Fab Four Performance in Decline

Is this the end of the old order? The defeat in Sri Lanka has put a question mark over the future of the Fabulous Four that has ruled Indian cricket for over a decade. Barring a couple of gritty efforts from Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman, which did not prove enough in the end, there was nothing much to be impressed about. The question that is being asked now is, would the new boys have done worse?

"This series has proved that some of them are actually in the twilight of their Test careers as well...It's probably time for them to do some serious soul searching," former India captain K Srikkanth told the TOI on Tuesday.

Not just the players themselves, probably the selectors too will take a closer look at the performances. But then, there are a couple of important One-day tournaments before the next Test series against Australia. Even Lalchand Rajput, who was the coach of the youthful Indian team that won the T20 World Cup last year, feels that with the Tests against Australia looming, it would be unwise to drop the seniors at one go.

"Getting a whole new bunch before a Test series against Australia can have disastrous consequences. Instead of dropping all four straightaway, the selectors should slowly phase some of them out," Rajput said. He feels it is important for players like Rohit Sharma and S Badrinath to play alongside these seniors for some time in Test cricket, so that they mature well before taking over the mantle.

Former India opener WV Raman, too, echoed Rajput, but he doesn't want the public to over-react to one defeat. "The same players were winning you Test matches even against South Africa a few months back...We should still be patient before taking a final call on the careers of such great players," Raman reasoned.

But all three agreed that in the middle of all this gloom regarding the future of Fab Four, the one positive that has emerged from this series is the batting of Virender Sehwag. "He has always been a matchwinner for India...The most pleasing aspect in this series was the way he was ready to take responsibility," Srikkanth said.

He feels Sehwag has never been given the respect that he deserves, but "from now on, his head won't always be on the chopping blocks". Rajput, though, doesn't intend to put too much pressure on Sehwag by asking him to play Tendulkar's role.

"Don't expect him to be the fulcrum of the Indian batting...Sehwag plays the best when you don't ask too much from him and let him be himself," Rajput said.