JOIN USIndia on way to rule world cricket
Head coach Ravi Shastri couldn’t have summed up Indian team’s performances in the last four months any better when he congratulated the players for owning a “season of a lifetime” following a clean sweep of formats against England on Sunday. And it has been indeed one for a number of reasons. From the tough playing conditions to injuries to half-a-dozen first-choice players in Australia and frequent hard quarantines to staying in the highly-restricted bio-secure bubble in a pandemic-hit world, Indians were up against excruciatingly demanding circumstances. And mind you, they started living in the bubble from the start of the last IPL in September. It is, therefore, a tribute to their fortitude and skills that they managed to win five of the six series across all three formats against two of the toughest sides in the world in two vastly differing conditions -- Australia and India.
While India won the Test and T20I series in Australia to enhance their credentials as a well-travelling side, they conquered in all three formats against England to stamp their superiority in home conditions. In rallying to beat Joe Root’s men 3-1 in the Test series, they also sealed a spot in the World Test Championship final against New Zealand to be held in Southampton from June 18. It’s no more than a just reward for their consistency and commitment to the longer format. The success in Tests against England, amid the standard quibble against quality of pitches, was followed up by similar results in T20Is and ODIs where most of their key pacers were absent for various reasons. And that is the most heartening feature of India’s twin wins against Australia and England.
The depth in talent that India have managed to throw up in such a short span of time has been astonishing. India have fielded over a dozen rookies who have all made a seamless transition to the international stage from domestic cricket. With little fear of the big stage or occasion, these young guns have shown that India’s future is in safe hands. Such is India’s bench strength that most of these new entrants won’t even make it to the squad when the rested and injured seniors return to take their rightful spots. It’s thus not surprising that Ian Chappell, the former Australian captain, sees in India a potential to be a West Indies or an Australia of the yore when they ruled the cricket world with an iron fist on the field for years. India are on the cusp of achieving something similar.