What a difference one ball makes! The Windies are a changed side and so are the Indians – in opposite directions! The Widies have been visibly energized by their win in the 2^nd. ODI and look a very different side. The same old doubts and fears are creeping back in the mind of the Indians.

At 174/2 in 28.4 overs, who would have thought that the next 21.2 overs would produce only 71 runs for 7 wickets? Déjà vu, anybody? In brief, the innings was based on Sehwag’s 97 off only 83 balls- a welcome return to form. Kaif produced a unimpressive 61 off 89 balls. After Sehwag was out at 174, the remaining batsmen were totally inept at scoring off the slow bowlers. Needless to say, Yuvraj was sorely missed.

245 was never going to be enough, and West Indies won with 4 wickets to spare. In keeping with the trend of this series, the Windies made heavy weather of the chase and won with only 1 ball to spare. Sarvan top scored with an unbeaten 115.

Here are my thoughts on this match:

Rahul Dravid is not Superman and it’s time he stopped acting like him. He should be batting at No. 3 and his continuation as an opener is detrimental to the development of players like Uthappa and to the team as a whole. It is all very well to open occasionally but that is not a long-term option. With Tendulker not likely to return anytime soon, it is imperative that Uthappa be given a run at the top of the order.

I do not understand why Uthappa is not playing – the team seems to know something I don’t. He has done well in the couple of games he’s played.

Venugopal is not made for ODIs. The team must be blind not to see that. Even my 7-year-old daughter knows that!

Most of the run outs today were a result of panic and frustration arising from an inability to score (Kaif, Venu). Dhoni’s was a result of casual carelessness.

Yuvraj has to pay a bit more attention to taking care of his body. I know the players are playing a lot of cricket, but he seems to miss games too frequently after every long stint at the crease. He is young and should not miss games from avoidable ailments. I have  pointed this out before. We saw the team pay a heavy price for it today. Keeping hydrated and proper stretching seem like mundane tasks, but they are the basis of keeping fit.

Turning a ball from a fast bowler to square leg when pitched on the stumps is never going to be a percentage shot, unless you are VVS, Dravid, Azhar or Sachin. If the ball is just short or at a length, the shot is easy and safe. When pitched up, such a ball is best played in the V. I understand the need to find the gaps in ODIs and the players are frequently forced to play the shot by a well set field. Having said that, I have to say that I see far too many batsmen attempt it. Many of these players are better off not attempting it.

Anyway, the next two ODIs will give the Indian team no margin for error. I do not expect this team to win the test series. I had rightly expected them to win the ODI series, but that certainly looks a long shot now. If India win the next ODI, who knows?