Former cricket greats and the media yesterday celebrated India’s Test series win over Australia, saying Mahendra Dhoni’s team had changed the world order.
Newspapers echoed US president-elect Barack Obama’s clarion call of “Yes we can” after India won the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Nagpur on Monday following a 172-run triumph in the final Test.
“Yes we can, yes we did” screamed a front-page headline in the Hindustan Times to describe the 2-0 series win over Ricky Ponting’s world champions.
The Indian Express headlined their front-page match report “Yes, they can.”
Most commentators said Dhoni’s India, who took over as the No. 2 Test side behind Australia, have the potential to dominate world cricket over the next decade.
“I am tempted to say the old world order is over,” former captain and popular media pundit Ravi Shastri wrote in the Hindustan Times.
“Australia will not be feared any longer. India, on the other hand, have the future in their hands. They seem poised to be the leaders of the world,” he said. “With young men making their mark and seniors refusing to fade away, India is the team to fear in the world arena.”
The Times of India reminded readers on the front page that it was Australia’s worst series defeat in 25 years since being blanked 3-0 by Clive Lloyd’s all-conquering West Indies in 1983.
Of the past nine Tests between the two high-profile rivals, India have won four, Australia three, while two were drawn.
Dhoni led India in the second and fourth Tests in place of Anil Kumble and won both matches, giving the limited-overs captain three wins out of three as Test skipper.
The wicketkeeper-batsman had also captained India to victory over South Africa in Kanpur in March when Kumble was injured.
Kumble missed the second Test against Australia in Mohali due to injury and announced his retirement after the third Test in New Delhi, while fellow veteran Sourav Ganguly bade farewell after the Nagpur Test.
There will be no respite for Dhoni as India host England for a one-day and Test series from Friday and tour Pakistan and New Zealand early next year.
Legendary all-rounder and World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev was confident Dhoni, 27, can handle the inevitable changes to the team as players retire.
“Kumble and Sourav are gone and the next few years could see Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman also quit, so we will have to find quality players to replace these giants,” he said.
“But at least we have got the right captain to handle the transition phase. He has a good cricketing brain and is a magnificent cricketer,” Dev said.
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