Indian cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar wants Virat Kohli’s team to dominate world cricket for years to come like the great West Indies and Australian teams of the past.
Kohli’s India wrapped up a historic 2-1 Test series win in Australia on Monday to reaffirm their world No 1 status. This was the first time that India had managed to win a Test series in Australia after starting to tour the country more than 70 years ago.
India’s win was the culmination of a process that started four to five years ago, according to Gavaskar. “I think the whole thing started in 2014-2015,” he told Mumbai Mirror in an interview.
“You could say from 2015 till now, it was a period of transition. We tried different combinations – openers, wicketkeepers.
“The best part is this team has so many players under 30, they can serve the country for 8-10 years, if not more.
“For the team to maintain its No 1 ranking for three-four years should not be too much of a problem,” he added.
Calling the series win in Australia it “a great achievement for Indian cricket”, Gavaskar urged the team to go forward from here. “We should look to dominate like the West Indian teams of the 70s and 80s and early 90s,” he said.
“After that like the Australians did for 10-12 years. That is the sign of a true No 1.”
Gavaskar also praised India’s pace bowling attack, calling it the greatest the country has produced so far. “It’s a complete attack,” he said. “...whenever they got the opportunity, they played well.”
Gavaskar also hoped that more Indian kids would look up to India’s fast bowlers and aspire to be like them, rather than just idolising the batsmen.
“In our country, for some strange reason, apart from a Kapil Dev who was also an all-rounder, not just a fast bowler, the batsmen have been the ones who have been the role models,” he said.
“In Pakistan, it is the other way round. Starting from Fazal Mahmood, Mahmood Hussain, the fast bowlers were always the role models. Macho culture or whatever it is. Pakistan produces fast bowlers like a factory.
“And now with the [Jasprit] Bumrah wave happening and winning overseas matches happening, I am hopeful of a lot more youngsters taking up fast bowling.”
Gavaskar also believes batsman Cheteshwar Pujara, who was adjudged Man of the Series, has gone from good to great.
“See he got a hundred in England as well. He got hundreds here [in Australia]. They are two different conditions. It clearly shows that from being a very good player, he has gone on to become a great player,” he said.