Sachin Still The Best

Sachin Tendulkar is a bit down in the dumps, but he is good enough, is not anold man and has not lost his ability.

When I think of Tendulkar, I think of the age-old adage: Form is temporaryand class is permanent. He technically does not seem to be doing anything wrong.He is just finding different ways to get out. He has been playing a loose shotand nicking it; it is not as if he is playing and missing, which is the sign ofan out-of-form player.

It is amazing how people who are in good form tend to miss out on really gooddeliveries. It is a subtle difference.

Every cricketer goes through such patches. If a coach can tell how to getover such a poor run of scores, he would be a much sought-after one. These areundefined areas. This is mentality, psychology and he is a bit down in thedumps. When I see him emerging from the pavilion, he does look low onconfidence. The contrast is obvious with Rahul Dravid, who strides outconfidently, for he is in good form and has runs under his belt.

India was failed by its tail in the Melbourne Test. Being 280 for one, theyhad a chance to close out the match and series. Then this flaw in their line-upmanifested itself.

Ajit Agarkar is a real bunny as far as the Australians are concerned eventhough among the Indians he enjoys a better reputation. He has been a stand-outbowler for the Indians but he needs to lift his batting. Anil Kumble is anotherwho could do better.

It is a big ask to depend upon an 18-year-old to carry the lower half of thebatting but as it looks to me, Parthiv Patel in time would emerge into a goodcricketer. He can only improve and would take better care of the Indian tail infuture.

India's tail must count if it is competing against the best sides of theworld. It was the difference between the two teams in Melbourne.

India has also not been able to restrict the opposition either so there is aworry in bowling. You do not expect to concede 500 runs and win matches. Butoverall they have competed well.

VVS Laxman suffered two failures in the Test and I thought he had gone intohis shell a little at the crease. He is naturally a free-flowing batsman and hedoes not have to bat like Dravid. This is what I could make of his approach. Hehas to back his ability and the process which got him so many runs in the firsttwo Tests. If I was the Indian coach, I would be telling him to play his naturalgame rather than look to drop anchor.

Virender Sehwag is a swashbuckling cricketer but he had soft dismissals inboth the innings. He holed out a full toss in the first innings and then flickedthat catch to midwicket in the second. I am sure he too would be disappointed.Quality players should avoid soft dismissals regardless of how many runs theyhave got. Sehwag is a sort of player who appears casual. With such players yougot to take the good with the bad.

India needs to avoid soft dismissals. A top team must not give in that inchwhich turns a sluice into floodgates.

India badly missed Zaheer Khan. Players coming through muscle injury need tobe absolutely sure before declaring themselves fit. If there is even slightrecovery to be made, the player should not risk it. He cleared the fitness testand all but doing it in the nets and doing it in the Test match are differentthings. When it comes to crunch situation and you are required for that extraeffort, that little ignored recovery would cost badly. India risked him in theMelbourne Test; they will now miss him for the series.

Brett Lee was not his usual self and clearly he has some way to go to reachhis peak form. He was not hitting his usual speed regularly and also went forruns. He is an aggressive fast bowler and wants his every delivery to yield awicket.

India has to make careful choices in Sydney rather than go by its spinreputation. It is one of those drop-in pitches these days where there is a lotof grass cover. It would become slow and offer slow turn.

As I said before, India needs to go with its four best bowlers. Kumble needsto tighten up his bowling a little. It would be choice between Murali Kartik anda medium-pacer.

I am always fascinated by the tussle of a left-arm spinner coming over thewicket and bowling to left-handers in the rough. I have not seen him, but,apparently, he is a good bowler.

I am also a little surprised Ganguly has not used himself often or, for thatmatter, Tendulkar and Sehwag. He must look to maximize his resources.

PTI