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We can?t let Pakistan level it up, says Indian skipper
A 3-1 lead at this juncture will be very handy. It will mean that we will not lose this series, writes Sourav Ganguly.
It was one of those games where nothing went right for us, but full credit to Pakistan for playing the way they did in Jamshedpur. I don't think we lost the game because we I lost the toss. Chasing 300-plus totals is never easy, but we have done it before.
With the wicket playing true till the end, a chase was always on, provided we could keep our shape and composure. We couldn't as wickets fell in a heap and it was left to Rahul Dravid and Mohammed Kaif to put together a mini-stand. Dhoni, too, was shaping well till he misjudged the bounce and skied his intended pull shot.
That was not going to be enough, but full marks to our lower order which refused to throw in the towel and fought bravely till the very end. It was largely due to the efforts of Irfan Pathan and Zaheer Khan that we got past the 200-run mark.
Another thing that went against us was that we took up extra time to finish bowling our quota of overs. It meant that our top-order batsmen had only 15 minutes to rest after fielding for four hours. It is not easy to switch into a different mode so quickly.
Our batting continues to be a source of worry. The top-order has to fire. So far only Dravid and Sehwag have been consistent. They need support and it's up to us to provide it.
Naved-ul Hasan Rana bowled beautifully in Jamshedpur. It was a dream spell which reminded me of a similar feat by Venkatesh Prasad in the 1999 World Cup against Pakistan in England.
The conditions were obviously much different, but Prasad bowled a probing line and also moved the ball a lot. Naved's line too was excellent and he utilised the bounce in the wicket well. It was a disappointing loss, but certainly not the end of the world for us.
There is hardly any time between the matches, but we need to regroup quickly and maintain a positive attitude. We are still 2-1 up in the series, which, I admit, has opened up post Jamshedpur. We simply can't let Pakistan level it up in Ahmedabad.
A 3-1 lead in this crucial juncture will be very handy as it will mean that we will not lose this series. The entire pressure will then be on Pakistan to come good. A win is what we will be aiming for on Tuesday, and given our good record at Ahmedabad, there is every reason to be upbeat.
I am not a great lover of history, but who cares, as long as we win.
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