Pakistan played well above potential while India did exactly the opposite.

Nothing symbolises the state of the two teams better than the performance of the respective captains. While Ganguly has become the butt of all jokes these days for his poor run, Inzamam is being hailed as a hero in Pakistan. The visitors are certainly the ones who have gained immensely from the series, while the home team has plunged further into turmoil after the reserves at the hands of their arch-rivals.

There were a few defining moments in the series. First and foremost, the final day of the Mohali Test. It was all India throughout the first four days and yet Pakistan somehow managed to scrape through, achieving the almost impossible task of saving the Test. It was their strong willpower and self-belief that saw Kamran Akmal and Abdul Razzaq bat out two sessions when all expected an easy victory for India.

Pakistan were outclassed at Kolkata, but India's Bangalore jinx continued as the visitors pulled off an incredible victory, picking up all ten Indian wickets on the final day. The loss hurt India badly because though the series was tied 1-1, they knew the tide had begun turning in Pakistan's favour. And in the one-dayers to follow, they were even expected to be the favourites if only just.

India managed to take a 2-0 lead in the one-day series and Pakistan pulled one back in the third. But the real turning point was the fourth game at Ahmedabad when Pakistan chased down India's daunting score of 315 in a superb batting display. Though the latter batsmen messed it up, the cool head of Inzamam saw Pakistan through off the last delivery of the game. What sent warning signals to India was the fact that Pakistan managed to achieve the target without too many big hits throughout the innings. After that, the one-day series was a totally one-sided and dull affair, devoid of all the magical moments that one expects when the neighbours clash. Shahid Afridi single-handedly took Pakistan to victory at Kanpur while India collapsed miserably at Delhi to bring a shameful end to their series.

The long, gruelling series saw some credible performances, none better that the one put up by Younis Khan. The fact that the Pakistan vice-captain could turn around things when everyone was calling for his head is a tribute to his tenacity. He was a big factor in Pakistan levelling the Test series and should serve Pakistan cricket well in the future as batsman, and as captain once Inzamam decides he's had enough. Rana Naved-ul-Hasan is another player who rediscovered himself in the series. He had a mixed time in Australia with a few good spells, but he had never been a consistent member of the team. With Akhtar not available for selection and Sami not fit for the one-dayers, Rana took it upon himself to lead the Pakistan attack in the one-dayers. Though he picked up many wickets in the series, his main contribution was his penchant for dismissing Sehwag on several occasions.

Salman Butt once again showed his liking for the Indian attack with some impressive knocks while Shoaib Malik was most consistent throughout the one-day series. The secret of Pakistan's success lay in the fact that each and every member made a vital contribution. Seniors like Youhana and Inzamam failed very rarely while others like Razzaq got important run-outs when he was not getting runs. In fact, he also contributed with the ball. The positives for Pakistan from this series are enormous. And it will definitely help them go back as a better, much competitive side ready to face the tough challenges of international cricket.

The same cannot be said about India. Their slump has been phenomenal to say the least. After the happy memories of Pakistan early last year, the team has been on the downslide. Sourav Ganguly has failed to deliver anything with the bat in this series, which means India have been virtually playing a batsman short. On current form, even Sachin Tendulkar does not merit a place in the squad. Except for a century at Ahmedabad, he had nothing much to show for. His approach to batting also hasn't helped matters. And it is not only a question of poor form. The fact is that Sachin has been dismissed too early too many times of late, a clear signal that the master is on the decline. But then will the selectors be bold enough to take such a decision? Another much important question that arises is; do we have the bench-strength to replace the modern batting great?
 

The 'experienced' youngsters in the side have been a huge disappointment. Yuvraj and Kaif have been around the international circuit long enough now and cannot be considered as raw. Yet, we see them performing only once in ten games. India certainly cannot afford to carry such inconsistent cricketers, no matter how good fielders they are. It's the runs they make that matter the most, and whatever runs they save in the field should be considered only a bonus.

The only players who deserve praise are Dravid and Sehwag. Though the latter failed towards the end of the series, India would have been in an even deeper hole had it not been for them. Zaheer Khan bowled his heart out, but unlike Rana, he did not have the figures to show for it. The only big gain for India from this series has been the emergence of M.S. Dhoni as an attacking batsman. His strokeplay at Vizag was breathtaking to say the least. But it is still too early to hail his as India's Adam Gilchrist. Far too many players in this Indian side have promised so much in their early days but failed to deliver. One hopes Dhoni doesn't follow the same trend.

One more aspect Indian cricket has to improve on is to accept criticism and not hit out against the media and ex-players. Certainly after this performance, they deserve a harsh treatment. And instead of making excuses for their defeats, they must try and learn from their mistakes. The fact that India lost the series was very disappointing, but the manner in which they caved in was most disheartening.

For all his services to Indian cricket, John Wright certainly deserved a better send off.