Third Test preview

I have neither the energy nor the enthusiasm to preview the Third Test, because I think there is no point. We have been utterly, totally, comprehensively outplayed by a team that is better balanced, better focused, better prepared. I don't see how that will change. There is no point lamenting the absence of Sehwag and Zaheer. Those are outstanding players. But when England has missed someone, someone else has stepped in to take their place. No one has stepped in to take the place of our wounded, to "become a hero", in Dhoni's words.

This shows the paucity of talent on the bench. Sehwag might be irreplaceable; but what is clear is that, after 3 years, Ganguly and Kumble have proved irreplaceable too. We always knew that Harbhajan was no Kumble, but the way he let down the team in the first half of the series was, for a senior player, unconscionable. Kumble, even when not at his best, always gave 110%. Bhaj just seemed to be going through the motions. Similarly, after all this time, we still don't have an adequate replacement for Ganguly at 6. I think we should realize that Yuvraj is not a Test batsman - turning back to him at every conceivable opportunity has just hampered the development of a long term replacement who could hold the position. And Raina, who had a golden opportunity to cement his place, blew it at Trent Bridge. He has serious technical shortcomings, the question always was whether the temperament was strong enough to overcome them. The way he got out in the second innings, done in, predictably, by a bouncer that he handled terribly, suggests that the questions are going to keep hanging. Badrinath, who has the technique to play Tests, and who started his career with a 50 against Steyn and Morkel, has effectively been thrown to the dogs without being given a second chance, at the altar of Yuvraj and Raina being tried again and again and again.

In the long term, I think we need to realize that Virat Kohli has better potential to be the no. 6 that we want than either Raina or Yuvraj. (I have given up hope that Badri will ever be given a fair deal, and sooner or later he will give up hope too and stop motivating himself to perform at the domestic level). It is time to turn to Kohli properly, give him the chance to fail a bit and to establish himself. But I don't see him walking into the team tomorrow. The least we should do, though, is play Mukund ahead of Raina.

Mukund too has technical shortcomings, but temperamentally, he already seems, at 21, to be far stronger than Raina. And his 100 against Northants should stand him in good stead. Most importantly, he provides flexibility to the batting line-up. This is because, all said and done, Sehwag is human, and Gambhir is rusty, so we cannot expect miracles from them. Having Mukund in the side gives us a number of options. He could slot in at 6, where he would be able to tackle the second new ball, which has been a nemesis for us so far. Or, he could bat at 3, as he did at Northants, and allow Dravid and Laxman to bat at 5 and 6. This will add depth to the batting, which otherwise looks ready to shut shop the minute the 4th wicket falls. Raina, even if survives long enough, cannot shepherd the tail, whereas Dravid and Laxman are masters at doing so. Or, especially if India bats first, he could front up with Gambhir and allow Viru to bat at 6. This will take some pressure off Viru, and of course that too will mean we have an opener around for the second new ball, and will also mean greater depth. Raina doesn't offer any of this flexibility, but he is the captain's pet, so may still get the nod.

Nonetheless, while we can lament the injuries all we want, ultimately we are losing because those who are in the side are not doing the job. Gambhir, Tendulkar and Laxman have been key to India's fortunes in recent years, and none of them has gotten going. Gambhir is clearly out of touch after his lay-off; Tendulkar looks less than match-ready after his break; and Laxman, as he has always done against England, has flattered to deceive. Nothing happened in Northants to change that: Sachin decided to take the game off in spite of clearly needing more time in the middle; Gambhir continued to look rusty; and Laxman flattered again to deceive. Dhoni looks completely jaded, and the less said about Harbhajan the better. The fast bowlers have bowled their hearts out, but there is only so much they can do against a line-up of England's depth and quality, especially without adequate spin bowling support. For England, only Cook and Swann are yet to get going, but they are such quality players that they are bound to cash in at the till sooner or later.

Enjoy this week, folks, because after this, we're not going to be world no. 1 any longer.