These excuses almost exclusively centred around the lack of an experienced bowling lineup. Though this was true one must remember that even test cricketers like the Australians are human. India were the better team, and they deserved to win. But what was of more importance than the bowling was the terrible batting display in Chennai and Calcutta. I am not saying they should have done better.
Test cricket is a tough business.
But even a Zimbabwean would have been surprised at the ease with which the Indians carved up the Aussie wickets. Despite their impressiveness, the Indians were unable to provide match winning bowlers beyond Kumble and Srinath. Raju was unlucky, but Chauhan, Harvinder, and Harbajan were perplexingly inaccurate. Clearly, Australia s batting problems need rectification, and Australia s historic victory in the third Indian Test went a long way to doing just that. We saw a resurgent Michael Slater, the new look Mark Waugh stubbornly piling the runs, and a captain proving he still has a lot of fire left in him.