A life time of Ten Days!

Remember April three? It was just ten days ago, when everybody was gunning after the Indian cricketers, lambasting them for a meek surrender at the Ahmedabad greentop. http://atulsondhi.blogspot.com/2008/04/just-one-bad-day.html

Today, after a commendable show in the last two days when they fought against all odds – loss of toss, loss of Kumble, a very good start by the South Africans, and a very dismal start by their own openers – things have changed so much! In few minutes from now, they will be fighting a battle, which once seemed lost for all practical purposes. Just ten days, and four playing days was all it took to get them back to where they belong to – the very top.

If the visitors manage a reasonable batting score, South African can still win this match and the series. But if it is anybody’s game now, it is only thanks to some stupendous display by India. They would certainly have been out of the equation but for tremendous bowling by Harbhajan, Ishant and Chawla, and some gritty batting display by their middle order spearheaded by Sourav Ganguly.

In the process, India also showed the world that they can come back from any situation. They may not yet be the World's best team (they still need the winning consistency of South Africa and Australia), but for an average Indian fan who wants his team to fight till the very end without caring for result, they are a special bunch. Our sentimental number one.