All is fair in love and war

Finally an Indian win! Believe you me, i savoured each and every minute of it. I know its a dead rubber that we've won but a test match win against Australia is something to be celebrated at any time. This is just the morale booster India needed before the Proteas arrive for the 2 test series.

The pitch was definitely not upto test standard but to be totally honest I would prefer this pitch any day to the one given at Nagpur. I once again would like to stress upon the fact that at home, it is the needs of the home team which should be catered too first and foremost. Australia have no right to crib about the pitch,especially since they were given a green top which suited them perfectly in Nagpur.Credit must be given to India for the fantastic manner in which they fought back after being bowled out for 104 in their first innings. The spin twins,Harbhajan and Kumble bowled very well indeed, but Murali Kartik's performance was extremely inspiring. India now have 3 world class spinners,you might say its too early to judge Kartik but sometimes just a performance is proof enough,just as Clarke's innings in Bangalore was proof of his potential and class. The rainbow nation, depleted already due to Gibbs and Boje pulling out of the Indian tour will have problems aplenty. South Africa don't have much depth in their bowling, and I will be very surprised if India don't provide them with rank turners.

Anyways back to India's win, a word on the performances of Sachin and VVS. Genius does what genius must- their 91 run partnership on an ''almost impossible to bat on'' was a match winning one. Both of them were under pressure, Sachin cause of the high expectations (whats new?) and VVS under pressure to deliver or be sent back to play Ranji cricket. I remember Sachin playing a similar innings in the 1996 tour of the West Indies when he made 44 on a mine field of a track. Here too, he assessed the situation perfectly and knew that postive cricket was India's only way to get back at the Aussies.

Ricky Ponting and company were then bowled out for 93, a miserable effort,whatever the state of the game, pitch,match or series and the arguement that Australia had lost steam cause of the series win doesn't hold a place in my book. The Aussies told anyone who was ready to listen before the game that 3-0 was their goal. Well the Indians under Dravid proved a point to the Aussies,albeit a bit too late in the series.