India rescue act avoids further humiliation

Colombo (Sri Lanka) - There are times when limited overs matches become so one-sided because of an inept performance that spectators may begin to wonder if they are not entitled to a refund from the losing side's match fee: which may not go down too well with India right now.

Or perhaps the Indian hierarchy in New Delhi may be prepared to cough up and bail their side out of such an embarrassment. After all they are responsible for agreeing to a madcap fixture programme they lumbered their side with over the next two months.

What was not a good advertisement for a India side whose captain, Sachin Tendulkar, was ruled unfit to play before their Aiwa Cup series match against Australia at the Sinhalese Sports Club yesterday, was not just the way the top-order crumpled but also their decided lack of form.

Not that defeat by 41 runs, their third in the series and second against the ever-efficient World Cup champions is as massive as it could have been. It could have been far worse had not Robin Singh and Sanda Ramesh indulged in the sort of rescue act which added much needed respectability to a side whose approach has become decidedly flat: soda water without the bubbles. Mind you, it was done once Jason Gillespie had been removed from the attack after he had destroyed the top-order with three wickets an a seven over spell which mixed pace, swing and extracted lift out of the pitch on which Javagal Srinath had earlier gained moderate success.

India, at 44 for five in the 13th over, chasing 253 runs for victory were buried so knee deep in trouble the only way out was either to capitulate or launch a counter attack out of the wreckage of a side who are out of form and a skipper with a dodgy back problem. Tendulkar not only plans to play against Sri Lanka tomorrow - 'It has become a matter of pride' - he aims to fly off to Singapore on Wednesday for the next assignment. Yet the argument we hear is that he should be at home getting attention for his back.

But he is too important to India's cause and image and that is where the problems of this particular limited-overs escapade which also involves Toronto and a revamped Sahara Cup as well as the Singapore series and Kenya and then back home for matches against New Zealand. Little wonder the team management, coach Aunsh Gaekwad, in particular.

We are aware that India have no trout fishing streams, but their habit of fishing outside the off when driving wide of the body is a foolish batting technique which does not carry the MCC coaching certificate of batting expertise. And really, for someone of his experience Rahul Dravid should have known better. Saurav Gangly blasted two fours and perished for eight after facing just four deliveries from Glenn McGrath. (Oh ah ! . . . Glenn McGrath! was one of the nifty catch cries during the World Cup) and with Gillespie even more rampant, the Indian top-order were victims of their own inability to handle fast bowler's proficiency with what seemed like a can opener as well his knack of taking wickets.

So far he has nine in this series and in line to collect man of the series award after the final on Tuesday when they should meet Sri Lanka. Then again, India might beat Sri Lanka tomorrow at SSC and squeeze through on run rate, with the aid of the tooth fairy. Naturally they need a 200 percent improvement, better fielding and learn how to take catches as well. At least they do not have to face Gillespie tomorrow. He is really serious about his pre-match preparation; one tactic is to measure his run up with a tape with the help of a teammate and then work out from which mark he wants to bowl from. It helps with his rhythm as well. All of which follows the simple guidelines observed by Sir Richard Hadlee, although it is doubtful whether Gillespie counts the number of stitches of the outside seam as the New Zealander did.

The way Ramesh and Singh set about their partnership of 123 was slow and thorough: you cannot afford to take chances when the next batsman in is Nikhil Chopra and what is to follow carries the same stamp of confidence. At least Singh was defiant to the end with his innings of 75 while Ramesh managed to pick up 71 and the first to depart. One of Singh's more memorable strokes was a six over square-leg off the bowling of Shane Warn who has now shown much of his World Cup form when he helped win matches against South Africa (semi-final) and Pakistan (final).

Stand in captain Ajay Jadeja won the toss and surprisingly invited Australia to bat first and then watched as Adam Gilchrist batted his way to a man of the match innings of 77 and with Andrew Symonds add 110 for the second wicket in a final total of 252 for eight. There was some class batting from these two as Symonds was pushed up to three again.

Australia selected what is probably their best balanced side of the series, resting Damien Fleming and Adam Dale from the attack and it showed. There's nothing wrong with either, just that Jason has the pace to rattle the confidence of the Indian batsmen and reduce their innings to rubble. The problem when Australia manage to put an imposing total together it is done with clinical efficiency and Gilchrist picked his gaps well, tucking into Chopra on a number of occasions until his figures were totally rearranged. Why India continue to use the same bowling attack beggars belief. Neither Mohanty nor Shulka have been given a chance and probably will not this particular three-nation series either.

It seems India have no intention of learning from their blunders of the past week. They are too busy losing matches to think clearly enough how to try and win them: a strange theory.