This series is far from over. We aren't the best in the world for nothing

Let’s be honest: few of us were expecting any miracles from this ragged Indian squad in the first Test at Lord’s, especially after Zaheer Khan pulled up like a Rolls Royce with a burst wheel. Not to be cynical but the loss was fully expected, even on this trustworthy pitch. This was a fair result. Given the way it bowled, England thoroughly deserved to win. While the margin of defeat was large for India, the manner of it wasn’t extraordinarily disappointing. The guys actually made it to the final session, and will derive comfort from the positives. Ishant Sharma has bowled superbly all year. Despite his limitations Suresh Raina has invested his performances with character. This series is far from finished. These tears will dry on their own. Once prone to losing its bearings entirely overseas, the Indian team is more notorious these days for spontaneously erupting into a Kung Fu Panda action sequence midway through a tour, having performed a passable impression of a sloth during the opener. There is no point in questioning Dhoni’s horrid form; the men need to regroup and stand firm behind their leader. Watch out for the rebound. England has a fantastic team apart from the home advantage, but everyone is willing to take India a little more seriously these days. Dhoni’s men, especially the batting giants, are a vastly experienced group of travellers. The absent Sehwag, who might expect a SOS missive soon, continues to mystify by scoring big on all kinds of grounds at an outrageous pace. Rahul Dravid’s spectacularly dour achievements abroad are well documented; Gautam Gambhir has constructed a reputation for doggedness over the past couple of years and VVS Laxman should have, and could have, saved this match for India all by himself. And we haven’t even broached the subject of Sachin Tendulkar – that’s how good this batting side is on paper. It can shield the bowling, however insipid. In practice however we know Indian batsmen can frustrate their fans. Just as our talented teams of the 1990s tended to roll over and play dead once Tendulkar and Azharuddin were gone, this spectacularly gifted bunch has failed to cross 300 since doing so last against South Africa in Cape Town six months ago. Isolated centuries from Tendulkar or Rahul Dravid won’t help unless they’re backed by fifties by a couple of men not named VVS Laxman. Our batsmen need to click in concert. Those previously named oldies have unnecessarily (but not unexpectedly) found themselves burdened with much of the scoring. They’re doing fine at the moment but the more time they spend at the wicket the more strain they are putting on their bodies. [caption id=“attachment_48362” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman (R) took no part in the World Cup, and they seem relatively fresh; it was no coincidence that both contributed a fair share of the runs both in the Caribbean and in the first Test. Tom Hevezi/AP”] [/caption] For older players the dilemma can be a tricky one: do you risk losing form, take a break and rest those weary muscles in anticipation of tougher tours or keep going? Dravid and Laxman took no part in the World Cup, and they seem relatively fresh; it was no coincidence that both contributed a fair share of the runs both in the Caribbean and in the first Test. Tendulkar on the other hand, suffering from a viral fever, seemed sedate – and sedated – yesterday. He played exquisitely for 30-odd in the first innings and could have chosen to assert himself in his final essay at Lord’s but that didn’t happen. He was probably too drained mentally. The past two years have been immensely productive for him but he has looked shaky since skipping the tour of the West Indies. A century at Lord’s in the cause of taking the team to safety might have jump-started another sequence of pleasant memories, but it was not to be. He was a pale imitation of himself, and not simply because he was feeling anaemic. Obviously it isn’t as if someone as great as Tendulkar suddenly forgets how to bat – decades’ worth honed technique and muscle memory will probably ensure Tendulkar bats better than many pros when he is sixty. Nevertheless net sessions and practice matches can never compensate for top-level competition. The adrenaline rush affects hand-eye coordination in surprising ways. Not that this has much to do with Tendulkar directly, but his performance in the second innings reminds me of a hit I had at the university squash courts recently, with an old partner who’d been away for four months; he had barely touched a racquet in that time. Our matches used to be extremely competitive before – we were pretty much even, with our different strengths and weaknesses – but this time when we played I whipped him, seven games to none, with barely a point lost. Regular practice, four times a week, had improved my stamina and fitness dramatically whereas my buddy found himself short of breath almost from the start. My friend is not a bad player by any yardstick – he’s club-level at the least. But in the absence of match fitness he wasn’t really going to trouble me. He was completely off his game. After falling ill, Tendulkar was always going to struggle to cope with James Anderson – a man who has knocked him over pretty regularly in the past – especially in the second innings, when he tends to fail more often than not. The odds were stacked against him. Even now, though (or should we say, particularly now) one would be a fool to bet against the chances of Tendulkar scoring a 100th international century sometime on this tour. Part of what makes this man the greatest player in history – and also this team the finest in the country’s rich cricketing history – is the hunger to avenge a defeat, the refusal to bow to inevitability. Tendulkar might seem measured, low-key and humble in press conferences and in his private life, but make no mistake: his ego manifests in the thrashings he delivers to bowlers, sometimes of the calibre of Shane Warne, who have had the temerity to embarrass him in initial skirmishes. Bowlers are generally well-advised to announce their retirement after any accidental success against this particular fellow. Anderson and Stuart Broad did well when they kept the ball relatively full-ish. Just don’t try tossing in too many short ones. It would appear that the short-statured Tendulkar is sensitive about his height: try pummeling him with a few bouncers and there will be violent reprisals. The likes of Broad and Tremlett had better watch out in the next couple of Tests. If you get him out once, you had better say your prayers. Henry Olonga will attest to that immediately. England fielded its best men against Sri Lanka last month. Against India, most of its players have hit their stride already. India on the other hand is bound to take a while to catch its breath after this defeat. But, as Andrew Strauss knows, it would be stupid to dismiss the side at this point. Dhoni’s men are not the best in the world for nothing.