Hey guys,
As an Indian cricket fan, I can just say that me, along with the rest of the fans are happy that you were able to dominate the opposition the way you did. Agreed, that the Sri Lankan team was nowhere close to being the teams that we have seen in the past, but it is important to remain professional and not let complacency set in, and you guys have done just that.
What was most heartening to see was the way the youngsters have stepped up on this tour. Jasprit Bumrah, Chahal and Kuldeep in the limited overs and Hardik Pandya in the Tests showed that the Indian team has a strong future to bank upon and we hope that they will be ready for the World Cup.
Breaking hoodoos:
Another telling aspect was the way many players showed their worth in the team across all the formats. Shikhar Dhawan has given us a good headache with his incredible Test batting and so has Manish Pandey and to an extent, Kedar Jadhav.
When Murali Vijay makes his way back to the team, it will be hard to choose between him and the Delhi-batsman. Also, the likes of Hardik stepping up to become a genuine all-rounder is always good to see.
The spin-twins were at their best throughout this tour, Ashwin and Jadeja picking up many wickets. It was nice to see the way the team rotated to give everyone a chance while the more experienced ones continued to shine.
Great depth:
What this tour has taught is that despite the 9-0 scoreline, we have a bunch of great players who add to the squad depth when required. Not having our frontline spinners for the limited overs format did not make much of a difference and their willingness and hunger shone through.
One person who needs to take credit for stepping up at the right moment is MS Dhoni. Up until now, there were no murmurs regarding his position in the team and he shut up all the critics for now with his experience and brilliance in the middle. He is still the best wicket-keeper around and his calm presence helped us wiggle through some tough situations in the middle.
The core of Dhawan, Rohit, Rahane, Pujara, Bhuvneshwar and Dhoni stood up along with Kohli of course and this is all that we need to see.
Further challenges ahead:
There are much bigger challenges at hand that will come in the future and there is a risk that this purple patch may not last as long. However, it is important that we learn from this tour and use the experience to help us in the future. The Australia series is going to be a great one for limited overs and everybody is expecting some fireworks from both ends.
For now, enjoy the short break before heading over for the tournament. I have a feeling that we are witnessing something really special.
Best regards,
An Indian cricket fan.
