WHAT a difference three lucky, last-minute wickets and seven unbowled balls make.
Had Anil Kumble's men drawn the Sydney Test, you would have to wonder whether they would have sat in a luxury hotel for the past two days, refusing to continue with the tour.
Surely Kumble would have been hailed a hero for his captain's knock on the final day and the Indians would be heading to Perth with a renewed optimism that they could match the Australians for the rest of the series.
But the truth is, the Indian side lost its nerve and three wickets with two overs left.
So now umpire Steve Bucknor, who made several critical mistakes in the second Test, has been sacrificed to appease the Indians and will not officate in the third Test, and the Board of Control for Cricket in India is expected to announce today that the tour will go ahead.
Had there been a different result, in a sane world, where effigies aren't burnt and columnists didn't seek to make headlines, you would have to wonder if Ricky Ponting would be painted as such a villain.
The Australian captain has been damned for attempting to stamp out racism, rabid Indian fans have called for his death and Fairfax newspapers have called for his head.
Yesterday, Fairfax columnist and expatriate Englishman Peter Roebuck called for Ponting's sacking. His column was picked up by the Indian media as they fanned the fires of discontent on the subcontinent.
But let's get things into focus. The Indian team refused t
