Guess who's back?

Yes, him, the Ugly Indian Cricket Fan.

The effigy burners were out in force last night. On a talk show, one proud participant claimed that Steve Bucknor would not last a walk on Mumbai's streets, and was loudly cheered. Nationalists, regionalists, centrists and all manner of scum were on hand to extract their measly mileage from some dangerous ideas of 'national pride'. The killers of Rizwanur and religious extremists only took this warped logic a step further.

The Hindi newsmedia had no pretence of balance. The English media had that, politely wiping the froth at the edges of their mouths. As a society, we need to introspect. On the same day that eight died in a fire tragedy at a Delhi slum and a historic Himalayan village fell victim to another, it was a game in faraway Sydney that seemed to find more use for the term, 'disaster'.

Shafted without mercy but we had it coming

We got shafted but we had it coming. Congrats Australia. You played hard but I will not trust you for the longest time. Not like you need my trust, but I am just letting you know.

Congrats India for a well-played four days. You came closer to challenging Australia than any team I can remember in the recent past.

Anil Kumble may not be a brilliant tactician, but if there is one man who can lead by example, it is him, it is him. If India feel done in by the umpiring and other events out of their control, and find it hard to pick themselves up for Perth, they only need to look towards their captain.

India are really bad in the fourth inings. In fact, if you leav the Indian batting with seventy odd overs to stave off defeat, chances are that we will get bundled out. Whether there is an enticing declaration or not. More often than not, the top order does not pull its weight. Jaffer, Laxman and Tendulkar are better than the manner of their dismissals suggest. Laxman got one that stayed low, but he gets out to ones that stay low with annoying frequency. We also needed Sachin to stay there for a while more. Is it cruel to ask this of batsmen who have ruled the ground since what seems like the beginning of time?

I think Dhoni did well. At least better than the man just above him in the batting order.

Eight balls.

Both Dravid and Ganguly have reason to suspect umpiring neutrality today. But a better team would have been able to take a couple of bad decisions in its stride. Don't whine.

Bucknor needs to retire. Now. Benson needs to read the little black book of rules.

Yuvraj Singh is not a good number six. Any captain will bring a reasonably good spinner on when he walks out, and he will lose his mojo. This series has also showed that spin his not his only weakness. But I still will not drop him for Perth. If there is one place in Oz where Yuvi has a better chance to succeed, it is there.

I'd stick with the same team, but Jaffer and Yuvi are on notice.

Hayden is a bully

Mathew Hayden refused to give an inch. Bhajji was bowling so well, had he been luckier the Aussies may have been bowled out with a fourth innings target not more than 200. That might still have proved a lot for the brittle Indian fourth inning batsmanship, but you have to give credit to Hayden, the habitual bully. Another batsman might have tried to bide his time and wait for the bowlers to make their mistakes, but that is why they are not Hayden, and Australia is the best side in the word. Hayden did not let Bhajji settle, and Bhajji is the kind of bowler who does not let up if he gets a prized top-order wicket. Thanks to calculated sweeping and reverse sweeping, Australia are on top and in a position to decide whether to dangle the carrot or not, despite India having one of their better days on the field. Sexy.

On Dravid

Is there another batsman in the world who can be so woefully out of form, but at the same time have the mental resources to stick around so that the Divine Belly at the other end may do justice?

Uncle J Rod has suggested that Dravid be put out of his misery.

There was another man about whom similar suggestions were being made. He made a double hundred through the leg side. Some still say that Tendulkar epic in Sydney was pathetic. I say that genius reveals itself after being condemned to work.

No kamikaze for Dravid, and certainly no hemlock. He will tattoo his name on a scorecard somewhere before the series is over.