A win worthy of a red carpet reception

Just two months after that, we were off to beat England in England for the first time again. The England team was supposed to be the best team in the world at the time, having just beaten Australia in Australia. My team got a red carpet reception all the way from the Bombay airport to the Cricket Club of India on our return.

Ganguly8217;s team also deserves a red carpet reception for their wonderful display of grit, determination, aggression, fighting spirit and above all, their camaraderie. It is the captain who should be given all the credit for getting his teammates to play as a single unit like this. He also deserves a pat on the back for getting his senior colleagues to feel important and provide their genuine support to the youngsters.

Had it not been for that wonderful partnership between Dravid and Kaif in the earlier game this victory would not have been possible. Had it not been for the Very Very Special knock and the contributions from Ganguly and Sachin, not to forget Pathan and Balaji8217;s lusty blows towards the end, even this victory wouldn8217;t have been possible.

And had it not been for that special opening burst from young Pathan during the Pak innings, the target might have been chased down with ease. Irfan is tall, rugged and handsome, and whenever he bowls, he bowls his heart out. He is accurate, swings the ball both ways and sometimes swings it so late that even the best in the world would have trouble facing him. He also appears a quick learner.

Cricketing gurus say that the real worth of the player is known only in times of crisis. And that8217;s what makes Laxman such a precious diamond for the Indians. He8217;s proved it in India. He8217;s proved it in Australia. And now he8217;s proved it in the greatest rivalry of all.

But for my money, the turning point of the match was that fabulous catch Sachin took to dismiss Inzamam. He didn8217;t make many with the bat, but I suppose that will quieten some of the many tongues that come out wagging each time Sachin doesn8217;t contribute much in an important match.

The Indian batting has shown its ability time and again. But nobody expected our bowling to rise to the occasion in the absence of seniors like Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, Ajit Agarkar, et al. That is most satisfying. Also, I don8217;t think anybody will ever dare call these Indians 8216;chokers8217; again.

With this special showing, I am sure the Indians will go into the Test series with more confidence than the Pakistanis, who lost it 3-2 despite leading 2-1. And as for the psychological edge this win will provide, I think that might be enough to differentiate the two teams in the series.