Sachin Tendulkar was dismissed for 80 today, after once again looking good to score his hundredth international century. Aside from the fact that his being in the middle today would have given India a slimmer of a chance to save this Test, it is perhaps a good thing that he did not achieve his landmark in this Test. Yes, when it happens it will be a testament to his talent, his longevity, his career, his many accomplishments – but it doesn’t deserve being celebrated in a match India are still likely to lose.
Not only lose, but be hammered in. And in a series they’ve been totally outplayed in. His innings would have been worth a celebration only if he could have carried on and batted the rest of today and tomorrow to ensure a draw.

Australian cricket writer Malcolm Conn didn’t think so. Here’s an excerpt from what he wrote yesterday -
“…will it mean anything at all if Tendulkar makes his 52nd Test century and India is flogged at some stage during the next day or two? To celebrate such a milestone in a losing side would be like holding a fireworks display on the Titanic.”
India’s chances
Can India actually save this Test? The sheer amount of time left makes it highly improbable and Gambhir’s wicket less than an hour into play has further dipped chances. Here’s a look at a couple of famous draws India managed to achieve with their back against the wall –

India vs Sri Lanka – Ahmedabad – 2009

India’s first innings total of 426 (courtesy tons from Dravid and Dhoni) was met with a mammoth 760 from their southern neighbours, riding on 275 by Mahela Jayawardene. India began their 2nd innings 334 runs in arrears and had a day and a half to survive. They secured the draw with their score at 412-4, and mainly due to the effort of centurions Gambhir and Tendulkar, whose strategy of batting out time on a flat deck worked for India’s cause.

India vs New Zealand – Napier -2009

Jesse Ryder’s double century took the Kiwis to 619 before they declared their first innings. India fell way short and were bowled out for 305. NZ enforced the follow on. Gambhir, Laxman, Dravid and Tendulkar all played their part and defied the home side who could only manage a single wicket on Day 4 of the game. India’s second innings score of 476-4 saved them the blushes and was a commendable effort considering they had over 2 days to survive.

Courtesy:-http://cricket.yahoo.com/news/snippets–day-4-at-the-sydney-cricket-ground.html;_ylt=Ao5q6vQDcVCoJuS.uM8EvxV_H6N4;_ylu=X3oDMTN0NGRwNm8xBG1pdANIb21lIFBhZ2UgSnVtYm90cm9uBHBrZwM1NTlhYThkZC0xYTY1LTM3MjctOGQxZC1iMjA4ZGIwNTUwZTYEcG9zAzIEc2VjA2p1bWJvdHJvbgR2ZXIDNWQ5YWRhNjQtMzgxMi0xMWUxLWJlNjgtNWY3NTZmMWYzZjJh;_ylg=X3oDMTFvY3JuM2o0BGludGwDaW4EbGFuZwNlbi1pbgRwc3RhaWQDBHBzdGNhdANob21lBHB0A3NlY3Rpb25zBHRlc3QD;_ylv=3

Amidst the fuss around the tour of Australia — being touted as the battle royale, a fight for ascendancy and honour, a reiteration of our grit, and all the rest — we’re missing a far more intriguing point.

This will perhaps be the last time we’d be seeing the three greats — Tendulkar, Laxman and Dravid — together in an overseas series. That’s a poignant thought for ardent fans who await the surfacing of Indian cricket’s new sentinels.

With them, we looked secure. Now as their inevitable goodbyes draw close, there’s a dire urgency to find their replacements. Perhaps, there will never be like-for-like replacements.

The reason isn’t lack of talent — we have enough to be proud of — but the strain on players. Juggling three formats will take its toll and it would be naïve to believe that current players will last two decades in international cricket. Hence it would be advisable to not look too far ahead and focus on immediate replacements.

With thousands of runs scored every First Class season, we should be spoilt for choices. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. These runs are largely scored on placid pitches against mediocre attacks in not-so-significant matches. We need to dig deeper, separate chalk from cheese. That’s what I’m trying to do here: cast a closer look at possible replacements.

Virat Kohli

Arguably the best thing to have happened to Indian cricket in recent years. He started as a hard-hitting batsman, but was found guilty of throwing away the starts. In the last two years, he has transitioned from boy to man. He’s matured with every game and acknowledged the importance of converting starts into big, match-winning knocks. His appetite for runs seems insatiable and makes him the frontrunner for the No. 3 slot. Though he looks comfortable against pace in shorter formats, he needs to work on the way he handles short-pitched stuff in Tests. His technique looks almost perfect for fifty-over cricket. In Tests, he may have to move his feet a bit more and also ensure that the front-foot doesn’t fall too across, especially in seamer-friendly conditions.

Cheteshwar Pujara

If I wanted someone to bat for my life, it would be the man from Saurashtra. He’s technically very correct and has the penchant for the big scores. On tricky surfaces where most young batsmen play shot-a-ball to get out of the jail, he trusts his technical ability to bail him out. He uses his feet beautifully against spinners, is equally comfortable against pace and most importantly knows the art of batting time. He could be the man take Tendulkar’s No. 4 position.

Rohit Sharma

He’s blessed with great balance and an amazing sense of timing. Even though his movements look slow to an onlooker, he gets in the right positions much before the ball arrives, which means he gets a lot of time to react to every delivery. Pace doesn’t bother him and neither does bounce. There aren’t any obvious chinks in his armour except his own temperament. He can play orthodox and somewhat conservative cricket also but often allows his ego to get the better of him. He doesn’t appreciate a bowler keeping him quiet for too long or even not complying to his need to break free. Off late, he’s managed to curb this instinct and it’s already showing in his consistency. He can be the man to bat at No. 5 provided he keeps that hunger alive.

Ajinkya Rahane

He’s only 23 and has already scored 18 First Class centuries with an average of over 60. I’m not a numbers man but these numbers are too gigantic to be ignored. And it’s not just the numbers Rahane boasts of; he’s a fine player with a heady mix of technique, temperament to bat long, and a bit of aggression. In limited international exposure, he’s looked very much part of the big league. In my opinion the biggest challenge he faces is his slot in the batting order. Though he’s selected as an opener, he’s not ready yet to face the new ball in Tests. And you wouldn’t blame the man either, for he’s rarely opened for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy. He’ll have to tighten his technique a bit more to succeed as an opener in the longer format.

S Badrinath/Suresh Raina

The former ticks all the boxes for selection but continues to find the cold shoulder from the men who matter. Perhaps, they’ve decided to look ahead of him. The latter, on the contrary, had everything favouring him to cement his place in the Test side before anyone else but he let that opportunity slip. If he wants to get back into the scheme of things for the longer format, before tackling the bouncers, he must find ways to fight the demons inside his head. He’s a talented batsman but talent can take you only so far.

What promised to be the most gripping day of the Melbourne Test ended in an anti-climax with Australia crushing India by 122 runs.

Australia had their backs to the wall at the start of Day 4, but their positive intent and perfect execution of bowling plans laid low their opponents. India were bizarrely defensive with the ball and showed no stomach for a fight with the bat chasing a stiff 292.

One of Australia’s finds of the season, James Pattinson, and Peter Siddle made the most of India’s trigger-happiness with the bat. They bowled in the right areas — Pattinson’s high pace in particular troubled every batsman — and India obliged them with outside edges.

This was the sort of wicket were the home team also made the same mistakes with the bat. But the key to winning this game was building partnerships. Australia had several; India, none.

India let momentum slip

In the morning session, Mike Hussey, Pattinson and Ben Hilfenhaus thrived with MS Dhoni’s conservative field settings that allowed them to pick easy singles and score the occasional boundary.

India, 230 runs behind at the start of the day, let the momentum drift. No team has chased more than 250 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground since 1961.

Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir fell cheaply. The contest practically ended when Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli fell within a few overs of each other in the noon session. What came to hurt India bad was their conservative tactics against the Australia lower order.

Their last four wickets added 119 runs in the first innings and 92 in the second. In a low-scoring game such as this, 211 runs were a lot to give away to the tail-end. To Australia’s credit, they fought tooth and nail and the 60 runs they added this morning caused a seismic momentum shift.

Pattinson took seven wickets in the game, and batting at No. 10, was unbeaten in both innings in making 18 and 37. But this wouldn’t have been possible had Dhoni applied greater pressure on him his partners.

Former Australia captain and commentator Ian Chappell in particular was critical of Dhoni’s methods. Today, he described them as “… ridiculous… an absolute blue print on how to lose a Test match.” India proved him right.

Courtesy:-http://cricket.yahoo.com/news/live–australia-vs-india–day-4-at-the-melbourne-cricket-ground.html;_ylt=AiIlPdurVLLOTql4wE5bqo1_H6N4;_ylu=X3oDMTN0bWM0a2ZkBG1pdANIb21lIFBhZ2UgSnVtYm90cm9uBHBrZwNhZDhmNzliMS0wMGFmLTNhNzEtOTk0Yy1lODJjOTJiOTk1NTgEcG9zAzMEc2VjA2p1bWJvdHJvbgR2ZXIDYzAyNjIzOWUtMzFlMy0xMWUxLTgwZjQtNzhlN2QxZmE0NmE2;_ylg=X3oDMTFvY3JuM2o0BGludGwDaW4EbGFuZwNlbi1pbgRwc3RhaWQDBHBzdGNhdANob21lBHB0A3NlY3Rpb25zBHRlc3QD;_ylv=3