The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : ‘India will dominate in the next decade’

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‘India will dominate in the next decade’

Principal Correspondent

HYDERABAD: India will dominate world cricket in the next decade and if it does not it will have only itself to blame after such an outstanding series in Australia, Darryl Cullinan, former South African cricketer, who is now in Hyderabad as coach of Kolkata Tigers in the Indian Cricket League (ICL), said.

The veteran cricketer said that the current Indian team is capable of beating the best in the world.

“I believe that this side is far more experienced and also has plenty of youngsters willing to go the extra length to reach their goals compared to the previous sides,” he said.

Special praise

He singled out the gangling fast bowler Ishant Sharma for special praise.

“This Indian team has depth, variety in bowling and batting, and is physically much stronger to rule the world,” he added.

Commenting on the forthcoming India-South Africa series, the 41-year-old Cullinan felt that batting should hold the key for the visitor in tough Indian conditions.

“I believe that captain Greame Smith and Jacques Kallis should be the key players and if they put up big scores, then India will have a real challenge. I will not be surprised if the South Africans are quietly confident of winning the series,” he said.

Cullinan also felt that the recently-concluded successful tour of Bangladesh could be a perfect warm-up for the South Africans ahead of the Indian tour as the players had got themselves acquainted to the playing conditions in the sub-continent even though the opposition was comparatively weaker.

Cullininan believes that the India-South Africa series is unlikely to be similar to India’s recent tour down under in terms of sledging.

‘No problems’

“I never had problems with any of the Indians earlier. They continue to be very competitive cricketers. Even Harbhajan Singh is a very cheeky cricketer, but he knows what he is doing,” he said.

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