The Indian team has undergone some drastic changes on the eve of the fourth Test in Mumbai. These changes can be described as a classic instance of the stable door being latched after the horse has bolted ! Australia have a firm grip on the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and the only Test remaining in the series is a 'dead' affair at Mumbai.

Parthiv Patel has been singled out for his performance, or more appropriately, non-performance with the gloves. There is no doubting the fact that he is a stoic performer with the bat but he has flopped as a wicketkeeper. To err is human, but to consistently display duck feet behind the stumps and a strange reluctance to go for some of the catches is inexcusable. The wicketkeeper is usually the most agile and vocal player on the field and his mobility and effusiveness are usually the keys to the confidence and energy-levels of the fielding side. Parthiv's contributions in these areas were conspicuous by their absence, and this meant that Australia got away on more than one occasion from perilous positions to post commanding and formidable totals, which were too much for the out-of-form Indian batsmen. Dinesh Karthik is a newcomer at the Test level, but his impressive under-19 performances and the state of affairs in the Indian dressing-room have compelled the Indians to try out the young wicketkeeper against a formidable opposition such as Australia.

Akash Chopra's respectable partnerships with Virender Sehwag during India's tour Down Under earlier this year were the backbone of India's robust tussle with the world champions. But perhaps his self-doubts were brought to the fore with the skipper Sourav Ganguly undermining his faith in the opener. Thereafter, it was a downhill slide for Akash Chopra as he was a sitting duck for the Australian bowlers. To his chagrin, he found himself replaced by Yuvraj Singh, who in the previous Test, struggled to curb his temptation to reach for the ball wide outside the off-stump. Yuvraj Singh was already battling for his place in the side and the poor lad had no time to redress his previous flaws, with Mohammad Kaif proving that it was a mistake to keep him out of Test cricket for three years. Yuvraj was forced to open the Indian innings in a bid to retain his place in the playing eleven. He failed miserably and found himself sitting on the bench while Akash Chopra was given one more chance which he too failed to utilize. Yuvraj Singh now faces a battle to even make a name for himself in the middle order, which until recently was his for the taking !

How teams can go into such a testing battle against a quality side like Australia without choosing the best man for the job is baffling! Sourav Ganguly perhaps will take the blame partially for the debacle we witnessed in Nagpur. The fate of the pitch should never be in the hands of the players. Yes, spectators and players expect a fair pitch that will offer some pace and bounce early on and then, favour spin as well as the match progresses. He may be rightly aggrieved, given that India relies heavily on spin to sustain their lion-like reputation at home, but to blow it out of proportion has clearly backfired. By vociferously expressing his views on the pitch and concentrating less on strategy seems to have team digressed from its mission. And so what if the pitch offered more than usual pace and bounce? Has not the same team done well on similar pitches abroad? Perhaps it would also have been a golden opportunity for some of the brilliant but out-of-form batsmen to take another bite at the cherry. Sachin Tendulkar's return should perhaps have been hyped a little more if only to shift focus and send a tiny shiver in the opposition camp. Naturally it would asking too much of even Sachin Tendulkar to bat like a maestro straightaway. But the mind can play funny games! And India were threatening to pose a stiffer battle after the rain washed out any Indian hopes of squaring the series at Chennai. Sourav Ganguly now suffers the ignominy of being labelled for dropping out of the Nagpur Test at the eleventh hour with a stated groin injury.

Ajit Agarkar's one outing proved too expensive a proposition and he was promptly dropped from the squad. Irfan Pathan's injury has dashed India's bowling mettle. Zaheer Khan though seemed to relish the limelight as he gave a much better opening performance. Bringing in the specialist openers before the Nagpur Test would have at least given India the chance to put up a better total than the meagre 185 and 200. What was there to lose anyway as far as the opening slot was concerned? The same with the case of the wicketkeeper. In the long gap between the second and third Tests, India should have been rolling in these necessary changes so that the players were attuned to the needs of the dressing-room and had time to play themselves into the pressure boiler. The need of the hour was serious strategising while the visitors took a break. But far too much time was spent in much the same way as it has been through India's lean performance in the one-day version of the game over the last three or four months. Resting on past laurels gets you nowhere.

Adding a couple of new dimensions to the game such as change in personnel through a rotation system, even subtle changes in the approach towards the game can make a huge difference. The lack of it was India's downfall. On the plus side, these changes will give the new players a chance to understand the playing field and stake a place in the series against South Africa that is round the corner. Unless there is sufficient talent and perseverance warming the bench, the sluggish attitude of the players is bound to remain as it is. Perhaps, there will be one or two who do go on to make hay while the sun shines, with the pressure to retain the Border-Gavaskar trophy clearly off their shoulders.