Column

It was Mahendra Singh Dhoni all the way as India posted an emphatic win over arch rival Australia, thereby inching closer to being crowned the best team in the world.

Indeed, it was an outstanding performance by the Indians, with everything going as per plan. Right from winning the toss, to change in the batting order in the second innings, it was smooth sailing all the way. What was particularly pleasing was the margin of victory, for it’s extremely rare that the Aussies are beaten with more than plenty to spare.

This Test will linger in memory not only because of the resounding win, but also for Sachin Tendulkar surpassing Brian Lara’s record as the highest run-getter in Test match history. A great achievement indeed, and a proud one at that.

Sourav Ganguly’s timely hundred will also be remembered for a long time. He came in to bat with India precariously placed, but Maharaj, as gritty as ever, played a stroke-filled century that enabled India post an imposing and daunting score.

Gautam Gambhir also played brilliantly, showing in the process that he has matured a lot. Thus far, he did have the tendency to play across the line, but has now ironed out that technical flaw, and the result is there for all to see. I’m also pretty pleased with opening combination of Gambhir and Sehwag, who are firing on all cylinders. When a sound, firm foundation is established, it’s always a huge plus for the batsmen who follow.

Amit Mishra was the star performer with the ball. The leggie mesmerised the hapless Australians to grab a bagful of wickets in his maiden match. His was a class act, no doubt, and that augurs very well for Indian cricket. For that matter, Piyush Chawla, who bagged five wickets during the Board President’s XI match, is also an extremely promising youngster. He’s not only a good leg spinner, but a decent bat to boot; a very good all-rounder in the making.

Harbhajan, Zaheer and Ishant are bowling brilliantly. Zaheer is at the peak of his career, while Ishant is improving with leaps and bounds. The delivery with which Ishant dismissed Ponting was a masterpiece.

As for Harbhajan, he bowled slower in the air than he normally does, and that helped him turn the ball and get bounce off the wicket too.

Lastly, Dhoni does deserve a pat on the back. As captain and batsman he was outstanding to say the least. He led from the front, batted superbly in both essays, and made intelligent bowling changes. What’s more, his infectious, positive attitude rubbed on all the team members, and they rose to the occasion gallantly.

Well played, India!