Will India now look at future?

London: The miserable Indian team arrived in London on Monday afternoon, hoping to save at least a Test if not its reputation or pride. It, however, didn't just carry a pall of gloom with it; it brought along an uncomfortable question too: who will bell the cat?The Board has, of course, been lambasted for its shortsightedness and its mindless greed; the players have been accused of not listening to the signals emanating from their bodies; the team management has also been charged with inadequate preparation and poor planning, if not incompetence.

India have already slipped from the number one position and everybody's esteem too; if they lose at the Oval now, they will go further down to number three. And if the current mood is any indication, there is absolutely no fight left in the team. The slide will only continue.

Gautam Gambhir proudly proclaimed that they would fight with whatever is left in the tank; fair enough. Mahendra Singh Dhoni refused to take up the matter of scheduling with the Board, saying he didn't want to walk into any controversy; fair enough.

Back home, chairman of selectors Kris Srikkanth even declared that India could be number one again. "We all have to plan for the future," he had told TOI. Yes, there is no doubt about it. But is anybody out there willing to look into the future? To see what it looks like?

Clearly, it's a matter of time before the Indian team wears a new look; surely, it can't be long before Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Rahul Dravid and Zaheer Khan (due to injury) call it a day. But will anybody in the Board even bother to sit and have a frank chat with them, individually or collectively?

Dravid simply directed his gaze towards Tendulkar when asked if he had bought at least a couple of seasons for himself with that amazing century at Lord's. "I will not worry about tomorrow. I will just live in the present, focus on the job at hand," he said.

At that point it made sense. He seemed to be in top form and fitness too, tackling the tough conditions and the determined bowlers squarely. Tendulkar and Laxman also looked on top of their games, ready for every fight .

But to get into India's real problem, one simply has to look at the other batsmen, and not at them: Suresh Raina and Abhinav Mukund. They simply were not in any position to cope with the demands of Test cricket; they had no answers to short-pitched bowling, to relentless attacking.

Let us not forget that Tendulkar, Dravid and Laxman too, despite all their talent and skill, also needed time and exposure to unravel Test cricket. Each match, each tour sharpened their instincts and after a long, tough journey they have reached this stage, where they are regarded as the masters of this craft.

When will the Virat Kohlis and Rohit Sharmas get their opportunities? When will they get to hone their batting at the highest level? Are they losing the edge as they wait on the sidelines? Indeed, wouldn't they have learnt so much by being on this tour, just absorbing from their experience?

Sadly, the Indian board doesn't believe in such subtleties. Like Dravid, though in a totally different context, they too believe in not worrying about the future; they too prefer to live in the moment. Considering that they are just honorary members, that too with a shelf life, maybe, that's the only way it's meant to be.

Of course, it won't be long before the team goes back to the familiar environs of India; it will again play on batting beauties and thrash weak oppositions. The future can go and take care of itself.