Fog, bad light, and a slow, low, dead wicket proved to be a damper on the Mohali Test match. Despite that, the Test did provide some interesting moments, for instance, early on Day 4, when India bowled England out to gain a substantial lead.

However, the loss of early wickets saw India change track much earlier than one expected, leaving a question mark over their overall keenness to force a win on the last day.

I guess the thinking was that the series was in the bag anyway, and hence there wasn’t any point in attempting an outright 2-0 victory. Or is it that India, at present, have become too dependent on Sehwag’s heroics early in the innings and that decides the course of action?

Both teams, when the situation demanded and it suited them, adopted tactics that raised a few eyebrows. India employed an 8-2 field when Pietersen and Flintoff got going, while England bowled well outside the stumps on the fourth day. That should make the cricket committee of the ICC sit up and take note, and perhaps contemplate introducing rules to prevent such ploys. Mind you, both teams were well within their rights, but devious means or methods should not be allowed to mar the very spirit of the game.

Nevertheless, the series did have some great moments, like India chasing a mammoth total at Chennai on a worn-out track. The innings of Sehwag, Tendulkar, and Yuvraj were simply outstanding, to say the least. The common belief in cricket is that it is the bowlers who win Test matches by taking 20 wickets. But at Chennai, it was the batsmen who came to the party and provided the icing on the cake.

A Test team is usually rated by the strength of its bowling attack, and in this department, India look better than ever. While Zaheer and Ishant bowled superbly, Harbhajan and Mishra too did very well. The attack looks pretty potent, what with bowlers like Munaf, RP Singh, Irfan, Dhaval Kulkarni, Pragyan Ojha and Piyush Chawla all waiting to lay their hands on any opportunity that comes their way. It’s a good sign indeed, one that augurs very well for Indian cricket.

It was quite disappointing that batsmen like Badrinath and M Vijay, who have warmed the reserve benches for long, could not be seen in action. That they were not released to play domestic cricket shows the think tank in poor light and raises doubts in the minds of cricket lovers, for it appears as if they are being protected and not exposed at the highest level.

But then in cricket one can’t be kept away from the battlefield for too long. When it comes to the crunch, one has to prove one’s credentials on that 22-yard strip. It’s as simple as that.