Whenever Pakistan loses a crucial match there is the sprouting of many theories, from the outlandish to the sinister but rarely an admission that the team can't handle pressure and the reason for this is that there is no dressing-room leadership.

At the same time, playing at an international level, a player should not have to be told what is expected of him. Jason Gillespie went in a night watchman for Australia at Chennai against a buoyant bowling attack that included two of the best spinner in the world and batted on a wicket that was a mine-field.

Gillespie batted for more than four hours and stood rock-solid and was involved in a partnership with Damien Martyn that put on 130 runs. That's spine and grit and most of all commitment.

Commitment is a word that does not seem to exist in the vocabulary of our players, whether it is English, Urdu or Punjabi. In the final of the triangular Pakistan was bowled out in 38 overs.

It seemed to me that once Inzamamul Haq was out, Pakistan all but decided that the match was over and the innings just folded up. dissolved like a tablet of Dispirin in a glass of water.

But let me start from the beginning. In the dress-rehearsal before the final, Pakistan did everything right. It won the toss and put Sri Lanka in because of the dew-factor.

Sri Lanka put the runs on the board but Pakistan successfully chased the runs thanks to a blistering start given by the openers and Inzamam provided the icing on the cake. There is no doubt that the dew-factor had kicked in and bowling and fielding was difficult.

But Sri Lanka learnt from the harsh conditions and appeared to have done their homework. Pakistan's Plan A had worked and saw no reason why it would not work again so that there was no Plan B.

The only change in the final was that Shoaib Akhtar was given the new ball and this decision appeared to have done wonders for his hamstring injury. He bowled a very good first spell. He was taken off after bowling four overs but should have bowled a couple more because he had got into his rhythm.

But that is neither nor there and once again Sri Lanka got the runs on the board. and the Pakistan bowling, which had been disciplined, seem to lose its way. But Pakistan had Plan A which had, however, not allowed for the extra intensity that Sri Lanka brought to its fielding. The dew too was not as heavy.

I really have no words that would do justice to how recklessly the middle order batted. It was still a 300-plus batting wicket. The fall of Inzamam should not have been a signal to press the panic-button and proclaim the end of the world.

There was plenty of batting. Yousuf Youhana should have taken charge. Instead he led the procession. Youhana should be shown the video of his dismissal and asked to explain what cricketing shot he was trying to play and the same drill can be carried out with Shoaib Malik, Moin Khan and Abdul Razzaq. Pakistan has won all its matches except the ones that have counted. I don't think it is a team of ' chokers' for in the past Pakistan has fought back from very tough situations.

In two successive columns I have said that the Pakistan team an unsettled look. I am trying to be more specific. I think there is a sort of complacency among the more senior players and even among some of the juniors because the accountability factor is missing.

Somehow the word should be spread that no one can take his place for granted and this includes the captain and coach. There should be an ongoing performance review. Nor am I in favour of the PCB chairman giving an occasional shabash to the coach and the captain. This praise has to be earned by doing something above and beyond the call of duty.

I have no quarrel with the test squad and glad to see Imran Farhat and Asim Kamal in the side. I am a little surprised not to see Rao Iftikhar not included. Shahid Afridi too is missing. I would have had him in the squad if only for the fact that he's a cheerful chap who gives his hundred percent.

But the series to watch is the one between India and Australia. It is being played before capacity crowds, which means that Test cricket is alive and well. I can't make up my mind whether rain on the last day was just or unjust.

One of the teams would have lost but would not have deserved to do so. It was exceptionally hot and humid at Chennai but the cricket that was served up was of the highest order. I don't think I have seen a better innings being played than the one by Damien Martyn.

It was in every sense a heroic innings and the fact that Australia escaped with a draw was entirely due to him. In fact he took them out of the jaws of defeat into the jaws of a possible victory. I can only hope that the two Test matches against Sri Lanka will be at least half as exciting.