No more breathing space

NAGPUR, October 13: The Men in Blue aren't losers. We know, and not just because they tell us so. But in this series, their best has been supplanted by their worst. It's frankly baffling, and begs a question: Where does Team India go from here? The answer: right back where the series started, Bangalore. Because an action replay of the Vadodara ODI could force upon MS Dhoni and his men the kind of scrutiny they probably thought their World T20 win had given them immunity from.
Till barely three weeks ago in South Africa, India knew what it took to be a formidable side. And then, since this series opened on September 29, India have literally defined Murphy's Law. If anything could have gone wrong - be it a top-order collapse while batting, or the inability to go for the kill in the middle overs and throw up freebies at the death while bowling - it has. The bad news: while rain diluted the lessons of Bangalore, the heat has been on since then.
One team was disappointed when Bangalore was declared a washout. Since then, that team has sought to make things happen rather than waiting for things to happen. That team is not India. The longer this series has lasted, the more obvious it has become that, even in the small print of the game - fielding, running between wickets, practice techniques, attitude to practice - India are running second to Australia.
Nonetheless, at the pre-match quote wars, Zaheer Khan looked like a man with a very hot tip for match day; apparently, it was for himself: "We are not worried about the defeat in the last game." Very interesting, now what's the scoreline? 1-3. Admittedly, there is little need for the self-inflicted headaches induced by the baggage of Vadodara, but Ricky Ponting, not known for the modesty of his words, isn't as forgetful as India. His warning: "We are eager to keep the momentum going." Whether Zaheer and his team-mates admit it or not, hope will float if Sunday scripts a 2-3 scoreline for India. But at 1-4, the 'worry' that the team isn't worried will get serious.
This series cannot be won, yet it can be salvaged. And that is emphatically that. All of which brings us to the pitch. The strip looks an earthy brown, there's not an alarming degree of curiosity about how it will behave. Curator Rajiv Gokhale predicts 300-plus scores, Zaheer expects "a batsman-friendly track". And Ladbrokes sees another defeat for the home side.
The good news: of the 35,000-plus in attendance at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium for the 6th ODI, Team India will have the best view on offer - down on its back, the team's only view is upward. Again, the weather forecast is good. History will echo across the ground which, given that another stadium is sprouting in the city, could be hosting its last international game. India have a 6-5 win-loss record in these parts; and Matthew Hayden's hamstring isn't sure that it will let him play the match. Now all that India need to do - the potency of Brett Lee and Mitchell Johnson, and the return to form of Adam Gilchrist notwithstanding - is shred Murphy's Law to bits. Unless, of course, Dhoni & Co of the past three weeks seek to repeat themselves.