Melbourne’s roots lie in scars of Perth

In the end, inevitably, the Aussie skipper was right. The first final of the tri-series was effectively lost on Sunday at the WACA, where Au...

In the end, inevitably, the Aussie skipper was right. The first final of the tri-series was effectively lost on Sunday at the WACA, where Australia’s pace bowlers, presented with the kind of strip they’d been denied all summer, ran riot.

Not only did it give the Aussie bowlers a boost — Lee, obviously, but even Gillespie found an extra dose of venom — but, more crucially, inflicted on the Indian batsmen the kind of scars that will take time, and preferably slow pitches, to heal.

The work done on Sunday was completed today when, in the space of 15 nasty, short and brutish overs, the Indian batting caved in. Looking back, one can find a number of excuses for the abjectness of the batting:

• Travelling and touring had taken its toll

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• The Pak tour, and related security concerns, were preying on the mind

• A further distraction was the bonus announced by the BCCI

But if India were to look at the performances of their three best ODI batsmen they would know where they failed today.

• Virender Sehwag c Gilchrist b Gillespie

The injury break has set him back and he was clearly shaken up by the horrors of Perth. He was sitting on the backfoot and forever expecting a short ball. When it finally came he was nowhere. With his footwork being suspect, the Aussies were able to work him out

• Sachin Tendulkar b Lee

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Another big match, another disappointment. Don’t trust words look at the numbers and you will find out why. The Mumbai maestro has clearly left his form in Brisbane, where he twisted his ankle. On Friday, he was hopping around, clearly shaken by Perth and Lee. Like his clone, the champion was also expecting a short one and, despite his exaggerated show, the ball did not keep exceptionally low before hitting the stumps

• Saurav Ganguly c Gilchrist b Harvey

When Ganguly came in at No 5, the message was clear: the skipper was worried. Of what? The pitch or maybe even the bowlers.

The chin music was finally played loud and clear and Dada was seeking a way out. Optimists might say he made way for India’s best batsmen on tour, but the captain could have instilled confidence by walking in at No 3. During his brief stay, Ganguly looked like he was seeking to avoid a confrontation and survive somehow.

But only the fittest survived today and Ganguly left edging the fifth bowler — just when he could have milked the bowling at will

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