We should win the series

A historic victory looms for Indian cricket. I have no doubt that India will pocket this Test series as they did the ODI series just a few d...

A historic victory looms for Indian cricket. I have no doubt that India will pocket this Test series as they did the ODI series just a few days ago. This is perhaps the best-ever team India has produced with its tremendous batting line up, full of confidence, aggression with perfect positive approach and great will to win.

They thought positive by enforcing the follow on, even with Zaheer Khan on the treatment table. Under the circumstances, our bowlers never showed any sign of weariness nor tiredness. In fact, they went full steam ahead as if extra energy had been pumped into them.

I fail to comprehend the need to create such a ruckus at the end of the second day8217;s play. It seemed Rahul Dravid8217;s declaration depriving Sachin of his well-deserved double century had brought the sky down. In any other country, Rahul Dravid might have been condoned.

In Test cricket, timing is the most important factor if one is serious about going for the kill. That India face a win by a handsome margin and with lots of time to spare is mainly because the Pakistanis were completely demoralised.

India already had 675 runs on the board; in fact, there was a feeling that with so many wickets in hand, India should have accelerated the run rate in the first session of the second day itself for an early declaration to go for the historic victory.

Whatever decision the captain takes is always in consultation with the coach and the senior players, especially when the team is batting and most are in the dressing room. Even in the team meeting, all the players are taken into confidence about the planning and strategy chalked out by the think tank for the next day.

It was really uncharacteristic of Sachin to make those comments. Maybe he had planned his strategy so well to get to his double century prior to the declaration one hour before the close of the day. Maybe he was concentrating so much that the disappointment was writ large on his face.

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Sachin keeps on saying that he gets most frustrated if his runs do not result into win for the team. This team has been playing good cricket for the past three-four years not only because they are talented and aggressive but they are playing as one single unit. I don8217;t think anybody should attempt to create disharmony amongst their ranks.