Our batsmen will do well on the hard pitches in Australia: Dilip Vengsarkar

What does this award mean to you?
This is the best cricketing award in India and I am very proud. I am also very thankful to the BCCI for choosing me. It's a big honour and I feel privileged.

How do you look back at your career?
To be honest with you, I don't look back at my career. I always look ahead.

You are one of the best batsmen produced by India; you captained the country and also served as chairman of selectors. Which role did you enjoy the most?
I enjoyed every moment in cricket. Right from Bombay schools to Bombay University to Indian varsity, playing for Bombay in the Ranji Trophy, West Zone, India and World XI — I enjoyed every moment in cricket. There is nothing that I did not enjoy in cricket. Cricket has been my life all along. That has been my passion and oxygen.

You will always be remembered for the three consecutive Test centuries at Lord's...
As I said before, I don't look back at my career. That is all in the past. I don't talk about my achievements in cricket. Every moment has been special. I am just living the moment and enjoying myself.

Let's talk about the present. What's your take on Indian cricket?
We did extremely well against Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka are a very good side. Indian cricket is looking up, definitely. They will do well in Australia. I am very positive about it.

Before the England tour early this year, you doubted the Indian bowling unit's ability to take 20 wickets, and that showed in the end result. Do you think we have the bowlers to pick up 20 wickets in Australia?
It depends on their fitness. India will be playing three medium-pacers and you need to bowl 90 overs a day. Every fast bowler will have to bowl at least 20 overs a day. The four Test matches will be followed by a tri-series and, then, the World Cup. It's a long tour. Australia have hard pitches and huge grounds. How the bowlers remain fit will hold the key to Indian team's performance.

Do you think our batsmen are equipped to play on Australian pitches?
Our batsmen will do well in Australia than the way they did in England because they are used to playing on hard pitches. They are very good when it comes to playing square of the wicket, be it the cut, pull, hook and upper cut. They are good in those areas. They will do better.

Your thoughts on Virat Kohli the captain. He will lead in the first Test in MS Dhoni's absence...
Kohli is a smart cricketer. He is intelligent and has good cricketing sense. He is a good captain too. He is being groomed as the future captain. Of course, Dhoni is now the captain and, once he quits, Kohli will take over.

Do you believe we can defend the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand?
We have an excellent chance to retain the World Cup. We are a good ODI outfit. We are good in that format. I am positive we will do extremely well.

Your last international series was the 1991-92 tour of Australia. Personally, you did not have a memorable series, just two half-centuries in five Tests. How difficult was it for you?
I remember Sachin's hundreds in Sydney and Perth. They were among the finest knocks. I also remember Ravi Shastri's double hundred in Sydney. I do remember them fondly. That was a bad tour for me. After I came back, I announced my retirement. That tour hurts me. Everyone wants to do well against Australia in Australia, against England in England, against South Africa in South Africa. Everybody is very keen to do well on these tours. If you don't do, then it is disappointing. But it is part of the game.

What's your advice to the Indian team leaving for Australia on Friday night?
Just keep the belief, which is very important. They have to believe in themselves. If they play to their potential like they did against Sri Lanka, they will do extremely well.

AND THE WINNERS ARE...
Award Winner
CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award Dilip Vengsarkar
Polly Umrigar Award Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Lala Amarnath Award for best all-rounder in Ranji Trophy Parvez Rasool (J&K)
Best all-rounder in domestic limited-overs competitions R Vinay Kumar (Kar)
Madhavrao Scindia Award for highest scorer in Ranji Trophy Kedar Jadhav (Mah)
Highest wicket-taker in Ranji Trophy Rishi Dhawan (HP)
MA Chidambaram Trophy for best U-25 cricketer Rahul Tripathi (Mah)
Best Under-19 cricketer B Anirudh (Hyd)
Best Under-16 cricketer Shubham Gill (Pun)
Best woman cricketer (Junior) Smriti Mandhana (Mah)
Best umpire Anil Chaudhary
Best overall performance Maharashtra and Railways (13 points each)

PAST WINNERS OF LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD (Avoidable)
Lala Amarnath (1994), Syed Mushtaq Ali (1995), Vijay Hazare (1996), KN Prabhu (1997), Polly Umrigar (1998), Hemu Adhikari (1999), Subhash Gupte (2000), MAK Pataudi (2001), Bhausaheb Nimbalkar (2002), Chandu Borde (2003), BS Bedi, BS Chandrasekhar, EAS Prasanna, S Venkataraghavan (2004), Nari Contractor (2007), GR Viswanath (2008), Mohinder Amarnath (2009), Salim Durani (2010), Ajit Wadekar (2011), Sunil Gavaskar (2012), Kapil Dev (2013)

CAREER GRAPH
Full Name: Dilip Balwant Vengsarkar
Born: April 6, 1956
Teams: India, Mumbai, Staffordshire
Batting Style: Right-hander
* Scored 6,868 runs in 116 Tests between 1976 and 1992. Averaged 42.13 and hit 17 hundreds and 35 fifties with a best of 166. Also took 78 catches
* Scored 3,508 runs in 129 ODIs between 1976 and 1991. Averaged 34.73 and hit one hundred and 23 fifties with a best of 105. Also took 37 catches
* Led India in 10 Tests and 18 ODIs