Howzzat!

Choked to death!!!!!

as the second day draws to a close, one safe assumption is that the chances of indians winning this test range from remote to zero. The australian pacemen , in delightfully helpful conditions , wreaked havoc with the indian batsmen who looked lost and confused. It was pure embrassement for an indian fan to see their indians being so much on the defensive in what is their strong hold. The aussies are eyeing the summit , that is one undeniable fact.

After an agonising first day , when martyn showed them artistry with the bat , lehman demostrated cheekiness and clarke tutored them on technique, the indians were praying for a happy picnic on day two. If day one was demoralising , the second day was just short of being cataclysmic. The indians forgot the fact that between wild slashes and rock solid defense is a style of batting that is a blend of aggression and defense. Akash , dravid and sachin were insanely defensive and dug huge pits for themselves. Sehwag on the other hand was ultra aggressive , probably confused test match cricket for twenty-20. In the end wickets were lost and few runs were scored.

Tendulkar can be forgiven for his poor outing because he is coming in after a long lay off without even a decent hit in a domestic match. If anyone is to be blamed it is the selectors. However , the same cannot be said of the others. Akash chopra , i feel , is being given a raw deal here. After failing to perform in the first match he found himself in the side lines for the next. Now , he is being thrust back into the slot and asked to perform. Its true that he has failed to grab the chance but its not easy for a player when he is being played like a rugby ball. But look into the core of this rot in indian batting and you will find a name etched there : Dravid. Dravid has carried the team in his shoulders quite frequently in the recent times and ironically for many this is becoming obvious with his failures leading to a batting collapse. Its time he and his record partner Laxman came to their strides. This lean patch has gone for too long for his calibre. Knowing the kind of bloke he is , i beleive dravid will come up a match winner any time now. But will it be too late?

so where do we stand at the end of another uninspiring day for the indians. With half the side down for less than 150 and the weight of a huge lead on them , the indians need an inspiring and miraculous effort from the two men , uhhh boys at the crease. Kaif , once again proved that he is a man with a big heart by playing another critical and gritty innings. It wouldnt compare anywhere with martyn's batting the day before , in terms of attractiveness but it is an equally important innings. He is still not through and i would love to see him score a fifty first and then, go on and convert it to a big one , a seemingly far stretched imagination. He is beginning to perform in test cricket and that should give him a lot of confidence. Parthiv once again showed that ,with a bat in his hand he is a completely different proposition. He is one guy who would not gift his wicket away easily nor be subdued by intimidating bowling. He is as much an asset with the bat as a liablity with the glove.

Now coming to the million dollar question. Can the indians actually win it from here. The answer would be yes , simply because cricket is a game of uncertainties. But , apart from all that , with the hard cold facts of the scores after day two , i would say that the chance of winning the match is very small but existant. A big rear gaurd fightback , an amazing second inning bowling and an incredible second inning batting are all it would take to win this test. But then , it is asking indians to thrash the aussies in all departments in the next two games. And you know the odds.......

posted by Tyagarajan S @ 9:37:00 PM