BIRMINGHAM: Kingdoms fall. Empires crumble. Regimes collapse. It is the unwritten law of history. But who would have thought that India's reign would come to an end like this - so swiftly, so feebly, so abjectly? In just three Tests, spread over three dismal weeks and across three historic cities, they have not just tumbled from the pedestal; they have fallen from grace, from reverence even, only to land firmly on their swollen faces.
As the last rites were performed on Saturday, the most worshipped team's triumphs and achievements faded into insignificance. As the innings-and-242-run win was completed, the great run-machine's reputation and legacy lay in tatters.
BIRMINGHAM: Kingdoms fall. Empires crumble. Regimes collapse. It is the unwritten law of history. But who would have thought that India's reign would come to an end like this - so swiftly, so feebly, so abjectly? In just three Tests, spread over three dismal weeks and across three historic cities, they have not just tumbled from the pedestal; they have fallen from grace, from reverence even, only to land firmly on their swollen faces.
As the last rites were performed on Saturday, the most worshipped team's triumphs and achievements faded into insignificance. As the innings-and-242-run win was completed, the great run-machine's reputation and legacy lay in tatters.