Kudos, Team India

The Virat Kohli-led side are now not only the top-ranked Test team but is also the only team in the history of Test cricket to win 11 straight series wins at home (“Kohli lauds India’s ‘hunger’ after record 11th straight Test series win,” Oct.14, Gulf Today).

India is a formidable side with the talent they now possess. Even the bench strength is good enough to rattle some of the world’s best sides. But that apart, the Men in blue have been clinically outstanding in the ongoing series.

As individual records tumbled India won the first Test against South Africa in Visakhapatnam by 203, and they went a notch higher in the second defeating the Proteas by an innings and 17 runs.

Though Team India faced a few hiccups, it has been roaring under Kohli’s leadership. He has been leading from the front and the second test exemplified it. He set up the win with his unbeaten 254 — a record seventh double-century for the star batsman. In doing so the skipper has gone past Don Bradman’s tally of 6,996 runs. Apart from that it is also the first time that India forced South Africa to follow-on after amassing a 326-run first innings lead. It is also noteworthy that India’s current winning streak started in 2013 in a rubber against West India, which incidentally was Sachin Tendulkar’s last series. The other exciting development is that of former India captain Sourav Ganguly’s likely presidency at BCCI. Good times ahead for Indian cricket.

Sunil Shetye
By email