A deserved win!!

Am still thinking about pen down my thoughts over the weekend where I saw the new Bond flick, Quatum of Solace and so I did Fashion, both a watchable movie for different reasons but what made the week was the Monday that followed, that is yesterday

The week started with India winning the final test match and that too convincingly on the last afternoon by 172 runs. India was lucky, in that it won crucial tosses but then it was much the better team for better part of the series and the margins of victory were so convincing that there was no doubt there is a shift in the balance of power in the cricketing world, which actually started almost 6 years back when India toured England and from then on, India has been on its way up. It includes offshore test victories in England, West Indies, Pakistan and brilliant performances in South Aftrica and Australia.

Australia’s series was summed up on Day 4 after tea when they chose to bowl with part timer instead of bowling with its key wicket takers when they actually had got a sniff. I do believe that still Australia would have had to fight to secure a victory but atleast they did had a chance.

The series was unique in many respects. On the back of Sydney so called defeat, this was a perfect reply and a response to a side which was desperate to win at all cost at the SCG and left a lasting scar on all cricket fans. Hence, to question tactics on the Indian side as being somewhat negative tactics in the final test match- but who cares. Italy won the world cup in 2006 not by playing the most attractive football, but they were the champions.

So many fantastic kodak moments

• Sachin Tendulkar becoming the highest run getter in test at Bangalore. Well, can’t say enough for the man who is probably the most adored person in India. With the way he has gone about over 2 decades on and off the field, awesome!!
• India’s victory at Mohali in perhaps what was almost a perfect testmatch for India
• Sehwag’s blitzkrieg over the series which dented Aussie confidence over and over
• Gambhir’s performance through the series including the double century at Delhi except his nudge to Shane Watson, leading to a match ban
• Laxman’s double century at Delhi
• Ishant's performance through out the series
• Without being biased, a fantastic debut by offie Jason Kretza. I wonder why hw was kept out of the first three tests when they did not had a single specialist spinner that played the test.
• Kumble’s retirement at the end of the III test at Delhi, a venue which was Kumble;s own. No body can forget the 10 wicket feat at the same Kotla ground. In my opinion, it will be Kumble who will be missed the most simply because of the burden he has carried over the past 18 years and has orchestrated most victories for India.
• Finally, a series win and a good bye to Dada, Sourav Ganguly.. the most pleasant and classy left hander from India. Apart from being part of fab four, the single biggest contribution of the man is the steely nerve that he helped inculcated when he took over the captaincy in 2000 and over his tenor. He was elegant, in your face and one who backed his players.

We shall surely miss Kumble and Sourav but wishing them best of luck for a wonderful life ahead

FINALLY, England is here and the Indian team needs to refocus and get consistent over the next couple of years to be the best team in the world which they are very near, but not there yet.. It would be a challenge sincer there are other seniors who also will be saying a good bye sooner rather than later.. hence to achieve the feat would be a interesting race. My hunch is that they will..