Let’s face it… this series is as boring as “santa barbera” and also as long and no hot babes or good wine. For teams like India and Sri Lanka, it was the test for checking out the new crop as part of the rebuilding process and for the other, a good tour to assess how well their rebuilding process have developed so far. To start with, I really pity the Indian team, as I don’t quite recollect ever them playing so many matches on the trot… and it is a really long season. Starting from the SA, England series to the twenty-20 world cup and all way to the Auss at home and away… the schedule is way too maddening even for a cricket fan. On top of it, there is this IPL buzz.

Rain had spoiled the contest in the early parts of the series which brings us to the question of whether the organizers were aware that these rains were generally expected during this time of the year or was it as freakish as George Bush dancing silly to African beats. If it was freakish, then we could watch George Bush during the rain intervals but if they were aware, the organizers should be forced to play ‘spin the bottle’ with Dennis Rodman and a bootleg DVD of the same released.

Coming to the Sri Lankan team which just got kayoed out of the tournament by India, it is hard to imagine that this is the side which was recently a world cup finalist and also considered a good one day side. I was particularly keen to watch on how much they have progressed since they started their rebuilding quite sometime back and feel they have to make some decisions to change people at the opening both with the ball and bat. Jayasuriya, a warrior that he truly is, has definitely slowed down and old enough to read bed time stories of his exploits to his children or maybe even his grandchildren. Hints of his destructive power were evident in this series but he has lost his consistency and is in danger of loosing fast his good batting average figures. Sri Lankan muppets had apparently pulled the plug on him yet again for the future one-day matches and is about the right time for him to bid adieu, take a tour of India and wallop some U19 bowler in the IPL. The point is that they need to think of changing both the opening pairs which is critical, as none seem to be doing well. Tharanga was given ample opportunities and squandered. Many others didn’t do anything worth even remembering their names.

On the other hand in the bowling department, Chaminda Vaas has definitely lost his edge. Like the cunning and highly under-rated fox that he is, he does shows signs here and there once in a while on why he is still in the country’s Jedi Council. It is time for him to hang up his boots and give way to Maharoof, who is a logical and good choice to lead the new ball.

Sang’s is easily the best batsmen in the world but and it must be difficult for him considering how well he plays whacking all the top bowlers early on to their ancestors in Africa. But that is till Jayawardene is around, after which he is forced to prod around, while the rest takes a walk with their dogs to the pitch and back.

Coming to India, their bowling department specifically their fast swing bowlers all had a good tournament and showed there is enough depth. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about spin and there is huge crunch of quality spinners in India and who in the world would have imagined that happening in India.

Sreesanth got walloped and perhaps now knows what the meaning of fear is and hopefully will shut his dancing mouth issuing grand statements and let his bowling do all the talking.

Ishanth has started sledging already… hate to know where all of this is leading. To be fair he bowled superbly, took some wallops as well but on the whole an exciting bowler for India and exciting is not a word you could use for an Indian bowler. 150ks… blow me down and hopefully, he will not transform himself into a Munaf. Speaking of Munaf, I think Greg Chappell completely ruined him.

As for the batting the less said the better. It will be fair to assess them a couple of series later. Gambhir has been outstanding and looks to be the only one in the new crop who has the desire and dedication to play long match winning knocks.

Robin Uthappa has ruined his cricket. Watching him play a couple of year’s ago was mind-blowing with all the shots in the book with naked aggression. His run a ball fifty had just one shot through out and that is where the twenty-20 success seems to have rubbed onto his technique and honestly looks very ordinary. It is with no wonder that he had not scored much in the domestic season this year. I really hope that he goes back and use his earlier techniques and use his fancy footwork and cross-batted chips and slog intelligently. In that match, I thought Pathan batted far better than Uthappa.

India should be quite happy that they reached the finals with a young team on their first outing and that should give them reasonable confidence.

And to the champs, the Aussies, there were deep red problems in their batting and predictably, somehow just when the heat was turning on, they all came to the party. Neilson has to be made the father figure of Australia. How else can you explain a statement which basically means that as long as you are playing well and are in the finals, you can even shit on the umpires hat and hand it back. Of course the umpires will agree too and wear it. With Ponting, Symo back in form, things now looks very good.

On the whole, this has been a boring series, very dull… hopefully, there will be some interesting cricket left to offer in the finals.