Before the start of India's tour of Australia, the buzz and pundits' views suggested this was the best chance for the visitors to clinch the four-match Test series against the apparently struggling Australians on their soil. But after the Melbourne and Sydney Tests, the script has gone awry. It is India who find themselves buried 2-0, down and under.
Some hard introspection lies ahead for MS Dhoni and Co. ahead of the third Test in Perth. If a fightback is to be mounted, the skipper and his men have to raise their game which has been off colour in whites for quite some time now (barring the recent home win over West Indies), a far cry from their dominant showings when donning blue. Continue reading below
In Sydney, India failed to make an impact in all the departments and took a pounding inside four days, as was the case in Melbourne. In the second innings at the SCG, the Indian batsmen showed some spine, but did not display the hunger for a big score, which Aussie skipper Michael Clarke and the supposedly embattled Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey displayed in ample measure.
However, India can build on some positives. Struggling opener Gautam Gambhir (83) fought hard to bat himself back into form, Sachin Tendulkar played with refreshing freedom and VVS Laxman (66), the man who has been a bugbear for the Aussies for long, finally seemed to find his silken range.
The bowling was pedestrian, apart from Zaheer Khan, who India will hope remains injury free. His support cast had a forgettable Test. The Australian bowlers, on the other hand, kept things simple - pitched it up and dismissed India twice. Peter Siddle and James Pattinson hit the deck and Ben Hilfenhaus swung the cherry at pace.
Riding on a century in a practice match ahead of the first Test, Virat Kohli had booked a berth in the playing XI. But he did not stand up to be counted and let his finger do the talking instead. Rohit Sharma, warming the benches so far, must feel he is in for a debut at Perth.
He has done enough in the recent past to be blooded, even if it means he has to find his feet on what is touted to be the bounciest track in Australia. Similarly, left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha would be hoping for a chance, especially because offspinner R Ashwin is not setting the bowling charts on fire. The Australians were able to read Ashwin with ease. However, his handy performances with the bat down the order have held him in good stead.
Moreover, Ojha will be hoping the traditional Australian struggle against left-arm spinners comes up for discussion when the team for Perth is chosen. Both Ojha and Ashwin were successful against West Indies at home, picking wickets in tandem as spin twins. Now could be the time to drive a competitive wedge between the twins.
Now that two Tests are over and things can't be undone, but some bold decisions from the Indian think tank might change fortunes for Team India in Perth.
