India are a great team - acknowledge it
Vijay Shankar - 21 October 2002

It is not the West Indies team touring India that is weak; it is just that the current Indian team is too good for them.

The team that Sourav Ganguly currently leads is indeed a dream team. The players seem to enjoy each other's company and are fully aware of advantages of being totally fit, both mentally and physically. This being the case, I do not feel happy about experts commenting on how weak a side the West Indies is. They must instead, if you ask me, harp on the strengths of the Indian side which has helped them put the West Indies to rout. That is the lesson that sports teachers around Sweden, where I currently stay, are imparting. They prefer to look at why a team is winning rather than focussing on the opposition's weaknesses which led to their defeat.

I believe this is the line that our experts too must take. They could begin by saying that the current Indian team is made up by an excellent bunch of players. To prove this to them, let me begin by looking at out batting.

First of all we have 'the wall and an attacking batting front' walking out to the middle. The openers Sanjay Bangar and Virender Sehwag deserve all the credit for getting the team off to splendid starts in both the Tests. Then we have Rahul Dravid at one down. People have nicknamed him the Wall. I would reframe this - he is the Wall that strikes the ball. The little master Sachin Tendulkar, who comes in at two down, is a true champion. His presence alone boosts the morale of the Indian team.

Sourav Ganguly's role as a captain and a batsman too should not be under-estimated. He is a good guy who wants to perform at his best for himself, his team and the country. Just leave him alone. Give him the right vitamins of encouragement and he will make the current Indian team the best of 'em all.

VVS Laxman, who follows next, is not just talented, he is also faithful and hard working. The lower-order made up of Parthiv Patel, Harbhajan Singh, Anil Kumble, Javagal Srinath and Zaheer Khan has also started contributing and this means that India are now a truly formidable batting unit.

The 17-year-old Parthiv's performance behind the wickets has also been virtually impeccable and I feel that he is one of the stars of the future. Also the way he has carried himself on the field has made him a role-model that youngsters can look up to - I for one have made it a point to tell my young kids - 10 and 11 years old - about his glorious achievements in order to spur them to scaling greater heights.

As for our bowling department, Zaheer Khan, Javagal Srinath, Harbahjan Singh and Anil Kumble are all potential match winners. They always work hard and encourage each other. They can run through any batting line-up in the world. And then you have the coach and the rest of the support team, who have worked hard behind the scenes, to turn this team into a world-class outfit in both Tests and one-dayers.

With all these riches at our disposal, I think everyone would agree with me that it is indeed high time for us to acknowledge this team for what they are - a bunch of world-beaters. Admit it and encourage them, guys.

The views expressed above are solely those of the guest contributor and are carried as written, with only minor editing for grammar, to preserve the original voice. These contributed columns are solely personal opinion pieces and reflect only the feelings of the guest contributor. Their being published on CricInfo.com does not amount to an endorsement by CricInfo's editorial staff of the opinions expressed.
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