Hyderabad Blues

By John Cheeran
Let's accept defeat.
After all it was an honourable defeat.
South Africa's 'brave cricket' gave a shock and awe treatment to Indian batsmen at Hyderabad. On the day, visitors played better cricket and have extended their unbeaten one-day international record to 20 games.
Can India break South African's invincible aura now? We will get the answer soon as remaining four day-nighters wait to rush past us.
India almost had a brush with glory in Hyderabad.
After tottering at 35 for five in 11.1 overs, setting the No.2 one-day squad 250 runs as winning target illustrates this side's fighting qualities. From there --35 for five -- winning would have been delicious. I would have traded rest of the four matches to South Africa for a win at Hyderabad. For Hyderabad was more than a match.
Winning there would have meant coming back from the dead, a trick Team India still not mastered.
Look at these factors. India lost a toss which they should have won while playing against a very strong fast bowling attack. They had worthy rivals this time. Rivals who represent an entirely differernt culture from that of India.
In attire and attitude India and Sri Lanka are not poles apart; shades of blue run through them. Not Graeme Smith's men in green. This has been truly the point of departure. Their bellicose approach to all aspects of the game does not augur well for India. Despite the big margin of defeat -- five wickets-- India's spirit should remain buoyant.
As skipper Rahul Dravid pointed out, it is heartening that India managed to stretch the match into the 99th over. On a day when Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Virender Sehwag, Mohammad Kaif and Gautam Gambhir failed to reach double digits, India posted a decent total; though not a safe one.
But let's be honest. 249 for nine in 50 overs is much better than 125 all out in 25 overs. Yuvraj Singh played a tantalising innings; taking his chances and repaying Rahul Dravid for sticking with him during the Sri Lankan series.
An innings such as Yuvraj played under pressure holds greater meaning for India's future battles. Not often do ODIs throw up such golden opportunities for a batsman to reveal his mettle. Yuvraj did grab his chance, and Lion of Punjab will hopefully roar for India again.
Irfan Pathan had a forgettable day as a bowler but batting alone should seal his place in the side.
The grit and gumption showed by Pathan and Harbhajan Singh at the batting crease should keep India's hopes and spirit alive for the rest of the series.
There is no excuse for top order's failure in the first ten overs, though context mattered in this contest. What mattered in the end was batting failure. Indian batsmen's lack of ability to negotiate the disciplined and aggressive fast bowling, backed up by athletic and alert fielding has had tragic results in the past.
Yuvraj made amends for his predecessors' sins. But the Morning Mayhem had forced team management to use Gautam Gambhir as Super Sub, which left India with just four regulars as bowlers. Now, that was a gamble Dravid and Greg Chappell had to make; it backfired on two counts. Gambhir himself failed with bat and the move deprived India the services of left-arm spinner Murali Kartik.
But, then, you shouldn't expect all experiments to succeed.