Pushed to a corner, the path for India is simple. The side needs two wins in two matches to be sure of a place in the finals. Given the slump in form and momentum, this will be a tough act.
India might go through to the summit clashes of the Commonwealth Bank ODI series with just one victory in its final two league games — in case Sri Lanka loses all its remaining three matches — but then the team would not have its destiny in its own hands.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni's men now meet Australia in Sydney on February 26 and then Sri Lanka at Hobart two days later. The Indian campaign has run into stormy weather.
If India fails to make the cut, it would have only itself to blame. The needless rotation policy, the controversy surrounding the decision, the different voices reflecting conflicting thoughts in the side, have all contributed to India's current position.
To say there is a split in the side might be stretching things too far, but, there certainly appears to be a difference of opinion between some key members in the team. And the revealing statements to the media could have been avoided; eventually the side's morale is the casualty.
India missed its captain in the game here on Tuesday. Mahendra Singh Dhoni — he has 191 runs in five games at 63.66 in the series — is a game changer and his presence could have tilted the scales in the climactic stages.
But then, apart from Gautam Gambhir (222 runs in five matches at 44.5) and Virat Kohli (219 in six at 36.5), there has hardly been any substantial contribution from other frontline batsmen. That Irfan Pathan, with 74 runs in three games at 24.66, is fourth in the averages tells the story.
Unending wait
Sachin Tendulkar looked good during his brief stay in the last game but has been unable to progress to a sizable score. The unending wait for his 100th international hundred and the unfortunate pressure — more so in the middle of a series — put on the maestro to bid adieu to ODIs have not helped matters. Nobody is immune to the stress.
Virender Sehwag — 30 runs from three games — has hardly inspired confidence. If the marauder looks back at some of his finest ODI innings, he will notice that on several of those occasions, he had stroked the ball in front of the wicket in the initial phase. Now, he is attempting to strike the ball square too early and paying the price.
The rotation policy has also meant that the side does not have a settled opening combination — a crucial element in a successful unit. The worst thing that a batsman searching for form needs is to be rested for a game and then be brought back.
What would pain the Indian camp more is that the youngsters have failed to take the opportunity. Rohit Sharma's tendency to play away from his body can be detrimental on seaming tracks; he needs to tighten up his game. And Suresh Raina's body alignment as he counters short-pitched stuff from pacemen is still awry.
Truth to tell, the Indian bowling was as much to blame — if not more — for the successive defeats at the 'Gabba. It can be extremely hard to chase 280 plus runs in these conditions under the lights.
This Indian attack lacks a leader. Zaheer Khan, bothered by a calf strain, has bowled reasonably well in the three games he has played. But then, he has picked up only four wickets.
The legendary Imran Khan used to say that the best way to keep the run-rate down was by taking wickets; nothing could be truer. The Indians have struggled to strike at regular intervals and have allowed partnerships to build. Both Australia and Sri Lanka had wickets in hand to launch into the Indian attack.
The likes of Vinay Kumar and Irfan Pathan have been useful, but India needs more firepower in these hit-the-deck tracks. The promising Umesh Yadav has the pace but still lacks experience and precision.
It's still not too late for India to put the pieces together.
The story has been corrected for a factual error.
