We'll have to play against history in Brisbane

Yesterday’s game was disappointing not because of the result, but more so because of the way we played. We have always been proud of the way we execute our plans, particularly in big games, but that clearly was not the case yesterday.

The day did not start on an auspicious note for us. After Adam Gilchrist and I got out quickly, Michael Clarke too was back in the pavilion through a rough call. It was always going to be tough after being 30 for 3, but Matthew Hayden and Andrew Symonds did bat well to take us close to 250. More than the lack of partnerships, it has been the unhappy knack of losing two wickets in quick succession that has been costing us dear.

Yesterday, Hayden and Symonds got out one after another, thereby losing the momentum they had built up. Once that happened, 275, which would have been a respectable total on this pitch was not possible.

When we bowled, Sachin Tendulkar survived a few anxious moments against the new ball. There were a couple of inside edges, but on Sunday, they missed the stumps and went for runs. Once Tendulkar survived the new ball, he was a different player, and our decision to attack him allowed him to exploit the gaps in the field.

Once he batted through the power plays, we knew we were in for trouble. After all, you don’t get 42 tons if you don’t have the application to see your team through once you are in.

The role of Rohit Sharma, too, cannot be underestimated. We felt we were in with a sniff when we dismissed Yuvraj Singh. However, Rohit staved off our attempts with great maturity and was able to get a boundary whenever the asking rate showed signs of creeping up.

The disappointing part of yesterday’s game was that our bowling, which has been exceptional so far, was found wanting. There was a boundary ball in almost every over, and that again is something we try to avoid.

Clearly, we need to be aware of the game situation, and play according to the needs of the team. We have spoken about it in our team meeting, but it needs to be executed now.

Brisbane has one of the best One-Day wickets in Australia and it will be a welcome change from the pitches we have played on so far. It has been difficult for batsmen to trust the bounce on any of the wickets so far. This has led to the bowlers dominating proceedings right through this tournament. I hope the batsmen get an opportunity to show their wares at the Gabba tomorrow.

In the 26 best of three finals in Australia so far, 21 have ended in 2-0 score lines. Quite clearly we have to play against history tomorrow. We did come back from 0-1 to win a tri-series a couple of years ago, so perhaps we will have to look to that occasion to get inspired for tomorrow’s game.