It sucks!

After india’s heartbreaking collapse a day before, I was wondering what newspapers will have to say with so much time to reflect . Of course, as expected, there was no dearth of columns and stories on India’s abject surrender from a winning position. Former captain Sourav Ganguly advised that `the Indian bowlers will have to get better in the pressure-cooker matches’ and pointed out the obvious -- `the fielding was also a massive let down’. At the same time, Ganguly praised the cricket played in the series so far. `the game was a perfect exhinbition of One-day cricket at its best and hopefully it will put to rest the doubts over the format’s survival'. No one can agree more with him on this. Though it needs an India and an Australia to give this kind of cracker of a series. Remember 6-1 mauling of England which initially cast doubts over the survival of the format.

Ajay Naidu in ToI said the game was a `flashback to the 1990s when India’s run-chase would begin and end with Sachin Tendulkar’. Naidu writes ‘a champion team knows how to win. Rather they win by hook-and-crook. It is here that India are way behind the Australians’.

The pain of such a loss was partially numbed by Tendulkar’s brilliant knock, which Ponting described as a very calculated one. Srikkanth felt every cricketer should take a leaf out of tendulkar’s book (IE). Not every crickter Kris, but lower order will, for sure, need to take a leaf out of Tendulkar’s book. Twice in the series have there been last over heartbreaks for India. Contrast this with Ponting’s words for his wounded warriors. `things have not really been going our way, but we have still found ways to win’. That surely is the hall-mark of a champion team Mr Ponting. Indeed, the Australians’ will-power has found reflection in a bunch of inexperienced young cricketers turning into match winners. But for this mental toughness, they could well have been 1-4, or worse, 0-5 down in the current series. For India, it is time to pay back. The point is, can they cash in on this.