Over the years, India and Australia have engaged in a few, classic, off-field duels. Among them were the Glenn McGrath-Sachin Tendulkar face-off, Harbhajan Singh’s penchant to have Ricky Ponting facing him, and even VVS Laxman making Jason Gillespie’s life difficult.

Pre-series projections were about fascinating battles, but there has also been a harsh reality involved. The last time India actually won an ODI against Australia was back in 2003-04, in a VB Series match in Sydney. The teams have played nine more times since, and India have lost all.

The other day’s loss in Kochi wasn’t a bolt from the blue. The recent Twenty20 victory over the world champions notwithstanding, their Kochi outing was another reminder of how they have been slaughtered time and again.

“They’re very good at their strategies and how they implement it in the match,” admitted Yuvraj Singh on Thursday afternoon. “What we need to look at is definitely very simple. We need to bowl better, bat better. In the next game the guys need to play more and talk less,” he said. Sreesanth’s angry looks haven’t stopped the batsmen from taking runs. Instead, from costing 5.54 runs an over in the rain-affected Bangalore tie, he went on to give 7.74 runs an over in Kochi.

Harbhajan Singh is angry with the Australians for having said a few personal things to him. “It’s fine if they’re chatting about cricket but they can’t go overboard with it. Australians are bad losers,” he says.

... contd.