Number One ranking for India in Tests : The logical conclusion

[The Outsider]

2001 was a different time - I used to watch cricket after pooling in $10 with 15 other people as a grad student. One such series that I watched was against Australia and out of the 15 only 3 were standing when Laxman and Dravid conjured the greatest turnaround in cricket. By the time Harbhajan scored the winning runs in the following test, we were having a hearty laugh at the 12 others who had given up on the Indian team. I wondered at that time - surely we should be a better test side than given credit for. Well, finally we are - the best, the number 1 side. ICC rankings sadly take into account only performances over the last 3 years, for they do not do justice to the development of a great cricketing nation from a nation of cricketing greats. India has produced great cricketers since Ranjitsinhji, but it's only over the last decade that we have produced a great cricket team. The just concluded series against SL is a personification of that greatness - reduced to 32 for 4 on the opening morning of the series, India drew the test and won the series. There doesn't seem to be any position of no hope, no fortress insurmountable - Perth, Johannesburg, Galle - we've done it all. Tendulkar and Ganguly denied the offer of bad light to hammer England at Headingly, Dravid defied the mighty Aussies by piling on the runs at Adelaide, and Sehwag carried on the torch at Galle. Even when we did not win Kumble found a way to decimate Australia on a first day pitch at Chennai. Great moments like these by great players will never be forgotten, but it's worth recalling Kaif scoring those crucial 25 runs at Bombay and Mishra foxing Clarke with a googly at Mohali. It is these players who have made India a great team - performance from great players is expected. Today, a Murali Vijay opens the innings for India once a year and gets a century partnership, a few years back Debang Gandhi would struggle to get into double figures. It has been a wonderful journey with the Indian team. The ethos of teamwork is exemplified by the complete absence of egos in the side. There is no clamor for captaincy, no rush to become all important and one of the greatest cricketers of all time - Tendulkar - leads the way. Dhoni's selection as captain is a perfect example where the only thing the senior and accomplished players thought of was the good of the team and the future of the team. It is very apt that India ends the decade as the best side in the world for they have constantly challenged and have been able to beat the previous crown owners. The team now has test rubbers against all cricketing nations except South Africa and if the BCCI can recognize what we have achieved as a force that step is only a few months away. What a great day that would be, not that I am complaining now. Thank you the Indian cricket team for giving me some of the best moments of my life!

[Sooda]

Weve come a long long way together, through the bad times and the good. We gotta celebrate you Indi -a We gotta praise you like we shoooooooo-o-o-o-uld NA NA NA NA NAAAAAA

[Sooda]

http://www.indiancricketfans.com/showthread.php?t=194947

[Sachinism]

You're right the contributions of all the players have helped. They've played a part at some point and should not be forgotten. Its been a dream of Sachin's for 20 years. A dream I didn't even dare to have till not too long ago. Imagine how Sachin must feel after 20 years of wait. Some of these youngsters on their 1st or 2nd tour are apart of the number 1 side, I hope they appreciate it. Lets savour the moment, we have totally deserved this.

[flamy]

Nice read, Prof. :isalute:

[Kohum]

The events of this team, it's journey is very aptly put Prof. Thanks!

[Celeste]

mast hai

[Karan114]

Very nicely written piece.

Some of these youngsters on their 1st or 2nd tour are apart of the number 1 side' date=' I hope they appreciate it.[/quote'] Very true - one of the things the great Australian side would mention is that each new player would slot into a winning team and gain confidence from that, accelerating their growth from domestic cricket to comfort at international level. These youngsters are coming into a team which has won its last four series and seemingly fights out of the deepest hole it finds itself in; the youngsters will become assured players because of this. After games like Chennai, Napier and Ahmedabad, the team knows no obstacle is too big to overcome.

[lonestarranger]

2001 was a different time - I used to watch cricket after pooling in $10 with 15 other people as a grad student.

Grad Student @ 2001 :ohmy: How old are ya?

[Chandan]

Ride to top of the world wasn’t easy : Anil Kumble December 07, 2009 First Published: 00:29 IST(7/12/2009) Last Updated: 00:35 IST(7/12/2009) World No. 1, that’s a good place to be isn’t it? I’m really glad that the Indian team has reached such an exalted position and it is a credit to the entire unit. Almost two years back we sat down and planned for this day, so you can imagine the feeling among all concerned now that the task has been achieved. Back then, we knew that in the next 18 months or so we would play almost every team in the world, either home or away. We made a conscious effort to sit down and discuss the way to the top. The team goal was simple. We were fifth in the rankings and said to ourselves: “Let’s go out there and win every series from here on, as that is the only route to the top.” A lot of people played a part in the uphill climb, with some exceptional individual performances only adding to the effort. It was not an easy ride by any means as time and again the team got out of pressure situations, sometimes for a well-earned draw and at times to go on and win too. Gautam Gambhir’s batting for almost two days to save the Napier Test against New Zealand, Virender Sehwag’s start during the run chase at Chennai against England, Sachin and Yuvi’s efforts in the same Test, Rahul, Sourav and Laxman’s holding the innings together time and again — these are prime examples. We always played as a unit, with the batsmen delivering with the ball at times and the bowlers with the bat at others. The other key to winning is opening partnerships. Viru and Gambhir have put on some really big stands and the issue here is that once your No. 3 and No. 4 batsmen are not made to come in too early, you always have the upper hand. Also it was always about consistency, and not just about what happens on the field. It has to do with consistent policy and here’s where the leadership played a big part, with the team going from strength to strength once Dhoni took over. When you are consistent in your decision-making and clear in your thoughts, even things such as luck with the toss goes your way. Credit must be given to the support staff too. Although a couple of them, Venky and Robin, have had to go, each one of them played a part. Going forward, I don’t see any reason why this team can’t hold the position for some time to come. There will be teams overtaking you, as the number of Tests played by each team is different, but the simple formula of continuing to focus on winning every Test and series still holds good. Then again, let’s not look ahead too much. This is not a final that has been played and won. It has been a process that has borne fruit, and it is time to celebrate. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I hope we could get Kumble in our team management in any way. But I suppose, he'd like to be with his family after such a long international career.

[Chandan]

India deserves this : John Wright Are you aware that India has become the world No.1 Test team? I got a call from The Independent in London. They asked me about Sehwag being close to his third triple century. Journalists in New Zealand too have been asking and writing about it. So I have been following the series. I actually follow all the matches that India play. What's your take on India's achievement? India deserves this -- not only the players and the Board but also the fans. I'm very pleased for your country. They are the best in the world and they truly understand and celebrate their cricketers' success. I'm happy for them. Did you ever think that India would go on top? I always knew that India has the ability to become the best Test team in the world. I'm so pleased for the players, Gary (Kirsten), Paddy (Upton) and the BCCI. I know the Board is a tough task master but it is fantastic. I'm very pleased. There is a perception that some credit is due to you. You have instilled in them the belief that they can be the No.1... I think Sourav (Ganguly) and the senior players like Rahul (Dravid) and Anil (Kumble) should deserve credit for that. I know Sourav and Anil have retired but I was lucky to have some fantastic five-six senior players -- Sourav, Anil, Rahul, Sachin, Srinath and then some talented youngsters like Harbhajan Singh, Virender Sehwag and MS Dhoni. I was lucky there. I think Gary has been wonderful for the side. I don't know how he coaches but I understand his style of coaching is similar to mine. For me, to be the first foreign coach was a great privilege and honour. And it was wonderful that it was carried on by Gary after an odd hiccup. You think they can maintain their position? That is the challenge. They first have to enjoy it and then take up the challenge. In India everything is there in the system -- they have the structure and the academy. Now they have to keep producing the players. So I think they can stay at the No.1 spot. What was the biggest turnaround for India? Was it in Kolkata in 2001? The ability to bring about a turnaround was always there. The theme was to achieve team achievement as against individual achievements. There are great individual achievements but in a funny way today's achievement is greater than any of those. The key for India is to have potent fast bowlers. That way Zaheer Khan and Sreesanth are very important for the side. But the best thing about India is that they are not reliant on any one player. A few individuals will soon go away but every young Indian cricketer now knows that the team can be the No.1. That is the turnaround. What do they have to do to sustain this achievement? Look, they have won the World Twenty20 title two years ago. They are No.1 in Tests and they were also No.1 in ODIs. So they have the ability. But the key is to stay together as long as possible and pass on the baton to the right individuals. They have the talent and the people of India back them. I think they can not only sustain this but can get even better. Should BCCI change its mindset and allow India to play more Tests? I'm not sure. Scheduling is a very difficult thing. Test match cricket is taking a backseat everywhere in the world. Besides, India can also be the No.1 side in every format of the game. They have the skills to excel in every format of the game so why concentrate only in one format. You coached Sehwag. He has just missed a major milestone. How has he evolved over the years? I'm very proud that I know him. He has the ability to do it again. I'm very confident he will do it again. He just has to play the ball straight. How do you rate skipper MS Dhoni vis-a-vis other Indian captains you worked with? Sourav, Rahul and Anil were wonderful leaders in their own ways and Mahendra was on a good learning curve. He is a smart cricketer and has learnt a lot. He also has some great cricketers like Sachin in his side. He sets great leadership standards. I have been telling the boys that they have to be accountable to the biggest fan base in the world. I'm happy that I could play a small part in this wonderful team's great rise.

[graphic23]

Brilliant stuff from Kumble and Wright. Thanks Chandan! And Prof, nice read!

[King Tendulkar]

Wright was brilliant as coach.

[kabira]

It all started from Wright and Ganguly combo.

[coffee_rules]

He rates Dravid more than Ganguly (as captain)..interesting. Dravid lost it by blindly supporting Chappal.

[punjabi_khota]

He rates Dravid more than Ganguly (as captain)..interesting. Dravid lost it by blindly supporting Chappal.

:hmmmm2: where did you see that ?

[The Outsider]

He rates Dravid more than Ganguly (as captain)..interesting. Dravid lost it by blindly supporting Chappal.

Dravid was an excellent on field captain, better than Ganguly. The manner in which he choked the Aussies at Bombay was superb. His team selections were the problem, whether Chappell induced or not the buck does stop at him. Dropping Laxman to play an extra bowler, opening the innings so Yuvraj and Ganguly could both play etc. But even so, his W/L ratio turned out to be as good as Ganguly's taking out the minnow matches.

[fineleg]

Proud Moment as an Indian cricket fan to see Team India as No.1 in Test Cricket. Nice journey, thanks to all the players and staff who helped India get here.

[flamy]

Dravid was an excellent on field captain' date=' better than Ganguly.[/quote'] Yes, Dravid is an excellent strategist. I'm sure Dhoni learnt some tricks from him. The difference with Dhoni is that he has a stronger and more forceful personality added to his natural charm. Oh, and John Wright called Chappal an "odd hiccup" :hehe:

[Chandan]

‘Everyone’s missing Tests’ Kadambari Murali Wade, Hindustan Times December 07, 2009 First Published: 01:00 IST(8/12/2009) Last Updated: 01:56 IST(8/12/2009) How much does being world No. 1 matter to you? It matters. We are all really, really proud of what we've done. There's a sense of achievement, but each of us is aware that the real test starts now. It will be very difficult to stay at the top. So where do you go from here? Winning away in New Zealand after a long time was big. We've won consistently at home. But the real test begins when we go to South Africa next year. To be the best, we have to win series in Australia, South Africa and the West Indies. When did the process of making India a winning team begin? When Anil Kumble took over as captain and we went to Australia. More specifically, in Perth, where Gary (Kirsten) joined us, a game we won. For us, that was the changing point, beating Australia in Australia and that too in Perth. We started believing in ourselves as a winning team, one that could beat the best in the world, one that could be the best in the world. In our hearts and minds, we believed, that's what mattered. That helped forge team spirit? Yes, this team is very special in how genuinely happy we all are in each other's performances. We will all do anything for the each other and give anything for the team. It's never happened like this in the past. And it's been a challenge ... In earlier teams, even if the batsmen put on 500 runs, the bowlers wouldn't get the wickets. Now, we have bowlers who can get 20 wickets. We have a great support staff, Kirsten and Paddy Upton, Nitin Patel (physio), Ramesh Mane 'kaka' (masseur), Ramji (trainer) and Dhananjai (video analyst). They all contribute tremendously. Will the lack of Tests over the next year affect the momentum? No, not really. We play lots of ODIs and T20 games. We last played Tests in New Zealand over six months ago and yet, here, everybody performed. Rahul had a couple of hundreds, so did Gautam and Dhoni, I had a double, Zaheer played very well, the spinners too. So you don't think there should be more Tests? We all do; we would all love to play more Tests, everybody's missing Tests. Playing only four in a year isn't at all enough. There should be at least eight to 10 in a year. If you could only play in one format, which would it be? Test cricket, without a doubt. Anyone can play T20s and ODIs, they, especially Twenty20s, don't test anyone. Where's the challenge in that? And I absolutely love a challenge. You were set to be the first man ever to get three Test triple tons. How important are records? Not at all! If they were, I'd probably have converted far more of my scores into records. I love scoring but my thinking is straightforward. See, in this series, a few people got 100s, Mahela got 200 and I got 293. If you make a big score, people remember. I tell Gautam this: If you want people to respect you more, make those hundreds big ones. Make the doubles and the triples. Lots of people make 100s and anybody can get 50s. Where do you see yourself in the next few years? I really like to live in the present, one day at a time, so right now, it's all just about the upcoming T20 games and the one-dayers. But I would like to play for my country for five to six years more. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- So all this 'process' or 'vision' started under Kumble. Why didn't we make him the skipper earlier?