GOD SAVE INDIA

World Champions. That was the tag the Indian team carried along with it when it boarded the flight to England for a four match Test series against the hosts. Everything was picture-perfect. Except for a few minor hiccups (read injuries). Having performed well in the Caribbean, the rum-soaked spirits were soaring high. And back home, the expectations were thick enough to be able to cut with a knife. 

But as the series against England unfolded, there was drama and disappointment. Who thought, this was the very side that had lifted the World Cup, three months ago? A billion hearts sunk, as the hosts trampled the visitors at Lords and Nottingham. Writers started scurrying around to write obituaries, cricketing pundits started dissecting the Indian team’s performance with wisdom’s knife. Who could have thought the Indian team would give such an abysmal display in all the three departments- batting, bowling and fielding? 

The omens definitely didn’t look good for India. Zaheer, India’s potent weapon in seaming English conditions, pulled a hamstring at the very start of the Lords Test. One can easily argue, had Zaheer not been injured, things would’ve been different. And injuries can happen anytime. But arguments and injuries can’t erase the truth. This definitely put India on the backfoot. So now, Dhoni had to rely heavily on Ishant and Pravin Kumar; and the spinning abilities of Harbhajan. 

Beating England on their turf isn’t easy. It is an outstanding side. Strauss, Pietersen, Bell, Prior, Broad, Bresnan, it’s a giraffe of an order for any opposition. A side that has the luxury of having reliable batsmen up to number 9. Stuart Broad proved that with a steely 44, at Nottingham. And of course, who can forget Bresnan’s 90? Strauss has no worries with his batting line-up. In fact, it’s a dream to have batters down to number 9. 

India’s bowling wasn’t that bad. Our bowlers toiled hard. Pravin Kumar impressed with his spell at Lords. Ishant too bowled well. Sreesanth troubled the batsmen on a few occasions. But these were incidents that were few and far in between. The English batsmen had the upper hand right from the word go. Unfortunately, Harbhajan too couldn’t weave his magic, as he was thwarted by Pietersen in the first test. And injury beset him in the second. 

The only saving grace, so far, for India has been ‘The Wall’, Rahul Dravid. He seems to be definitely the odd man out, if one looks at the other ten Indian batsmen. Determined and resolute, it was a delight to watch him carve two back-to-back tons, at Lords and Nottingham. Watching him was like watching a sculptor, with a chisel, carving one of his most exquisite creations. Dravid looked completely at home in both the tests. 

Now, as we head to Birmingham for the Third Test, India needs to do some soul searching. With Sehwag back and Gambhir might be too, India’s batting woes, hopefully, must’ve come to an end. Dhoni might have had a mighty sigh of relief to have his two able warriors back in the fold. But, from here on, India cannot win the series. The only possibility is a 2-2 draw. But, this too, looks a dream beyond the horizon. The way things are shaping up for the visitors, we can only say, “God save India”.