Wonder Of Wonders

Nobody knows it better than the top five Indian batsmen that they have letdown their side badly. Not everyday you come to South Africa and sit on a 1-0advantage. You expect seniors to be more conscious about this rare opportunitybut if they indeed were, I did not notice it. South Africa could now beunstoppable.

It never ceases to amaze me that this Indian team has some of the mosttalented and possibly a few of the greatest ever seen in their ranks yet whenit's time to bat out the last day, they are found wanting. In recent years, ithas happened too often: be it in Bangalore against Pakistan in 2005 or againstEngland in Mumbai, and now in Durban this year, the Indian top order has not come toparty.

It has been most disappointing for me that they do not put a high price ontheir wickets.

A few changes are inevitable and I would be shocked if Gautam Gambhir is notgiven his opportunity in the final Test. To me it appears that Virender Sehwagdoesn't take a lot of responsibility. His first innings shot was an absoluteshocker and though he got a good ball in the second knock, he is proving to beinadequate.

The management would surely now show more guts in putting Sehwag on thebench. It would also serve as a message to other senior players that such a fatecould also befall them. I do not think it would still come to a stage whenSachin Tendulkar is not picked but the great man, one of my most favouritebatsman, has not pulled his weight in the series yet.

There is so much which South African cricket fans want to cherish and applaudin him but he has not given them the opportunity. Knowing how Time Father works,it could be the last visit to these shores by the great charmer and I hope herises to the occasion in Cape Town.

I guess Rahul Dravid could sit in his room and watch endless replays of histwo dismissals and yet, still feel sorry for himself.

VVS Laxman has borne the brunt of the South African attack in this series andthus might have wanted to get to the other end when on 49 in the first innings.That it exposed the last man VRV Singh to an almost full over could be termed asbad cricket by a few of us.

Wasim Jaffer failed to build on his early start in both the innings and themanner of his dismissal in the second left a bad taste in mouth.

That being so, I must say that the overcast conditions when the Indians batted inthe two innings played a massive role in their debacle. Yet getting out is onething and failing to apply oneself is quite another.

The Indians were of the latter as they would readily admit. It was inevitablethat Durban would once again throw up silly weather since as long as I canremember, enormous time has been lost due to intervention from the above.

I don't think changing its Boxing Day status is an answer but it wasfrustrating to see it happening all over again. The umpires had a difficult timewith lights in this Test and it must have been a heavy drain on their mental andphysical resources.

The ICC should also look at the issue of allowing floodlights to operateduring a Test match as it does not work basically for batsmen. The red balllooks dirty under the lights and it's hard on the batters.

Coming to Cape Town, I guess the South Africans would now be more assured againstthe visitors and wouldn't look for any dramatic measures now that they havedrawn level. They have been let out of jail and now the Indians could end uppaying a huge price.

PTI