MUMBAI MASSACRE

Historic defeat: Rohit & Co lose 0-3, first-ever clean sweep by a visiting team on

- GOMESH S

GO high or go broke. It seems to be the theme of Indian cricket at the moment. It looks spectacular when things go your way - as it did in Kanpur. But when it doesn't, it looked exactly like what happened on the hot Sunday morning at the Wankhede Stadium. Chasing 147, India were bundled out for 121 to lose the final Test by 25 runs and the series 0-3. A clean sweep at home for the first time since 1999-2000. Losing all three matches of a Test series at home for the first time ever.

Batting on this pitch was always going to be tricky. However, Indian batters pushed the panic button and crumbled, once again, getting reduced to 29/5 in 7.1 overs. Scratch that, India pulled themselves down to that with skipper Rohit Sharma leading the way.

The captain, who had been in poor form since the home season began in Chennai, continued to do what he had been trying. He tried to take everything that came his way. Whether it was charging at Matt Henry, who had been extracting extra bounce off the surface and dismissed Sharma in the first innings, or going for the sweep against Ajaz Patel, Sharma seemed like he was in a hurry. The first mistimed pull cleared mid-on and got him a boundary, but the second one found Glenn Phillips at mid-wicket. Another failure for Sharma, and it was just the beginning.