You are either having trouble understanding what I have written or you probably do not want to understand and just keep on arguing about this. A test series win is a test series win. It does not matter to me if it is a 2 match series or a 5 match series. Sri Lanka won the series and that is the fact. We can not predict what would have happen had they played a 5 match series. You are saying that they would have probably lost but the exact opposite could have happened as well. They probably would have went on to win 2 more matches afterwards based on the confidence they got from that win. We can predict anything we want but in the end, we have to limit our argument based on what result we have in front of us which was a series win for Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka had 2 most experienced players on that recent England tour but you also have to remember how poor they have been in England. MS Dhoni averaged more than both of them in England even before this recent tour. Mahela got 2 half centuries in this recent tour but it wasn't a fluent Mahela that we are used to, he struggled to get those runs. Sanga on the other hand was brilliant. Experience counts for sure but it's absolutely rubbish to say that it would make you win. How you perform with that previous experience is what makes it count.
I want them to fight but if we keep on performing like how we did in the last 3 test matches, I don't see any other result but a whitewash in Australia. It sounds pretty clear to me, I don't know how the hell you are getting confused with that?
See you are now ignoring what I am saying.
A two test series doesn't show much. If Ind had only played two tests only they too would have won the series. Would it have made them a great side? You may not what SL would have done had they played 5 matches, but we
do know that Ind had they played a 2 match series, only they would have won too. After Lord's it was 1-0 India !
"Experience counts for sure but it's absolutely rubbish to say that it would make you win. How you perform with that previous experience is what makes it count."
Did I just read that right. Experience counts, but doesn't make you win. Then how does it count? What else does it do, how else is it useful, if it doesn't help you win? Why was Sanga brilliant, because with past experience he knows how to play in SL. What to do what not to do. How else was he superb. Yes one has to use experience properly but when one has no previous experience what is he supposed to use.
Again you didn't answer the question on whitewash. Your idea of a fight means anything that doesn't lead to a whitewash. Suppose India fight and lose 4 very close test matches. It is still a white wash, though, but they fought, would that be acceptable to you?
Look I know its heated times, and fans are unhappy. I am unhappy too. However, the litmus test for this side is being made out to be the AUs tour. I am saying that for a side struggling this bad, and having such a terrible time on overseas pitches, to then pick up the pieces in just a few months and deliver and improve, that too on the toughest tour there is, is being a bit unreasonable.
If it was say WI away, we could have said fine lets see what htey learnt, because against WI they are expected to compete, and if we can see improvements or not. Against Aus though, even if things were learnt and improvement was made, then they would still not show as Aus can simply overpower Ind and suppress what Improvements were made (assuming they were made).
So don't treat Aus as the litmus test, or a defining tour. Its a hard tour for hte best of sides, let alone one struggling so poorly overseas.
Lets take another example. Suppose weight lifter competes to lift 100 kgs but really struggles. Then the next tournament is the toughest and he has to lift 200 Kgs. Is it fair for his fans to say last opportunity, lift 200 Kgs or thats it. I mean the guy can barely lift 100 kgs. So either tell him he is done now, or then give him room to develop with reasonable expections.
What you cannot do is to tell this lifter who is struggling in the 100kg class, to in a few months start competing in the 200kg class. That is not going to happen.
India cannot compete in England, how will they compete in Aus in just a few months? There are two options. Either say tell MSD and Fletcher and all get out now, you are not good enough, we do not think we can improve under you. Or you can say fine we think you can still improve so we give you more opportunities. These are two policy calls either of wihch depending on BCCI's confidence or us as fans we can take.
However neither BCCI nor the fans, can then say MSD, we expect you to improve and in a few months even though you failed in the 100 kg category, we expect you to start lfiting 200kgs (start winning on the tour to AUs). How will that happen. They can barele compete in England, how will they compete in Australia in just a few months. We know we seek improvement but we must also be rational about how much improvement can be made in a few months time.
