India in need of firestarter as Pakistan blaze a trail India, so talented, so natural, have now lost their last two away Test series 8-0. Only Bangladesh, Zimbabwe and the West Indies during their lost decade have done worse in the last 80 years. Everyone had said India's away series against England would be close, it was not. Neutrals, nay Ian Chappell, thought they might at last win in Australia this southern summer - but the narrowest margin of defeat was 122 runs. India are sitting naked and cold in the empty bath and someone has run away with the towels. The stellar batting line-up has stalled: Sachin Tendulkar waits on for that elusive 100th international century, Rahul Dravid, who batted beautifully in England, struggled in Australia and VVS Laxman, scourge of the baggy greens in times past, looked awkward and distracted. Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir failed to stick together an opening partnership of more than 26 in eight innings. MS Dhoni, once so charismatic, is struggling, the younger players are finding it hard to flourish in a rusty team. There have been rumours of rifts, and outbreaks of ignoble behaviour. In India, the media can smell blood. They call for the axe, to fell the big three: Dravid, VVS, Tendulkar. The Indian people are not so sure. As Sharda Ugra, Cricinfo's senior editor, says: "We are by and large a sentimental people. These are distinguished long-serving players, and they deserved dignified goodbyes. At the moment they are bigger targets than the younger batsmen who have also failed. But logically speaking there needs to be at least some consequences for an 8-0 thrashing. What India seem to be so desperately searching for is what Ugra calls a firestarter. They need someone to stoke, and needle and prickle the team into a frenzy. Osman Samiuddin has written about how when Pakistan are on a roll they get into a state of haal - a higher consciousness recognised by Sufism, that we might more prosaically call the zone. Think of Pakistan on the last day at Abu Dhabi, or India during the tied World Cup match against England, or England at Headingley 1981. The players wind each other up into a sort of group excitement: you can smell in the wind that something is going to happen. What India have is Tendulkar, Dravid, Laxman - calm and serenity personified. Dhoni's form is so flat that he lacks the energy for a spark of mischief. Duncan Fletcher has never pretended to be outwardly charismatic (his partnership with Nasser Hussain worked so well because Hussain provided the explosives). Harbhajan Singh has been dropped, Yuvraj Singh is undergoing treatment for a tumour on his lung in the United States. There is no one to rub the flints urgently together. They seem at the moment to lack the ability to suddenly switch everything on. Despite the deification of the players this team have been watchable, loveable, since they beat Australia, then invincible, in 2000-2001. Following that series on teletext was a vicarious thrill. To see them suddenly human brings a real sadness, of time passing and talent spent. By the time they play their next away Test series in South Africa in late 2013 India and the world will have moved on. Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane and Rohit Sharma will probably have replaced the familiar names. And those scoundrels to the north-west may well have usurped the crown.