I was pleasantly surprised by the Cricket Club of India when they informed me that they were granting me an honorary life membership. A function to this effect was held on Friday evening and what made it special was the fact that the only other Australian to have been granted this membership was Sir Don Bradman. Sir Don got the membership at 80 and I was surprised that they gave it to me at 35.

It is always significant when one gets recognized in a country other than the one you represent. This honour means that I can continue my assocation with India after my playing days, and that there is always a place for me to return to in this cricket-loving country. The evening was also marked by tributes to Sir Don with Mike Coward, Peter Roebuck and Raj Singh Dungarpur speaking of the great Australian.

Apart from this function it was a day off for the Australians and I took the opportunity to walk the streets and alleys of Mumbai. One cannot realise the extent of interest in cricket unless one goes out into the streets. Almost everybody knew the result of the game and were quite happy to see us. Cricket is popular in Australia, but I don't think it is followed as closely as it is here. We went to a couple of markets before heading for the Dhobi Talla. This was the first time I had seen a wash area here and as usual it was great to meet a few of the children working there. Children are the same the world over and it was wonderful to see them smile even though they have to work very hard.

The team now moves to Delhi where they will be involved in a side game before the Calcutta Test. The newspapers have reported that Sourav Ganguly will be playing in Delhi. I think it is a smart move since he did not score much in Mumbai. His confidence must be down and a good knock in Delhi ahead of the Calcutta Test would do him a world of good. The next Test would be crucial for him personally, because among other things, he will be playing in front of his home crowd. Ganguly is a good player and I'm sure he knows how to rectify the mistakes he made in the first Test. For our part we will stick to our original gameplan against him.

The team management has not yet decided on the composition of the team for the Delhi match. We will have to decide on whether the bowlers need more practice or whether they need some rest. Personally too, I am yet to decide whether I will take the field.There is talk about whether the presence of Anil Kumble would have made a difference to the result. I don't think there is any point to such conjecture. The Australians are also without the services of Brett Lee and it is pointless to wonder about what might have been if he were part of the team.

I think it is unfair to judge any team on the basis of one performance and we will not be taking the Indians lightly in the next two Tests. The fans should support their team through these tough times and must not forget that their players are up against a pretty good Australian team.

Some moves of Sourav Ganguly, like his bringing on Sachin Tendulkar when we were 99 for five, have come in for flak. I think a captain should go with his instincts on the field. If Tendulkar had taken a wicket, the same move would have been hailed as a great piece of strategy. Similarly, if we ended up losing the Test, I would have been crucified for my decision to bowl first. I think captains are chosen to take decisions and it is unfair to criticise them if their plans don't work.

More Articles by Steve Waugh:
"I dedicate this victory to the memory of Sir Don"

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