Question Time

The Indian slip-ups in the third and deciding Test against South Africa wereso glaring that some explanations being sought are in fitness of things.

Harbhajan Singh, never mind if he was bowling bad or trash, should have beenplayed in this game. He has been a class performer for India and preferringMunaf Patel ahead of him in this game, given how it transpired for the lankyfast bowler, was certainly a wrong choice.

Patel to my mind was not fit for this game, never mind if he ever was in theseries. Looking at the way he went about his business, it surely appeared awrong choice. It told on India's bowling in this game.

The Indians can still hold their heads high as they leave for home. Afterbeing smashed in the one-day series it was one heck of a statement to win thefirst Test and even in this last game, they did the front-running all the time.

A look at Rahul Dravid's face when the winning run was scored showed how muchit hurt. The expression in a strange way reflected the belief that has begun totake roots in this extremely watchable team.

The situation was compounded by the manner in which Anil Kumble bowled in thesecond innings. It was a kind of wicket where you expect Kumble to finish with afour-for haul at least and not the solitary wicket that came his way.

He is a performer who knows his stage and today was certainly right up hisstreet. But strangely he was listless and India never got the thrust which itexpected to emerge from its premier bowler's flanks.

Much of the ground for the visitors though was lost on the fourth afternoonwhen a terrible start of six for two had been repaired by the Ganguly-Dravid duoand South Africa had begun to feel the wall on its back.

But suddenly the innings stagnated and a defensive mindset allowed the hoststo squeeze the life out of Indian batting in the second knock. It was a kind ofstretch where Test matches are won and lost.

Indian batting, to my mind, was the reason they finished on the runner-up'spodium. They asked all the right questions with the ball and were extremelycompetitive throughout the series but the batting never really came together asa unit. Some knocks had the promise and Wasim Jaffer hit a hundred but really asa batting group, the Indians were found wanting. I guess the seniors ought toown up blame for the same.

Sachin Tendulkar, a magnificent player, never really fired but then one manreally cannot run the show. To me the biggest disappointment was Virender Sehwagwho appeared to have an attitude to hit a few boundaries but never theapplication to give his side a solid contribution with the bat.

I have rarely seen a man as talented as Sehwag behave as poorly as he did inthis series. His strokes in both the innings in the final Test was a hugelet-down for his team. In the first, he swept against the spin of a left-armspinner bowling in the rough and in the second he chased a hugely wide deliverywith the innings only a few balls old.

India would be happy though with the return to form of old warhorses such asZaheer Khan and Sourav Ganguly. Both finished strongly which was a reflection ontheir appetite as well as their resourcefulness.

Zaheer finished with four wickets in the last innings of the series and itwas a great testimony to his fitness and single-mindedness. Ganguly showed norustiness from his absence in international field for nine months and for him,it simply was a case of putting mind over matter.

I also cannot help but mention Dinesh Kaarthick as the surprise package ofthis Test. He appeared a very confident young man and he played and kept as wellas Mahendra Singh Dhoni could have done. His two innings from this Test portrayshim as a player who can mix with the best and who is not scared at all. Heappears to be a young man who can be a face of the future for this Indian team.

PTI