the doosra: Why India didn't lose the first test at Nagpur!

So it's the beginning of the 'England in India' series and as always, it starts with English players getting ruled out of the opener. Fortunately, it wasn't the stomach virus this time around. But unfortunately England has never seen a full strength team entering the series and getting severely depleted just before the first test.

But that aside, with Collingwood not only saving the first innings but also giving them an advantage after an Indian top order collapse, an event occured on the third day of the match, which indicated that come what, India will not lose this match.

That was the debut wicket by left-armer Monty Panesar. His victim - Sachin Tendulkar. Here's what transpired. He wanted too much too fast. Sachin was playing well and didn't seem perturbed and it would be a prize wicket, as always, for any bowler. So Monty started praying "Wahe Guru, gar tussi yeh wicket mennu dedi to aage jaake kuch nahi mangoonga". His prayers were heard and he went into history as the spinner, who came back to the land of his forefathers and plumbed Sachin Tendulkar on debut (gave India a taste of their own medicine, sort of). A better accolade was showered only when Azhar hit three centuries in a row in his first three tests.

But what Monty missed and Guru Nanak Saheb knew was that another prayer was forthcoming, this time from the opposition. As Harbhajan failed to get any wicket in the second innings, continuing his dismal form on the sub-continent, he prayed, "Wahe Guru, bas yeh match draw karvado, mennu aur kuch nahi chahiye". If it hadn't been for Harbhajan's greed for saving his spot on the team and Monty's greed for going into the annals, England might just have won the test.

So the moral the story is it must be hard out there for Guru Nanak Saheb, particularly in Punjab where he has to daily resolve conflicting prayers from so many Sikhs ;) And for that matter, it must be hard for all the other Gods who have a lot of following. So give them a break, people.