Another defeat from a winning position; the reversal against Australia on Friday is bound to rile Team India for a long time. Losing games from a position of strength is nothing new to Indian cricket but this defeat was difficult to digest after the bowlers had turned in yet another impressive performance.

The top-order failing for the third time in a row is not happy news especially in the World Cup season. Let the constant shuffling of batsmen up and down the order stop right now to help the the players understand their roles clearly.

There can be no excuses for the manner in which the top guns surrendered. The famed batting order failed to get going when the pitch and conditions presented the bowlers an equal footing. The target was not beyond reach by any stretch of imagination. Low targets always play demons on the batsmen’s mind and Friday was another classic example.

With the asking rate always under manageable proportions all that the Indians had to do was to play out the overs which they failed to do and had to pay the price. Shot selection was pathetic to say the least but the gritty show by Dinesh Mongia was the silver lining in a forgettable encounter.

Mongia of all players showed a sage calm in the middle. With his very existence in the team questioned by all sections of the media and public, I can understand what the player would have gone through. Playing him in the XI in a needle game was not the wisest of moves but full marks to the Punjab southpaw to have come back unscathed in a high pressure game. I was one of the hardest critics on his selection but he proved me wrong by playing an ice-cool innings. Dhoni played a reckless shot when the Kangaroos were on the mat and the situation warranted percentage cricket from that point to guide the team home.

Suresh Raina showed a lot of heart for the battle but fell at the wrong time and Agarkar once again flattered to deceive with the bat. But no point in blaming the lower order, one among the top four should have taken the onus to see off the manageable target.

All is, however, not lost; the bowlers giving a good account of themselves was the biggest gain. Harbhajan Singh used the conditions to his fullest advantage. The Sardar seems to have rediscovered himself in these spin-friendly conditions. Not afraid to give the ball air he got his wickets by defeating the intentions of the batsmen in the air and kept the pressure on by bowling a impeccable length.

The medium pacers shone brightly after the pounding they received in the first game. Munaf Patel seems to have understood the demands of over-specific cricket well and Agarkar too hit the straps accurately. Pathan’s continued failure with the ball is a cause for worry but I hope the youngster will work things out quickly.

Raina’s agility has added muscle to the side in the field and the Indian fielding in general was good throughout the tournament. A lot of hard lessons came out of this tri-series and I hope Chappell and Co iron out the flaws well ahead of the World Cup.

The bowlers are bound to go for runs in future when cricket returns to benign tracks but the instant format is primarily a batsman’s game and sooner they find their touch the better.

Full marks to the Aussie bulldog spirit and that inspired spell from Brett Lee. The final could be a close battle between an Aussie attack that is coming back to form and the Calypso batsmen who are showing the right signs to take their side back to their glory days.

(www.krishcricket.com)