India vs Pakistan: Not just in Tests and T20s, Team India in deep ODI crisis too

As weeks turn to months, the losing sequence of matches in Tests, T20s and now ODIs is not ending for captain M S Dhoni-led Team India, suggesting something is terminally wrong with the players, the selectors and even the administration.

An insipid India slumped to yet another series defeat with a pathetic display as arch-rivals Pakistan spanked the hosts by 85 runs in the second cricket one-dayer to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series here today.

Today, as events played out, Indian players looked to be the supporting cast in an extravaganza hosted by the historic Eden Gardens in which the Pakistanis were lead actors.

Indian collapse, after managing to restrict a rampant Pakistan to a reachable score underlined the fact that if the bowlers click, then the batsmen fail and vice versa - clearly a team lacking leadership - even grave umpiring errors, like the one that sent Younus Khan packing out LBW off a leading edge could not bring India back into game.

The recent retirement of Sachin Tendulkar does not seem to have helped any, as far as regaining the winning habit by the team was concerned.

Gambhir, Yuvraj, Virat Kohli all went cheaply after consuming a number of deliveries but still not managing to play themselves in. The same applied to Sehwag even though he scored 31 - total lack of application.

The skipper, who made fifty, was clearly having some trouble as he found it tough to negotiate the Pakistani guile in both pace and spin department.

At the end, he was left stranded as last man Ishant Sharma could not keep the Pak attack at bay.

Riding on Nasir Jamshed's second consecutive century, the visitors posted 250 all out and then shot out the Indians for a paltry 165 to record a convincing victory with two overs to spare at the Eden Gardens.

... contd.

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