by Sehwag: C+
Played recklessly, except for two sessions in T2. Cannot curb poking
outside the off without moving his feet, and was the catalyst for the 4th
day gentle spiral with an ***ly irresponsible shot. Did ok with the
ball in a brief spell.
Chopra: A-
Did everything that was expected of a newcomer. Hard to say if he is
the future at that spot, but certainly did not mess it up. Gave India the
solid starts they needed, and generally delivered a consistent series,
helping save it.
Exceptional close-in fielder, and a grafter. Deserves a run through the
entire next series. Played with a straight bat, handled the short stuff
pretty well, and was not overwhelmed by the situation. Provided the right
foundation for the m.o. everytime he batted. Definite positive of the
series along with Laxman.
Dravid: B+ (combined grade)
Superb in Test 1, thoroughly disappointing in the 2nd, not effective
with his captaincy. Did little wrong, but did little right. Basically let
down by his bowlers, and poor fielding, but has to bear some of the blame
for that.
Tendulkar: C-
His dismissal started the collapse in T2, and has struggled quite a bit.
As the premier batsman of his side, a lot more is expected, especially when
pitches were conducive to batting for a large part in the matches. Had his
chance in T2I2 but failed. Good utility bowler, could help out with the 5th
bowler option. For those keeping track, he now has still only one series
below 25 :-)
Ganguly: B+ (combined grade)
Good supporting knock in the first test, with well-paced spurts. Handled
his resources well till the fifth day, where he could have pressed harder
for the advantage, and instead went defensive for some stretches. Again,
largely a victim of his bowlers' ineptitude, but has to share some of the
blame. India missed his services in the second test. Both as a captain,
and as a batsman.
Laxman: A+
Class, sheer class. Did everything one could have hoped for from him.
Batted fast when he had to, grafted and hunkered down when he had to. Great
knock in T2, and valuable knocks in T1. Top class batting, simply did not
fail. Good to see him back in the ODI side as well.
Patel: C-
Very good in the first test, and batted well under easy conditions.
Horrid in the second test, seemed to compound errors geometrically. Marks
the beginning of a long tail. But, he is in the side, and this is what
India is stuck with for the next 10 tests or so, at least. If you want raw
youth, someone's gotta pay the piper.
Harbhajan: D
Just bad. Bowled too much on the legs, and did little of note
whatsoever. Quite possibly the worst spinner in the series from both sides.
Extremely disappointing, and a big worry for the Aussie tour.
Kumble: C
No krumblers for Kumble, but he was the best of the bowlers for India.
Tried hard, got a few to grip and bite, and was penetrating on occasion.
Could be useful as a stock bowler in a test or two, and as a strike bowler
in Sydney.
Zaheer Khan: D+
One good spell, and that was it. Generally poor line, poor length, and
showed the dearth of pace options in the Indian side. The wickets were
unfriendly, but Zaheer is in for a horrid trip down under. Did not even
bowl with pace in the second test, and was depressingly unimpressive.
Balaji: D-
A game trier with a lot of heart, some accuracy, but nothing that would
scare a batsman on flat pitches. He bowled about 1 good delivery every 3 or
4 overs in the first test, and improved to 1 every 2 overs in the 2nd. Also
bowled with pace - he was faster than Zaheer in the second test. Has a
injury-prone follow-through, and a run up that takes him wide of the crease
on delivery. (Or what Gussie said more eloquently) Was a substitute for
Nehra, and should promptly yield that spot.
Unfortunate that he did not get a chance on a friendlier wicket for a proper
evaluation, should be tried for a couple more tests on friendlier wickets.
Yuvraj: D-
Lucky to have made it, but did not capitalize on his chances. Good in
the field, but poor technique with the bat. Will have to show tremendous
grit to compensate for that. Did ok surviving in the second knock, but was
not under any real pressure.
Final thoughts:
- A bit of a disappointment in not winning at least one, but props to the
Kiwis who came out it with even honors, and not just m***victories. Great
show by my continuing nightmare: Tuffey. And I don't care how he did
elsewhere, after seeing him in NZ, and in this match, he has to be seen as a
vastly underrated bowler. With Bond and Butler, the Kiwis have some real
options, even if Cairns is done. And Vettori can't hurt them at all.
- For India, some ray of hope at one of the opening spots, and the bowling
has raised more questions than when they entered the series. Nehra will
help, but they need a lot more. Patel's disaster was a one-off, but his
batting is still a concern. SRT will be ok, don't worry about him.
- DON'T HAVE TO SEE TUFFEY AGAINST INDIA FOR FOUR YEARS! YIPPEE-KA-YA-YE!
--
Shripathi Kamath
Chances to win one in Australia? Slim and none.
And Slim just left town.