Sri Lanka lost their opening match of the tri-nation series Down Under. What is defeat however, to a team that has been battling misery for months and playing with empty purses against a side that is backed by the richest Board in the world?

Because we celebrated our success for too long to see what the future holds for us. Because we chose to ignore that nothing and nobody remains forever. Because we have no roadma.

It’s summer-time in January in Australia but this year, the heat just got a little too unbearable.

The cliché in cricket has always been its unpredictable nature. And who best to know it than a team of 15 in blue. A year began with a bang and the next with a loud thud of defeat(s).

The message in the denouement at Melbourne and Sydney has been loud and clear. The portents are grim. The No. 2 ranking, after enjoying numero uno status, in Tests is on the line and fans are jittery.

There was a time when the lions of cricket roamed stadiums all over with pride. They roared with the bat and killed with the ball. They hunted in packs and were the undisputed kings of the 'game.' The Australian team now, resemble the same lions albeit ragged, aging and toothless from numerous fights. Threatening but not frightening.

With the India-Australia encounter on the cards and with some calling it the 'Aagnipath' series, sports analysts worldwide are going gaga about the possible outcome. Promos of Sourav Ganguly and Steve Waugh talking about the intensity of the always-hard-fought contest between the two teams have begun. I, however, have this numbness considering the two main protagonists of this clash - Harbhajan Singh and Andrew Symonds - will be missed badly.