Suspense continues as India crumbles

Patience is a virtue, and in Test match cricket, it’s the most valuable asset when one jumps to capitalise on the opportunity that patience provides.

Australia proved the above. Even when it seemed that Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and Suresh Raina were about to ensure that India gains a healthy lead, the Aussies were patiently waiting like the hawks. They swooped on the opportunity just when Tendulkar faltered 2 runs short of 49th Test ton, decimating rest of the Indian batting within 51 more runs. From a position of domination at 354/5, the Indian innings dived to 405 all out in the last session of the third day.

Patience is a virtue, and in Test match cricket, it’s the most valuable asset when one jumps to capitalise on the opportunity that patience provides.

Australia proved the above. Even when it seemed that Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and Suresh Raina were about to ensure that India gains a healthy lead, the Aussies were patiently waiting like the hawks. They swooped on the opportunity just when Tendulkar faltered 2 runs short of 49th Test ton, decimating rest of the Indian batting within 51 more runs. From a position of domination at 354/5, the Indian innings dived to 405 all out in the last session of the third day.

A back problem of Laxman made matters worse for India; one can argue when India would learn to handle pressure, atleast at their own backyard.

Dravid and Sachin have this hypnotic ability to soothe the viewers with their technical brilliance and fortitudes. But human errors take pole positions in a game of cricket when minute lapses of concentration eventually lead to their downfall. Dravid and Sachin were victims of human errors. Raina was perhaps be a victim of restlessness – how long can one witness the walk-in and walk-outs of the colleagues from the other end! India could have been sitting on atleast 2 centuries by the end of the day – Sachin and Raina’s – if not of Dravid’s.

Test cricket, as the purists would know, is not slam-wham cricket. It’s a game played as much as in the mind as on the ground. India won the mental game on late second day, but Australia wrested the initiative on the third day last session. It’s this transfer of balance over 5 days that makes Test cricket a thrilling game.