England succumb in face of Indian belief

There can’t be many sports where you can dominate you opponent for three whole days and still end up losing a match.

Kevin Pietersen’s England side found out just how cruel test cricket can be as they wilted in the face of a magnificent Indian run chase in Chennai.

The Indians did not just reach the fourth highest fourth inning victory total in test match history, they eased there with time and wickets to spare.

For three days and a session England were on top and it seemed only one team had a chance of winning this intriguing test match, played against the backdrop of all the security concerns following the Mumbai terrorist attacks.

But on the evening on the fourth day Virender Sehwag played an absolutely devastating innings that turned the game on its head.

Having set a target of 387, some in the Sky Sports studio were even suggesting the Indians may bat out the remaining four sessions of the game to try and salvage a draw.

Opener Sehwag had other ideas though and his 68-ball 83 was such a destructive and out-of-place knock that it reminded me of Pietersen’s own match winning effort at the Oval against Australia in 2005 that clinched the Ashes.

England were in charge of the game one moment and suddenly with a few swipes of his blade Sehwag had them looking like a rabble on its knees.

Of course, there was still a long way to go once Sehwag was out but he had played with the kind of self-belief that infects the rest of a team and knocked the stuffing out of England.

Tendulkar came in early on the fifth day and reminded everyone just what a class act he still is with an unbeaten century to see his side home with six wickets to spare.

The manner in which the Indians chased down there target suggested a new-found confidence and deep-seated belief that must largely have come from beating Australia in their last series.

For England defeat of this manner is always cruel to take and there are some positives to take onto Mohali, like the performance over the first three days particularly Andrew Strauss.

But one of the hardest accusations to face in team sports is that of a side incapable of closing out a game from winning positions.

As an England supporter the game has raised concerns over our bowling options but at the moment I prefer to take on the role of a neutral and revel in the sheer brilliance of the Indian batting display.