India still seek elusive win

India landed in England on July 13. Over the last two months they have lost eight players to injuries, many others have lost form, and an equal number didn't even bring it to begin with. Their No. 1 ranking is gone, the Twenty20 international was lost, and now they can't even win the ODI series. The frightening part for them is that things could still get worse from here. This match is their last chance to win an international in England; the final game is in Wales.

In terms of disastrous tours, this one ranks right up there with the ones to Australia in 1991-92 and 1999-2000, to South Africa in 1996-97 and to the West Indies in 1989 (leaving aside the tours before India started winning Tests). Yet, except for the West Indies in 1989, they managed to win something on the other tours. Here all the silverware they carry is Rahul Dravid's Man-of-the-Series award in Tests and Ravindra Jadeja's Man-of-the-Match from The Oval ODI. It could still be argued, a bit cruelly, that for all his heroics, Dravid wouldn't have won his award but for the England norm to present a series award to a player from both teams.

Then again cruel is what this trip has been. The weather has interrupted at crucial moments, killing the first ODI with India in ascendency, reducing the second to a near T20, a format where England are world champions. It could be argued that the Duckworth-Lewis method helped India in the third ODI, but their momentum was stalled just when they were making a comeback and the damp outfield negated the spinners to an extent.

All that doesn't mask England's ruthlessness at the fag end of a long season. If they stunned India with their unwavering will in the Test series, complacency and contentment have been conspicuous by their absence so far in the ODIs. Unlike their winter Ashes tour, where they emptied their tank in the Tests, England have fuel left in reserve here. Craig Kieswetter has brought freshness to the top of the order and the pitch for The Oval ODI suggests they can produce green tracks without any fear of a backlash from India's attack.

Lord's, though, is usually a flat track, but weather forecasts that suggest a 60% chance of precipitation could spell further trouble for the visitors. If it helps, two of India's most famous wins have come at Lord's: the World Cup final of 1983 and the 326-run chase in the 2002 NatWest final.