Shoaib was not committed to beating India

The moment Inzamam-ul Haq lost the toss he had an expression of disappointment at being made to bat first. This was the first sign that Pakistan were low on confidence and did not back their batsmen even against the inexperienced rookie bowlers India had fielded in the Test. From that moment onwards, the attitude of the Pakistan players continued to deteriorate right through the game, and this was inexplicable considering they had beaten this Indian team in four days just a week ago.

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Even without their key bowlers, Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh, and minus their captain Sourav Ganguly, India never looked like they were missing key players. This speaks volumes about the solidity of the Indian squad, by which I mean not only the players, but also the coach, physio and other support staff.

The way some senior players conducted themselves right through this Test also left a lot to be desired. I was really disappointed at the way Shoaib Akhtar conducted himself right through the Test. These green-top pitches were made for him after we decided to bow to public demand. After we provided favourable conditions, I was surprised to see that he was not really committed to beating India. For a Pakistani player, if you can't fight against India, then you won't fight against anybody.

This series was a great chance for Shoaib to become a national hero. Sadly, he did not deliver, and has missed one of the greatest opportunities of his career.

Besides his on-field performance, the way he conducted himself as a senior bowler in the side, with the youngsters, his captain and his coach, was really not a reassuring sight for Pakistan cricket.

He was not the only senior to disappoint. There was also Yousuf Youhana, who seemed to come into his own only when there was nothing but personal milestones to play for. When he reached 48 today you knew that he was thinking of having a good knockabout when nothing was left in the game.

Earlier, it was the Indians who used to come with big averages and scores but were unable to win Tests for the country. Today, it seems the Pakistanis are suffering from the same affliction.

Pakistan's top order batting was another disappointing aspect of the final Test. The Indians gave them a great opportunity by bowling below par for the first 45 minutes on the first day. However, the openers and the middle order just kept crumbling against what was just regular swing bowling. There was no pace to make the movement unplayable, and while India's young bowlers were accurate and steady, they were made to look better than they actually are by some shockingly poor batting.

The Indians were outstanding on all counts, on and off the field. This team is special, because they look to win Tests rather than merely achieve personal goals. I remember the batting line-up in 1987 as a formidable one on paper, but not once did they look capable of winning a game off their bats. That is the difference between this batting line-up and the one that India had till the early 1990s.

Rahul Dravid is part of that new breed of Indian batsmen, and unlike the Pakistanis, when he was dropped at 71, he made the opposition pay for it. His approach was brilliant and it was amazing to see that he did not play for himself at any point in his marathon innings.

At the end of the day, it was the better team that took both the trophies, in the one-dayers and the Tests.

The Pakistanis are a talented lot, so there were flashes of brilliance that kept the series alive. However, to win, you need more than personal talent and moments of genius. You need a team that is committed to the idea and purpose of winning. This Indian team possesses that commitment.

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