India Pray For Melbourne Miracle

Then on Monday, when for the briefest, pulsating flicker of an instant hope reared its head, they fell apart again, going from 5-253 to 286 all out. Batting won us Adelaide but will lose us Melbourne.

It was a good thing Dravid was fronting the press because, of all men, there was nothing you could say to him. Roget’s thesaurus is languishing in the dustbin for when it comes to synonyms for application and grit, on this tour at least he has already exhausted them all.

The finest confirmation of his virtuosity, though one he will take little pleasure from, is that both innings collapses have coincided with his dismissal. When he takes his batting calm and leaves the field, all manner of storms have raged.

But even as defeat looms, Dravid’s words about people expecting India to fold only to be confronted by a team fighting back did not sound trite. Tenacity was on display even yesterday, and much of it was the captain’s.

Struck in the first innings by Brett Lee with such force the impact cracked his helmet, Ganguly did not leave the field then despite discomfort, reluctant as he was to give the bowler any added confidence. Yesterday, a second collision of leather and skull forced his exit, but he emerged at Sachin Tendulkar’s fall for 44, and played with defiant grace, one effortless pull for four off Lee reminding us that batting can occasionally pass off as ballet.

Ganguly, 73, played the eager gladiator (though possibly too intent on proving a point), Dravid played chess and killed time but, once their 93-run partnership was done, only the perky Patel (27) provided resistance. While India’s 286 was scarcely adequate — ‘‘maybe 100 short’’ said Dravid — Indian teams in the past may well have crumpled for much less and, at least in Sydney, Australia will be aware the contest will continue.