Kumar Sangakkara looked especially sharp in a black suit, and his team mates didn't lag far, all of them dressed immaculately as they went to meet the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse.

Then, in stark contrast, were the Indians. Established, popular faces of world cricket were in their official T-shirts, mixed with a variety of accessories. One player wore a cap, another a pair of loose-fitting, six-pocket cargoes, while yet another was in tight, wrinkled jeans and sports shoes. Even in terms of informal attire, they were as casual as could be.

The way the players were dressed immediately sent a wrong impression to the local authorities, though they were too polite to point it out. While Mahendra Singh Dhoni's team are climbing the rankings ladder, they seem to be lagging behind in terms of their sense of occasion. Instead of a meeting with the President, the players looked all set for a late-night party to celebrate their series win.

Normally, official protocol requires formal clothes as a basic etiquette. Sure enough, the Indian team's manager, and the visiting BCCI representative Ratnakar Shetty, were both in formals. But watching the players troop out for their appointment, one wondered if this was the worst-dressed Indian side ever. Would the team under Sourav Ganguly or Rahul Dravid have gone to meet the President of a country so shabbily turned out? When they had gone to meet Prince Charles in England, Sreesanth didn't have his official Team India jacket and had to borrow a blue blazer from a friend.

... contd.