the challenge? Going by the way this team has performed, I have my doubts. After the massacre in Melbourne, the seige at Sydney, a pummelling at Perth is all Clarke will be dreaming off. Looks like his dreams could come true.