The Hindu : Sport : ‘We bearded the lion in its own den’

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Wednesday, Mar 05, 2008
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‘We bearded the lion in its own den’

Mumbai: India’s 2-0 sweep of the triangular series finals against Australia at Brisbane on Tuesday was hailed by former Test cricketers as historic.

“It was a historic victory and reminded me of the 1971 (Test series) victories over the West Indies and England (away from home). It was a great team effort,” said former India captain Ajit Wadekar.

Wadekar also praised Sachin Tendulkar’s efforts in both of the matches of the final besides praising the captaincy of Mahendra Singh Dhoni

“Dhoni has led very well and the team is a nice blend of youth and experience. Sachin (Tendulkar) made a hell of a difference,” he said.

Former Test batsman Ashok Mankad said: “We have bearded the lion in its own den. It was a fantastic effort, winning it 2-0 against the World champions.”

Former Test left-arm spinner Bapu Nadkarni said “It was a Super Tuesday after Super Sunday (when India won the first of the finals and the under-19 team emerged triumphant). They looked very confident during the first finals and continued in the same vein today,” he said.

“The (Aussie) domination is not over yet, but they are scared of India now. We have made a big dent. They have to accept it,” he added.

Chief Selector Dilip Vengsarkar said: “It was a fantastic and historic victory after a 23-year gap,” he said, referring to India’s last win in the 1983 World Cup. “To defeat the top team over last one decade shows that India is fast closing in on Australia,” he said.

Vengsarkar also praised Dhoni for his “marvellous” captaincy and Sachin Tendulkar for his “focus” since landing in Australia.

Former Indian captain Ajay Jadeja said it was an “incredible effort” by the young team. “I think it is unbelievable. We have beaten them twice in a row and that is quite an achievement,” he said.

Navjot Singh Sidhu rated the victory as one of the five best wins recorded by India in the history. “It is definitely one of the top five wins recorded by India in its history. The lions have roared and they have announced their arrival. Indian cricket has a bright future,” the former opener said.

Former Test batsman Chandu Borde, who was the cricket manager of the team in England last year, also praised the efforts of the team besides hailing the administrators for standing by the team during the Harbhajan Singh race row.

“It’s a victory for not only the players but also the administrators who stood behind the team during the Harbhajan Singh episode to boost the players’ confidence,” the former captain said. — PTI

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