I am glad you think so. I think the only one who has had a prolonged bad patch is Dravid. Here are the averages of the top Indians for the last two calendar years.
Code:
[B]Player Inns 50s 100s HS Runs Avg[/B]
V Sehwag 17 2 3 319 1046 65.4
S R Tendulkar 29 7 4 *154 1287 49.5
V V S Laxman 30 8 2 *112 1136 47.3
S C Ganguly 36 8 3 239 1565 46.0
G Gambhir 8 3 0 74 318 39.8
M S Dhoni 23 6 0 92 712 37.5
W Jaffer 28 5 3 202 994 36.8
R Dravid 36 6 2 129 1148 35.9
Yuvraj Singh 7 0 1 169 220 31.4
Yuvraj's figures are worse than what 31.4 suggests since 169 of his aggregate 220 came in one innings.
Dravid is the only one from the top order who is struggling though as you say he seems to be showing some revival.
I think this last Test series has to be treated like the series we had in New Zealand before the 2003 WC. Then, due to terrible wickets NO one got any runs worth talking of. This time it was Mendis. Here too everyone struggled. When an entire batting line up falters, you dont sack al of them. Thats stupid with a capital S.
I think we have to look at individual cases and assess what is left in each in cricketing terms.
I think Laxman is not the batsman he once was. With Tendulkar and Dravid, the purity of technique will see them overcome a bad patch. With Laxman it is not technique that makes him a terrific player, it is his intuitive sense of ball play and beautiful hands. These things, once you start losing them, go fast. I hope I am wrong, but I dont see more than a year or so left in him.
Tendulkar's problem is not his game but motivation. It doesn't look as if he is enjoying his game. He really needs something to motivate him. Thats why a rest always does him good. Time away from the game rekindles his spirit and hunger. I wish he would play carefree cricket without worrying for the runs and then when he stops enjoying them he may call it a day. He does not have to prove anything to anyone. Nor should a hundred international hundreds (which I am sure is all that drives him now) be his goal because all these will make him play a game alien to his nature which will never give him joy.
You can easily see that there are innings when the spontaneity is missing and he seems to be 'working' at his innings. This is not his nature and it will do him no good. If he sorts out his head he can play for more years for he is physically fit (I am not talking injuries) and he is not a passenger as a fielder.
Dravid has the most cricket left in him of the lot but he is playing his innings in his head. Every failure seems to bother him more and more. The exaggerated defense he offers and the complete oblivion to even pushing for singles indicates that he is playing too much to occupy the crease. He was never a fast scorer but there was a fluidity in his game. I feel his experience as captain towards the latter part of it left him very unhappy and he is clearly a very sensitive chap who keeps his emotions bottled up inside him. I don't know when I last saw him smile. Someone needs to put his arm around him and tell him he is wanted and should forget everything and just play. He is a tortured soul. Maybe a time away will do him good. But one big knock and his problems will be history. With Sachin, they will keep coming because he is much less motivated than Dravid.
Finally Ganguly. He is the weakest batsman of the lot. His main strength left is his spirit. His game, which was never of the caliber of the others. is fast going downhill. He came back to make a statement and he has done it. He needs to really decide that he will play one last series and then not offer himself for selection. But he is also the one most likely to burst out with a sparkling 70 or 80. He is also the worst fielder of the lot. He has the least to gain by staying.
I think this is the last year for Ganguly and Laxman wont go beyond middle of next year.
Sachin is unpredictable and Dravid will go for longest unless the captaincy for Tests passes to Dhoni and the new skipper has new ideas as he has in other matters.
The selectors have to start preparing. There is no way India can manage with all of them going together, thats why a proper succession has to be planned. Players have to be identified to replace each over time and they have to be given opportunities so that its clear which are up to it. Then they have to be eased into the team one by one over the next two-three years.
Sachin and Dravid can go on but surely they need a break. Sachin has got his.
