This historic win in New Zealand after 40 years has ensured that Indian cricket fans are delirious with joy; that they have once again placed on a pedestal their cricket heroes, from which they will rapidly be toppled if they do not continue to perform well in international cricket.

Currently this team India under the leadership of M S Dhoni is being touted as the best ever Indian team for many reasons: this team Indian has a destructive opening pair, a spectacular middle order, effective bowlers who are truly coming into their own and an improved overall fitness and attitude that is translating into good fielding and consistent performances.  

The bowlers are showing themselves capable of delivering results in all conditions and this team is finally shaking off the tag of tigers at home. They are performing consistently and against varied oppositions and most importantly they are now showing the ability to win abroad. If former Indian skipper MAK Pataudi rates this team as the best Indian team ever, there is basis for this statement.

There is however some merit in the argument that urges caution as well. When you say best team ever, there are many things that you have to factor in: earlier cricket players were hardly as well paid as they are today, they enjoyed not a fraction of the world class facilities and coaching that the team enjoys today. Earlier pitches were iffy and no two pitches behaved the same way. This Indian team lacks for nothing in terms of state of the art equipment and subordinate staff, their every whim catered to. Teams of yore enjoyed none of this.

Also the current Indian team, though it has won series at home as well as abroad, has not done so with the kind of consistency and over a long enough duration of time to earn them the ‘best ever’ sobriquet. If they have won in New Zealand after 40 years, it may also be kept in mind that this New Zealand team, while competent is hardly their best ever and the pitches and conditions were not quite as hostile as they have been in series past. It may be a useful exercise to recall the team’s win against the West Indies and England under Ajit Wadekar, because these were wins against truly formidable oppositions.

So when we say best ever, we may do well to qualify that with ‘potential to be’ best ever. This team may make it there; it just has not yet!

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3.25 Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved."

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