‘Didn’t show enough patience’

Virender Sehwag squarely blamed India's batting for a disastrous passage of play during which they went from 86 not out to 6/122 in just about 17 overs after lunch. Sehwag was the first one to go, clean bowled by Graeme Swann first ball after lunch for 49.

"If you apply yourself on this wicket, it's not that difficult to score runs. It's Test cricket and you have to show some patience. Yes, you can say that we did not show enough patience," Sehwag said.

With the team 32 runs ahead and one wicket remaining, Sehwag said India needed to focus on the next Test, even as he prayed for a miracle to happen on the final day at Eden. "Only God can help us. Now we have to work hard to bounce back in the next game. We can just hope something happens tomorrow and we're able to draw this Test," said Sehwag.

That looks unlikely and an inquest into what are the reasons for the potential defeat has already begun. "England's batting has made the difference," observed Sehwag. "They were hitting the loose balls. We didn't show enough patience. In this series, we haven't put enough runs on the board, especially in the last two Tests. Their batsmen showed more patience than us. Full credit to Cook and other batsmen," Sehwag admitted.

While the bowlers, especially the spinners, copped flak for the Mumbai defeat, Sehwag defended their performance in Kolkata. "The bowlers tried everything — from bowling quick to slow. They bowled flighted, they bowled flat. We need to put 500-plus on the board and the moment we do that it's going to be a different ball game."

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