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A time for measured celebration

It required the best batsman and the best bowler to craft a win in treacherous conditions at the Sabina Park to give Indian cricket a triumph that took 35 years to happen. Here, in 1976, Bishan Singh Bedi was obliged to declare the innings to protect his batsmen from being hit in the face by extreme pace. The 1-0 series win of 2006 need not be compared with the historic feat by Ajit Wadekar's men in 1971 but it should lay the base for the season — as India explores various avenues to justify its self-perception of being the second best force in both forms of cricket. A margin of at least 2-0 would have been more appropriate for a team that dominated the Test matches after being inexplicably routed in the one-day series. Inexperience was a major factor as far as the West Indies was concerned but then India also came in with a fairly raw pace attack. Credit must be given to S. Sreesanth and MunafPatel for measuring up to the expectations of the team management but the real heroes were Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh — who reconfirmed that spin is India's winning weapon.

Hearteningly, there was a method to India's dominance. Rahul Dravid reinforced his reputation as India's best Test batsman overseas. His contribution with the bat at Kingston was stellar, keeping in mind the state of the pitch as reflected in the contrasting dismissals of the two captains. If the great Brian Lara could not get out of the way of a Sreesanth snorter, the Wall was eventually breached by a shooter. In lifting the spirits of the team, Dravid gained in stature as a leader. Kumble demonstrated the value of experience in world cricket in a way that mirrors Zinadine Zidane's exploits in the 2006 World Cup. The leg-spinner, who rarely gets his due despite his 533 wickets in 110 Tests at the average of 28.75, played the decisive role when it mattered most, this time offering reminders of his unrealised batting potential too. Come to think if it, this gentleman cricketer was excluded from the playing eleven when India last won a Test in the West Indies at Port of Spain in 2002; that was another disappointing story of a resurgent India promising much but choking to concede the Test series 1-2 to Carl Hooper's men. India ought to have finished better in the latest series; it failed to assert itself in crunch situations and drive home clear advantages. A series win outside the sub-continent is a rarity for Indian cricket. It calls for measured celebration, not unqualified euphoria. For one thing, in the last three series India has fared well in either one day internationals or in Test cricket — but not against the same opponent in both forms of the game. The fairly young team would have gained confidence but it has also been reminded that it must learn, raise its physical fitness levels, sharpen its endgame professional skills, and improve its mental strength. It will be expected to demonstrate all this when it travels to South Africa later this year for a tougher contest.

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