I am sitting on the wharf in Santa Cruz, California as I write this. The sun has just set and the water looks steel grey in the lights. The breeze is cool and refreshing. There is beauty all around me. Sea gulls hover above me and their calls mingle with the grunts of the sea lions. It’s almost musical. Today everything sounds musical as both my teams have won and I feel strangely gratified. What more can I ask?

A few hours after India won this match, Arsene Wenger’s babies faced the hardened warriors of Juventus. I have to confess that I saw Arsenal play Juventus (highlights) before sitting down to write this column. There is no team more easy on the eye, there is no team more exhilarating to watch moving forward than Arsenal. Today they mesmerized and subdued the pros of Juventus while beating them 2-0. I am puffed up with pride. Fantastic job guys!

Okay, back to cricket. Those of you fortunate to see Arsenal at it’s best will know what I am talking about. Anyway, India came back to claim a creditable victory today but the batting remains a cause for concern. Flintoff won a good toss and chose to field on a two paced pitch offering bounce and later, turn. I was telling the Match Referee after the first 4 overs that anything above 225 would be very competitive. As it turned out, 203 was more than enough.

Sehwag’s struggles against the short ball continue into ODIs. He is at a defining point of his career. He was out to a miscued pull for 7 and looks totally incapable of playing any well directed short ball. Every bowler now is going to have a go at him and the days of width and a full length outside off are history. Whether he comes out stronger from this rut will define his legacy as a batsman.

Gambhir was aggressive in making 25 but still moves too far across his off stump and needs to be more definitive with shot selection outside off if he wishes to remain in contention. Yuvraj played a poor shot, dragging a ball from outside off onto the stumps (58/3). Kaif was run out for 1 and Dravid was bowled by one that came in, to leave India tottering at 80/5. Raina (24), pathan (28), Dhoni (20) and Harbhajan ( top scored with 37) got the team to 203 all out.

England bowled well but India should have batted a lot better. A good side should score about 250 on this pitch.

It did not make a difference, after all, as England threw the match away. At 117/3, in the 20^th. over, Flintoff and Pietersen were in total control and should have got to 204 at a canter. It was not to be, as England collapsed to 164 all out, losing the last 7 wickets for 47 runs. True, the Indian bowlers bowled well, but this was primarily rank bad batting.

Irfan started well and bowled a very good opening over, as he should, in helpful conditions. At the end of the over the score read 4/2, with Strauss and Shah back in the pavilion. Yuvraj made the crucial breakthrough at 117, getting Pietersen to hit a full toss to Gambhir at midwicket. This started the slide as Bhajji got into the act and swept away the middle and late order (10-2-31-5).

Deservingly, Bhajji was the MOM, returning best figures as bowler and batsman for India! I have been very critical of Bhajji’s performance in tests recently, and rightly so. Today, on a helpful wicket, he bowled with rip and bounce. If criticism spurs him on, I am more than happy to criticize him some more! Well done, we just yearn to see many an encore.