The logical consequence of this cognizance is that the think-tank will realise that something is amiss; it will acknowledge that it's time to make changes, even if they are minor tweaks.
India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his think-tank might look at Saturday night's tie and convince themselves that they are not on a downward spiral; what else can one conclude by looking at their rigid tactics and dogged refusal to ring in the changes?
Ironically, or maybe one should say misleadingly, India escaped from jail in the third one-dayer primarily because the weak links made a desperate attempt to break free from their shackles and self-doubts.
Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan, who have visibly looked uncomfortable since they landed in South Africa, took their chances and made the most of them; they added 64 before retreating in quick succession, both succumbing to vain shots. They have clearly not realised the virtue of patience, or the value of discretion.
No doubt, they are exciting as a pair, capable of demolishing any attack; but there is a case for understanding if Rohit is more comfortable in the middle order (at least away from home), or even if he is more useful there. Especially, when there is a readymade option: Ajinkya Rahane.
The lanky youngster is beginning to look solid; importantly, he rotates the strike and keeps the scoreboard on the move. In the middle order, he often succumbs to the mounting run-rate; he is clearly not a power-hitter despite having the shots and the ability to pierce the field.
Suresh Raina is a true wonder: devastating at home, even more so in T20, he is struggling with short-pitched attacks on bouncy tracks; often, he falls for the bluff, playing the pull shot when it is not needed. His last two knocks of 31 and 35, however, save him but that is only a travesty.
The spin twins provide another quandary: the captain believes that R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja are an integral part of every scheme, and their Saturday heroics will stand them in good stead; but the fact remains that their success rate with the ball, on tours, is dipping.
Dhoni refused to opt for four pacers, on the premise that he will be banned for slow over-rate; moreover, we still lose, he counters. He may be right on the second count: the pacers on the bench don't enthuse confidence, and one needs to ask if it's a commentary on the talent at hand or a selection flaw.
And finally to the big question: to chase or not. Given the batting strength and bowling weakness the current ploy seems inevitable; but the bowlers are going for big runs even on helpful pitches and that is a cause for concern. The batsmen invariably begin under the cosh, and that is not healthy in the long run.
For now, though, it is clear that India will stick to the trodden path; will it help them come out of the rut or will they go deeper into it? The next couple of games will tell us.
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