India have a chance if openers deliver the goods

However, even Australia can’t do much about the uncertainties of the game. The one-dayer in Chandigarh, which India won by just eight runs, remains a classic example of what the game can offer.

India won the toss in Chandigarh and a decent start by Sourav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar—despite the fact that the latter struggled initially—showed the way. Later, a couple of batsmen in the middle-order got into the 30s and then a late burst by skipper MS Dhoni ensured that India reached 291. The rest was up to the bowlers and they did their bit.

In Vadodara, it was exactly the contrary. India won the toss again and elected to bat but the openers failed to hang on. A freak run-out immediately put pressure on the middle-order and towards the end of the innings, there weren’t many wickets left to depend on.

While Ponting’s men are oozing confidence and India are searching for answers on all fronts, there is no reason why a Vadodara-like situation cannot be avoided or why a Chandigarh-like victory cannot be repeated.

For India to help themselves change their fortunes and keep this series alive, they’ll have to pick themselves up from all corners where the Aussies have grinded them to dust. Should Dhoni win the toss again, he’s bound to bat first like on previous occasions, and this time the top-order will have to make sure that they do not flinch. Zaheer Khan admitted on the eve of the match that the “toss will remain a crucial factor the way it always is in sub-continent conditions.”

For the bowlers to stop the rampaging Aussie batsmen—the likes of Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist—they’ll need a substantial score to defend. Zaheer says that “the team is confident a turnaround can be managed” but seeing this through will definitely be a painstaking effort.

Even as Tendulkar has so obviously struggled, he has also helped the team’s cause by managing to stay at the crease against Brett Lee and Mitchell Johnson. His scores of 79 in Chandigarh and 41 in Vadodara were slow starts that never made him look comfortable. But the fact that he remained India’s highest scorer under such circumstances should provide Dhoni with a few answers. At the other end, Ganguly has kept his composure and except for that run-out, had looked comfortable enough.

If there’s a reason for India to worry, it is the current form of Rahul Dravid. Dravid has faced just 67 deliveries in the four matches so far and scored 44 runs and it is time for him to get over the bad patch.

Ricky Ponting, for his part, is definitely happy that the Bangalore stalwart hasn’t got his feet moving yet. “He is a class batsman and such players only need an innings to get back,” said the Australia skipper.

Only if the top-order manage another Chandigarh-like effort or better can Team India think of waging a war in Nagpur. If not, it’ll be the same old story again.