‘This is best-ever Test team’

Ajit Wadekar says any other side would have crumbled at Perth after the emotional
roller-coaster Kumble & Co underwent

MUMBAI: Former India skipper Ajit Wadekar, who led the country to its maiden away series victories against West Indies and England in 1971, believes the current squad touring Australia is the ‘best ever’ Test team India has produced.

“The batting line-up, especially the middle-order is the best in the world. Even the medium-pace bowlers have adapted quickly. What was heartening to see that the Indian bowlers got the better of Australia at Perth, which was supposed to be a strong-hold of the home team.

The spin department led by Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh gives the side good all-round attacking options. Overall, this is the best balanced side and going by their performance, I believe this is the best-ever Indian Test team.”

Since Sourav Ganguly’s team tied the last series Down Under in 2003, India have won away Test series in Pakistan, West Indies, England and also won their first Test on South African soil.

Wadekar believes that though Australia won the Sydney Test by 72 runs, it was a moral victory for Anil Kumble’s team.

“Actually, I believe that if we win the fourth Test at Adelaide the series score should read 3-1. Any which way you look at the happening of the Sydney Test, India deserved to win the game. In the backdrop of what happened in Sydney, I think any other team would have crumbled at Perth.

But India showed the resilience to make a great fightback and a lot of the credit must go to Kumble too. But a victory at Adelaide will square the series and if that happens it will be considered as good as a series win in my book,” Wadekar added.