Banned, beaten, berated: India's tour of Australia is in bad shape

[1]

The captain's going down with the ship.

India's woes in the ongoing series against Australia compunded today with embattled skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni being handed a one-match ban for slow over rate that rules him out of the fourth Test in Adelaide.

Vice-captain Virender Sehwag will lead the side in Dhoni's absence.

As if the three consecutive heavy defeats, including the one here that ended with an innings and 37-run defeat for India, was not bad enough, Dhoni's ban from the Adelaide Test comes as another major setback for the visitors who are struggling to come to terms with the conditions Down Under.

Following India's meek surrender, the team's seventh overseas defeat in a row starting with the Lord's Test in England last summer, Dhoni was penalised because he failed to bowl the full quota of overs. India fell 2 overs short.

I'm the main culprit

Dhoni has had trouble even in the past with getting the regulated number of overs bowled.

Today, he took the blame on himself for a disastrous performance of his team against Australia, saying that he was the main culprit as the captain.

"I need to blame myself as I am the leader of this side. Of course, I am the main culprit, so yes I blame myself," Dhoni said at the post-match press conference here.

Dhoni also defended the seniors batsmen who have come under sharp criticism for consistently failing in Australia as well as preceding series in England.

Asked whether the seniors should be phased out, Dhoni said that should come up only after the end of the series.

"We will have to see what is the thought of seniors. It has to be a very careful decision that needs to be taken. They have experience, they can share it with youngsters," he said.

Experience?

Laxman has scored just 102 runs from the six innings he has played in the ongoing series against Australia so far, with one half century, averaging only 17.

His overall record in Australia, in comparison, is an extremely impressive 50.65 with six hundreds from 28 Tests.

Laxman also had a poor run in England last year, averaging only 22.75 from four matches. There was speculation that Laxman himself may announce his retirement after the Australia tour.

Dravid, meanwhile, has been getting bowled repeatedly in Australia. He has been bowled eight times in his last ten innings and has been bowled 54 times in his career.

Dhoni himself has not done well in Australia and England.

He has scored 102 runs in the six innings he has played so far in the ongoing series against Australia, with 57 not out in the second match his highest.

'It's just controversy'

The BCCI has expressed concern over the defeats and has also promised to take corrective measures. Vice President Rajiv Shukla said that all the teams face tough times at some stage or the other.

"We admit that their performance has not been up to expectations. But it happens with all the teams. Recently fomer World champions Sri Lanka were all out for just 47," Shukla told reporters while reacting to India's defeat in the Perth Test by an innings and 37 runs.

"We have won also on foreign soil. No one talks then, and all this controvesry has been raked up due to defeats in England and Australia.

The fourth and final Test in Adelaide begins on January 24.

All the very best boys

What is going wrong with the Indian team? Should we let the seniors rest? Do leave your comments below: