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          Form is temporary, Yuvraj is permanent

          • Nitin SundarMar 30, 2014, 04:45 PM
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              Social media manager Nitin spent his formative years perfecting the art of landing the googly, before blossoming into a book-cricket specialist. More excellence followed in the underarm version of the game before, like the majority of India's misguided youth, he started taking studies seriously. After four forgettable years of electrical engineering, followed by a rigorous MBA and 16 months in the strategy consulting industry, he began to ponder life's more profound issues. Such as the angle made by Brian Lara's bat with the horizontal at the peak of his back-lift. A move to ESPNcricinfo followed and Nitin is now a prolific nurdler in office cricket, with a questionable technique against the short ball.

          It was a game that broke some trends.

          Not everyone was unhappy to see India bat first for a change.

          This was the first of three dead rubbers in the last five matches of the Super10s stage.

          Rohit Sharma didn't stretch himself or the scorers too much, perishing in Brad Hodge's opening over.

          Hodge from one end. Glenn Maxwell from the other.

          Virat Kohli got going with customary confidence.

          Australia rang in the changes. Four different bowlers in the first five overs.

          India lost Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane in quick succession, which brought a rusty Yuvraj Singh to the middle.

          Perhaps India were just looking to get their under-exposed middle order some batting time?

          For a while, there was more excitement off the field, thanks to a fan who showed up with some scary looking eyewear.

          Yuvraj came alive in a James Muirhead over, where he picked him for two sixes on the leg side.

          Just like that, Yuvraj was back. He took a toll on everyone in the end overs, with an off-driven six off Mitchell Starc his stand-out shot.

          Australia were up against it right from the start of their chase.

          Aaron Finch struggled before losing his wicket to R Ashwin. Cameron White and Shane Watson didn't last long either, putting the onus squarely on Glenn Maxwell.

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          Just when you thought you'd seen (and heard) everything:

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          Maxwell struck three huge sixes before missing a switch-hit off an Ashwin carrom ball.

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          Australia sank without a trace thereafter, with Ashwin and Amit Mishra spinning them out without breaking a sweat.

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          As the Architect from The Matrix said: "Hope, it is the quintessential human delusion, simultaneously the source of their greatest strength, and your greatest weakness."

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          Three losses in three games. Where does Australia go from here?

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