Former captain Sourav Ganguly wrote in Sydney Morning Herald: "The (Indian) team has copped plenty of criticism in the past few weeks and rightly so. When a team plays like it has for so long on this tour, the fans, media and administrators lose patience. And one cannot blame them. To me the team deserves it."


Shivlal Yadav

There's no more hiding from this condemnation. Even after two losses, the tourists continued to defend tactical blunders, blame their misfortune, and so on. Finally, there is realisation in the camp that there is a systematic failure which cannot be fixed overnight. They are starting to embrace that the results are not an outcome of just one batting collapse or poor session.

Sure, if India hadn't lost seven wickets for 62 runs on the third morning at MCG, the series score line could have been different at this stage. But, you will hope to go back and change the past only if there is light at the end of the tunnel. In this case, the team has accepted that it's hit a dead end. Captain MS Dhoni hasn't shied away from accepting that the personnel will need to change. In other words, this team, that has been relatively the same for the last decade, will disband soon.

This gang will disband soon. India won't play another Test until September against New Zealand. Whether or not there are radical changes to the XI at Adelaide, this squad of 17 is sticking together. "We expected this sort of criticism. We have been prepared. Here, in Australia, the media can be more aggressive. The players are accepting that certain things have gone wrong. But, what can be done now? The series is lost. They are enjoying their time together. We will hit the nets tomorrow (today) and look to enjoy the last Test," manager and former off-spinner Shivlal Yadav told MiD DAY yesterday.

Tough to digest
"They are obviously disappointed with the results. We came here with high expectations. The result was tough to digest initially. We didn't expect this. But I've been telling the younger boys 'such things happen in cricket.' I cannot stop the players from reading newspapers or reading things on the internet. They have learnt how to deal with criticism," he added.

On VVS Laxman's retirement rumours, Yadav said: "I haven't met him since last night. He has been going out with his friends here. He seems very relaxed. I don't know what he is thinking, or what he has decided.
"I know that there has been no communication between the Board and Laxman (on this issue). We will take whatever call closer to Adelaide (on whether Rohit Sharma will debut, etc)."