Lessons before the witchhunt

Instead of looking back, invest in the future of cricket.

One afternoon of trepidation-laden batting "" when our eminently watchable batting collapsed on the fourth day of the final Test from 90 for 2 to be all out for 169 ugly runs "" has resulted in the loss of an overseas series that India should have won.

No doubt, we are in for a spell of witchhunt and bloodletting. Umpire's Post had kept its head amid the euphoria of the first Test win in South Africa and you can rely on it to stay sane in the agony of defeat.

So, as the board invests in investigations, here is an action plan at a fraction of the cost, which is the cover price of this newspaper.

Chin up. This is pleasant dejà vu. The winter tour to New Zealand in the run-up to the last World Cup had posed many more depressing questions. We turned around then...

Australia can nudge players into retirement, not India. As the chairman of selectors never tires of pointing out, our reserves cupboard is more naked than bare. The old guard deserves to be preserved and given confidence. To begin with, Ganguly (no reasons required to be listed) and Laxman (our best one-day batsman in 2004 before being sacked the next year) should be back in the one-day team.

Even though resident TV pundit Ravi Shastri is vociferous in Sehwag's defence, we need to reconcile to his current status. Once the most exciting opener, Sehwag has become the most predictable wicket to fall. It was a mistake to put him back in the opening slot in the second innings of the third Test when Kaarthick had done so well in the first. Hope may spring eternal, but it is in hibernation right now.

We need to resolve the third seamer/fourth bowler conundrum. VRV and Munaf have stood out like sore thumbs commensurate with their admirable height. With no bowling all-rounder in sight (Aaaaah, Irfan!), it may be time to resurrect any of the several bowling prospects that were shining bright just a season or two ago: Balaji and Nehra readily spring to mind. Let's at least check how they are doing. A bowling coach won't hurt either.

With due respect to the plethora of sponsors chasing Dhoni, he is clearly facing second/third season blues. He is a credible talent, but Kaarthick has presented a credible alternative.

The Proteas escaped too many tight spots in this short series. And Dravid's team became only the eighth in history to lose a three-Test series after winning the first. These are not symptoms of abundant mental strength. We can do worse than permanently attaching a psychologist to the team. Surely, BCCI can afford one.