The tail stands tall

Robin Uthappa, aided by the tail, broke India's unwanted record of going ten years without successfully chasing a target in an ODI against Australia. His 47 was the meat of the Indian innings, but the tail chipped in admirably to end the streak of defeats while chasing. Since May 1998, India have failed to chase on 18 occasions, losing 15 times, with three games being washed out.

Murali Kartik, who stopped the Aussies dead in their tracks with 6 for 27, had to bring all his brains with him when he came in to bat at 143 for 8, with 51 still needed. And with a slice of luck, he ensured that his bowling success was not at the wrong end of the result and that Sachin Tendulkar, who has most likely played his last international game at the Wankhede Stadium, could walk away in victory.

All through this series, India have had Australia in some trouble early on. In the first game Australia went from 90 for 4 to 307. In the second they turned 66 for 3 into 306 and, in the third, 135 for 3 became 290. The fourth India won, batting first, and in the fifth Australia won by nine wickets chasing a small total. In the sixth game, Australia went from 129 for 4 to 317.

So even when India had Australia at 117 for 4, they would not have thought the game was wrapped up. What happened, though, was that Kartik pressed on, ensuring that Australia only managed 193. Harsh critics will suggest that Mitchell Johnson should not have been allowed to score 24 at No. 10, but that's missing the point.

Unless the wicket is a green seamer, like you sometimes get in New Zealand where neither team is able to score too many and batsmen don't feel set even after spending an hour at the crease, 194 is a target that should be chased down. The target was so gettable that it's not even worth discussing whether India had done the right thing by leaving out Rahul Dravid.

However, the manner in which the Australians bowled was a template on how to defend totals. When they came out under lights, their body language suggested they were defending 294 rather than 194. The opening bowlers, Brett Lee and Mitchell Johnson, as they have done all series, steamed in and got all the basics of fast bowling dead right. They attacked the stumps while swinging the ball at pace, and aside from a few wides, which probably resulted from being unable to control swing, hit an excellent line and length.

India's batsmen, and they should not take this as too harsh a criticism, floundered when there was a bit of movement. It's one thing to bully bowlers on flat tracks, making 300-plus regularly, but quality batsmen score when there's something in the pitch for the bowlers. And this pitch was not substandard by any means. It had bounce and turn, and the ball came onto the bat nicely, giving good value for shots once a batsman was in.

India's batsmen, in the face of strong bowling - Lee and Johnson were well backed up by Nathan Bracken and James Hopes - outdid Australia's in the collapsing stakes. Eight for 2 became 49 for 4 before slipping to 64 for 6. Uthappa then showed that it was possible to score on this pitch, adding 64 for the seventh wicket With Harbhajan Singh, and while it took India away from humiliation, it still appeared that defeat was imminent.

It was left to Zaheer Khan and Kartik to steer - literally, as all three of Kartik's boundaries were steered behind the stumps with the bat face open, and figuratively - India to victory. Zaheer, batting with uncharacteristic discipline, only chanced his arm once, hitting Lee over long-on for six. The bowlers, who had set things up in the first half of the day, were left to finish things off at the business end as well. It was great for the packed house that they managed to do so, but it should not gloss over the mistakes that almost ruined it all.