India wrap it up before drinks

At Kotla, it happened just after lunch. At Motera today, victory came soon after breakfast. While Sri Lanka may take some time to digest the...

At Kotla, it happened just after lunch. At Motera today, victory came soon after breakfast. While Sri Lanka may take some time to digest their comprehensive defeat on this tour, it allows India to appreciate what they have done, and chew on the adjustments needed for their next big assignment three weeks hence.

Part of the story of this amazing Test series lies in the figures: The First Test was won by 188 runs, the second by 256 runs. Before that, the six ODIs were won by 152 runs Nagpur, then 5, 4, 7, 6 and 8 wickets.

Yet the figures don8217;t show how much graft India had to put in before recording those wins. There were several sessions lost, several dire situations, but each time India came back. It was, as Tom Moody put it, due to their revived killer instinct, a quality missing for the past year or so.

Moody insisted that the series was quite close but said the Indians took advantage of the 8216;8216;slightest opportunity8217;8217; they got. 8216;8216;We had them on the ropes in both Tests we lost but somehow they found ways to bounce back.8217;8217;

On the ropes India certainly were 8212; 97/5 in the first innings at Motera, 100/5 in the second 8212; but their recovery was helped by some responsible, heads-down cricket by the juniors.

Yuvraj Singh, for example, shook off the pressure of having to play for his place and twice came up with decisive knocks in the second innings after the first innings duck. Ajit Agarkar, the perennial fringe player in the team, did his bit with ball and bat. Dhoni seemed to have been sorted out by Murali when he was beaten and bowled by the doosra in the first innings at Kotla but subsequently scored 51 not out and 49 8212; and in both innings he gave Murali the charge.

The 8216;8216;killer instinct8217;8217; was evident in the speed with which India wrapped up the match this morning. Sehwag, again handing the relatively new ball to his spinners, watched as they made short shrift of the Lankan tail. Kumble ended up with five for the innings, Harbhajan with 10 for the match.

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All this by a team that had been dismissed for their lowest score ever against these opponents in the first Test and missed a senior player in each subsequent Test 8212; vice-captain Sehwag at Kotla and Rahul Dravid at Motera.

Yet those two players stood out in the matches they did play. Dravid succeded with the bat, as he was expected to, but his most important statement was when he walked out to open at Kotla.

Sehwag, in turn, filled Dravid8217;s shoes well. He threw his weight behind Yuvraj for the No. 6 spot knowing his statement was open to interpretation. And by asking Harbhajan and Kumble to share the new ball, he showed he was in tune with Chappell8217;s 8216;out-of-the-box8217; approach.

Yet there is much work ahead, which explains why Moody rates Pakistan as favourites to win the series beginning next month.

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The Indians have re-acquainted themselves with one old friend, their killer instinct. They now need to rid themselves of an old enemy, inconsistency. The evidence, though, is promising.

SCOREBOARD

	nbsp;	INDIA 1st Innings: 398 SRI LANKA 1st Innings: 206 INDIA 2nd Innings: 316/9 decl SRI LANKA 2nd Innings: Tharanga c Gambhir b Kumble 47 Atapattu c Kaif b Harbhajan 16 Sangakkara lbw Kumble 17 Jayawardene c038;b Agarkar 57 Samaraweera c Kaif b Kumble 5 Dilshan c Dhoni b Pathan 65 Mubarak c Laxman b Harbhajan 18 Maharoof lbw Kumble 2 Bandara c Sehwag b Kumble 11 Muralitharan b Harbhajan 3 Malinga not out 0 Extras b1, nb7: 8 Total all out, 92.3 overs: 249 Fall of wickets: 1-39, 2-84, 3-89, 4-96, 5-201, 6-229, 7-235, 8-235, 9-245 Bowling: Pathan 9-1-31-1, Harbhajan 31-7-79-3, Agarkar 11-3-18-1, Kumble 34.3-9-89-5, Sehwag 3-0-18-0, Tendulkar 4-0-13-0	nbsp;

Sandeep Dwivedi

Sandeep Dwivedi is the Sports Editor at The Indian Express. He is one of India's most prominent sports journalists, known for his deep analytical insights and storytelling that often goes beyond scores and statistics to explore the human and cultural side of sports. Professional Profile Role: As the Sports Editor, he leads the sports coverage for the newspaper and the website. Weekly Column: He writes "The Sports Column," a weekly feature where he provides sharp, narrative-driven perspectives on the biggest sporting news of the week. Podcast: He is a frequent contributor to the "Express Sports" podcast (Game Time), where he discusses evolving trends in cricket and other international sports. Areas of Expertise While Dwivedi covers the entire sporting spectrum, his work is particularly noted in the following areas: Cricket: He provides extensive coverage of the Indian National Team and the IPL. He frequently analyzes the leadership styles of figures like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Gautam Gambhir. He is known for tracking the transition phases of Indian cricket and the evolution of specific players like Kuldeep Yadav and Rishabh Pant. Athletics & Olympic Sports: He has written extensively on Neeraj Chopra’s rise in javelin, the nuances of Indian shooting, and tennis legends like Sania Mirza and Leander Paes. Human Interest Stories: A hallmark of his writing is his focus on the struggles and backgrounds of athletes, such as the sacrifices made by Shafali Verma’s father or the "silent battles" of veteran players like Cheteshwar Pujara. Notable Recent Work & Themes Leadership and Dynamics: Recently, he has written about the dynamic between Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, and Rohit Sharma, arguing that personal friendship is not a prerequisite for team success. Sports & Culture: His articles often intersect with global culture, such as his deep dive into the 100-year legacy of the Harlem Globetrotters and their role as American soft power during the Cold War. The "Grey Areas" of Sport: He often addresses sensitive topics like the mental health of cricketers post-retirement, the "outrage industry" in sports broadcasting, and the impact of fan-wars on the game. Tenure and Experience Dwivedi has been with The Indian Express for over three decades. This experience allows him to provide historical context to modern sporting events, often comparing current crises or triumphs to those of previous generations. You can follow his latest work and columns on his official Indian Express Author Profile. ... Read More