England's stunning win exposes India's 'dad's Army'

England who reigned the cricket world as champions not so long ago, until South Africa knocked them off that pedestal, pocketed one of their most memorable victories when thy thrashed the Indians by 10 wickets on Monday. When England lost the First Test, it looked as though fortunes will change with India who were bashed 4-nil in England returning the compliment by heaping agony on the English by winning like England did. But England with this stunning victory in the Second Test, have not only dashed the hopes India had of avenging their 4-nil defeat, but also hit hard at the Indian selectors showing them that it is time that they introduced young blood into this ageing India team.

First on the firing line is Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar. He has failed miserably in this Test too and his stay in the team as one nearing 40 is in question. The selectors would be wanting to drop him, but will not have the guts to attempt it.

Would not dare

Even the Indian TV and Radio commentators and the scribes would dare not mention or attempt it fearing reprisals. They will mention that he is slow, being bowled shows that his reflexes are failing, his feet are not moving etc. But will shy away from saying it is time he goes. But Tendulkar must be told what the former debonair Pakistan Captain and all rounder and the one who helped Pakistan win the World Cup Imran Khan said when he retired. Khan said when asked: 'I am going when everyone is asking why and why not'. That was sound and admirable thinking.

Tendulkar has done wonders in the game and is already a legend. As a batsman he has no equal. Even the late great Australian batting sensation Sir Donald Bradman acknowledged this. So it is time that Tendulkar made a call on his future, declare victory and bow out gracefully. A scorer of 100 centuries in all forms of the game and the first to blast a double hundred in Limited over cricket, maybe Tendulkar would be liking to play in the remaining Two Test matches and then decide. It would be interesting to watch how he will go.

Stars in England's victory

Those who starred in England's victory were skipper Alastair Cook, Kevin Pietersen with centuries, and spinners Monty Panesar and Graeme Swann. The man England did not want Pietersen showed that he is indispensible by hammering 186 and Panesar had a match bag of 11 for 210. Panesar was surprisingly left out of the First Test. With questions being asked about his exclusion, the English selectors realizing their folly pitched him into the team for the Second Test. And Panesar obliged in style. England's spinners Panesar and Swann making good use of the assistance in the wicket put to second best the famed Indian spin threesome of Harbhajan Singh, Ravichandran Ashwin and Pragayan Ojha. Now that England have proved their critics wrong by winning in Asia and levelling the series 1-all with two more Tests to go, must not be complacent and push for winning a Test series in India which will be great.

South Africans defend to death

The World's best Test cricket team South Africa defended to death their unbeaten run as they defiantly held the Australians to draw in the Second of Three Tests at the Adelaide Oval on Tuesday. Set a massive 430 to win or sink in two days, the world champs seemed to be sliding to defeat when they lost 4 for 77. It is said that when a game cannot be won, then every endeavour must be made not to lose it. And that act was performed with a nicety by the South Africans led firstly by debutant Faf Du Plessis and Abraham de Villiers and later Du Plessis with the injured Jacques Kallis.

They played unwaveringly to stall the Aussie push and take them to a respectable draw. Du Plessis showed immense concentration, discipline and determination, batting for a near two days and gave the two experienced Protea batsmen de Villiers and Kallis the inspiration and courage to stand tall and scuttle the rampaging Aussies. This is a great lesson that Sri Lanka should take to heart.

It was no easy task to draw a game by fighting it out for two days. But they defended their unbeaten fortress jealously. The wicket surprisingly did not crumble on the last two days, like most wickets do and it made life easy for the Protea batsmen. The Australian captain handled his bowlers well. He gave them attacking fields with fielders breathing down on the Protea batsmen. Fielders were positioned to grab the half chances. But Du Plessis, De Villiers and Kallis played straight. They did not offer an edge and when Kallis finally did get out to a bad pad catch the game was good as saved. Du Plessis the savior was playing because of the injury suffered by Jean-Paul Dumminy. Both teams missed good players due to injury. Australia missed their speed man Jmes Pattinson and Ben Hilfenhaus and Peter Siddle had to carry the fast bowling job on their shoulders and they responded well.

Jacques Kallis injured

South Africa too had their problems. Jacques Kalllis, although he carried on gamely, was suffering from a hamstring injury and indications are that he will be out of the final Test in Perth, thus depriving South Africa of his all round ability. The South Africans can take heart, courage and confidence to the final Test in Perth and play the way we know they can and prove that their champion tag was no flash in the pan. Although Graeme Smith's squad did well to dump England who were Test champions and then put the championship crown on their heads, it was in the pre apartheid era that they had some brilliant cricketers. Not that this side is lacking in classy cricketers, but they are nowhere near the batting, bowling and fielding magicians such as the Pollock brothers - Graeme and Peter, Eddie Barlow, Mike Procter, Barry Richards and Colin Bland, names that come to mind.

Inhuman apartheid

Pity that they were lost to the world because of the inhuman apartheid policies practised at that time. They had to show their prowess in the game by offering filthy lucre and inviting rebel teams to South Africa. Sri Lanka was one of the rebel teams that toured SA at that time.

When they shed their inhuman behavior and were finally accepted back by the International Cricket Council after the playing days of the above mentioned marvels were long over. Sad. But now the South Africans have shed that 'man's inhumanity to man' attitude and have rightfully taken their place among the cricketing elite and have come a long way as their tag as world cricket champions prove. As for Australia, they had their chances. It was their poor fielding, especially the catching behind by wicket keeper Matthew Wade that stalled them from going one-up in the Three Test series.

Wade is certainly not up to the standard of their former wicket keeping greats such as Wally Grout, Rodney Marsh, Ian Healy and Adam Gilchrist. Wade, when he made his debut in big time, showed glimpses of being another dasher like Gilchrist. But sadly he has not moved on from there. Perhaps the Aussie selectors may toy with the idea of recalling Brad Haddin who they dumped for the younger Wade. It is said that it is difficult to get in to the Aussie team. And once there, it is doubly difficult to get out of it. And if that belief still holds water, then the Aussie selectors will persist with Wade.

Marsh was called 'iron gloves'

And if that happens, then he could take heart from the fact that when Rodney Marsh first made his debut his catching was so poor, dropping vital catches that scribes tagged him 'iron gloves'. But the Aussie selectors persisted with him and the wicket-keeping and batting records that he subsequently established as his career began to unwind is history.

One hopes that will be the case with Wade too. The final Test in Perth, which wicket is a speed bowler's dream is bound to be bitterly contested with South Africa having to only look for a draw to keep their top spot and Australia needing to win to have any chance of reclaiming glory.

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