Sometimes a lot can happen in a week even when you're not playing cricket. First there was my response to Saurav Ganguly's claim that if India win this series, they would become the best side in the world. I found that a bit rich, coming as it did after India's first win in Australia in 20 years. The Indian victory at Adelaide was a fine one, but it's still only one win. Even if they were to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy by winning this series, it would be just one away series win in almost two decades. To be acknowledged the best side in the world, we worked our way up the rankings in international cricket, and it took us years of winning consistently at home and abroad, some unprecedented streaks of successive wins and two World Cups to get to the top of international cricket.
One good game or even a series win is not enough for India or any other team to become world champions, and that was my statement to the press after reading Saurav's comments. I believe he has subsequently issued a clarification, which I have not read as yet.
The controversy that dominated sports pages right through the last two weeks was the one surrounding the latest leak of coach John Buchanan's letter to the team. The outside world must be amazed by the number of letters that have leaked during John's tenure as coach. However, I am surprised that it has not happened more often! Basically, he writes out the letter and leaves it in the business center so that the attendant can make copies and put it under the doors of the players' and coaching staffs' rooms. After the Adelaide Test, some players left at night while others changed their rooms. As a result, it was discovered that some players did not get the letter, while some letters had reached hotel guests who were not part of the team. The (inevitable) fallout was that the press got hold of the letter, and we are yet to see the end of "Baggygate" which is what the whole episode is being called.
However, as a recipient of the letter, I don't think John was unduly harsh. Perhaps, we needed to hear some of the things he has spoken about in the letter. The letter also gives us tips on how to refocus, and most importantly, re-emphasises the need to be more responsible for our actions. It was a stern wake-up call, but as coach, John is surely entitled to let us know how he feels.
The team met on Tuesday, shortly after we re-assembled in Melbourne. We spoke about the letter as well as our gameplan for the Boxing Day Test. There is no doubt that it was our batting in the second innings that let us down in the Adelaide Test. Quite simply, we batted one session less than we should have. If we had lasted an hour into the final day, the result would have been different. Our tail has not been wagging either, and that is something we need to address as well. Ever since Adam Gilchrist's entry into the team, he has invariably led a late order recovery that would break the back of the opposition bowling attack. Adam has not yet made a contribution with the bat, which means he is due at Melbourne. Andy Bichel has also made good contributions in the past and would be looking to do the same in the remaining two Tests.
The Boxing Day game will also see the return of Brett Lee into the side. I watched a bit of his bowling during the Tasmania-New South Wales game last week, and he does not seem to have got back to his normal pace. However, he was able to go through the entire match and took quite a few wickets, so he has got his line right already. Over the last couple of years, the Melbourne track has become one of the fastest tracks in Australia, and this should suit Brett in his comeback game. It is also a relief to know that Brad Williams' shoulder has recovered fully in time for the Test.
As a team, we will not try to do things differently in the next two Tests, we will only try to do things better. We are aware that there is plenty of media scrutiny in the wake of our defeat in the Adelaide Test. There has been criticism of our batting, but some of it is justified and in any case there is no way a sportsman can control what is being written about him. Instead, we are trying to control the controllables, focus on our game and on the processes that have ensured us success over the past few years. We know that we have been playing well in fits and starts, so right now we are aiming for consistency. It was one bad session that cost us Adelaide, and we must ensure that such a display won't be repeated in Melbourne or Sydney.
The Indians would obviously be working hard on maintaining the lead they have built for themselves. The media has run out of superlatives to describe the batting of Rahul Dravid and V.V.S. Laxman. Since he did not do too well on his last tour here, the press has discovered what he is capable of only after the last Test. Our team has always respected Rahul and I thought he showed signs of his good form in the first Test itself, when he was unbeaten on 43 in the second innings. I would also not write off Sachin Tendulkar's chances in the next two Tests as I have seen that he often gets better as the series progresses. In India in 2001, he scored a century only in the third Test and it proved to be a crucial contribution in the final analysis.
As a batsman I am confident that our batting display will improve. Brett's return will also serve to bolster our lower order, and things are really looking good for us. It's a pity that we don't have Jason Gillespie for this Test, but the chances of him returning for the Sydney Test are pretty bright. We all spent Christmas like we have for the last few years. Most of the guys have their families down here with them, and I am also spending the Christmas season with Rianna. We practised early morning and had lunch together like an extended family. It's almost therapeutic for us to have family around us before a crucial game. This is an important game, and it is imperative that we all enter it with a relaxed frame of mind.
Boxing Day generally witnesses a full house at the mcg, but this time round there are some renovations on, so the crowd might not exceed 70,000. There will be a large number of Indians as well, which means that they will add their own distinct flavour to proceedings. It's going to be a great challenge on the field, and the atmosphere cannot get better.