There are precedents of an immediate Indian fightback

The average Indian cricket fan is a diehard optimist. No matter how badly the team suffers reverses, he is still convinced that better times are round the corner. He may criticise the selectors, the captain or some of the players but he will not write off the team's chances. From the gist of the letters that this site has been receiving, it is clear that most Indian cricket fans agree with Sourav Ganguly that while the first Test against Australia at Mumbai was lost by ten wickets inside three days, there are still two Tests to go and one can't really write off the Indian team. They are convinced that the Indians can still win and there is no reason to press panic buttons.

If anything, the beleaguered team and the diehard fans can take heart from the fact that there are a few precedents when an Indian team has fought back from one down in the series to draw level by winning the very next Test. The first such instance was in 1951-52 when pitted against a weak English team, India still managed to lose the fourth Test at Kanpur by eight wickets inside three days after the first three Tests were drawn. However they bounced back in right royal fashion by winning the next Test at Madras by an innings and eight runs in four days to level the series. Incidentally this was India's first victory in Test cricket.

Perhaps the most famous comeback by an Indian team was in 1959-60. The all conquering Australian side romped home by an innings and 127 runs with a day to spare in the first Test at New Delhi. With the visitors boasting of players like Colin McDonald, Neil Harvey, Norman O'Neill, Slasher Mackay, Peter Burge, Alan Davidson, Richie Benaud, Ian Meckiff and Wally Grout, a 5-0 clean sweep was quickly predicted. Yet just a week later, India had drawn level with a miraculous 119-run win at Kanpur. This was a most unexpected and an absolutely unbelievable result as the Indians had lost the previous six Tests which was part of a disastrous run of eleven defeats in 14 matches.

Five years later, the Indians again bounced back within a week. Beaten by 139 runs by Australia in the first Test at Madras, India turned the tables for a two wicket victory at Bombay to draw level in the series. The next instance took place eight years later. This time it was an unfancied England side which surprised India, then riding a wave of success, in the first Test at New Delhi with a six wicket victory. Ten days later however India hit back by winning the next Test at Calcutta by 28 runs on their way to clinching the series by two matches to one.

Since 1973, however there has been only one more instance of the Indian side drawing level immediately after losing the first Test. On January 31, 1999, India lost by 12 runs to Pakistan at Chennai. Exactly a week later, India, basking in the glory of Anil Kumble's ten for 74 feat, levelled the two match series with a 212-run victory. Of course there have been a couple of occasions when India has drawn level after losing the first two Tests of the series - against West Indies in 1974-75 and in Australia three years later. On both occasions, however India lost the decisive fifth match of the rubber.