‘There is a change in power equations’

Dilip Vengsarkar tells DNA that India will now have to be consistently excellent over a period of time like the mighty West Indians of the past or the Australians over the last decade

India has closed the gap on World champions Australia. The very convincing 2-0 win over Ricky Ponting’s all-conquering Australians is an indelible sign that there is a shift in the power equations of world cricket.

MS Dhoni’s team did what no Indian team has done in 23 years; win a series in Australia.

The last time an Indian ODI team won in Australia was at the 1985 World Championship of cricket and while I don’t like to compare victories, this CB Series win is right up there with the best on a list which also includes the 1983 World Cup victory.

It must be remembered that India beat a team that has dominated world cricket for over a decade. They have beaten all opponents convincingly, but India has managed to hold their own against them in the past.

Now, after beating them in consecutive games, even the Australian must be convinced that India are in the process of taking the No.1 status away from them.

However, the challenge for India will be to perform consistently and over a long period of time. Australia were the best team in the world for over a decade. I hope that India becomes No.1 in both Tests and one-dayers during my tenure as chief selector.

We will have to consistently beat the best teams over a period of time. However, to become the best over a long period of time, there needs to be improvement at the infrastructure front also.

We need to improve the wickets, the stadiums, practice facilities and standard of umpiring. If all of this happens I am confident India will be World No.1 for a very long time, like the West Indian teams of the 1970s and 80s or the Australians after that.        
Also the amount of pressure that the Indian players have had to deal with during the tour can be crushing. Their media can be very critical of visiting teams and they must be considered a very important member of the support staff of the Australian team.

In this context the character shown by Harbhajan Singh must be applauded. He has been under fire right through the series and has been harassed, but he showed the courage and the skill to fight back and claim crucial wickets, including that of Andrew Symonds and Matthew Hayden in the crucial finals.

He has put in a very creditable performance keeping in mind the kind of pressure he was subjected to both on the field and off the field.

Overall, the on-the field controversies and confrontations beginning with the Sydney Test helped the members of the team rally around and give their best performance. In that context, the way Dhoni handled the team must also come in for praise.

Dhoni showed great temperament as skipper and led the side in the right way. A tour of Australia can be very taxing on even a veteran captain. It was Dhoni’s first tour of Australia and his style of captaincy and cool-head ensured that India played better during crucial times in the one-day series.

It is great to see youngsters playing so well. Praveen Kumar is someone who I have watched very closely in domestic cricket and his ability to swing the ball both ways gives the team a great option.

It is heartening to see youngsters like Ishant Sharma and the rest do so well. I think the core of this young team will be able to play for India for the next decade and that is great news.