Karthik007’s Blog

Team India’s golden run continues, as skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and boys end the year (2008) on a ‘winning note’, with Dhoni’s brigade winning the Test series against England 1-nil.

Even though the final Test at Mohali ended in a draw, it was celebration time for the Indian players, as Dhoni’s boys lifted the trophy after an impressive performance against Kevin Pietersen’s side. This is just one of the many victories that Team India have scripted in the year 2008.

India outplayed England in the one day series to win 5-nil and before the ‘Winter War’ rages on, India trashed Ricky Ponting’s men to lift the ‘Border-Gavaskar’ trophy, an absolutely extra ordinary year for Indian cricket – which also saw Sourav Ganguly and Anil Kumble retire from international cricket.

India’s on-field performance are paying off the field following a successful 2008 season. Team India have retained the number two spot in ICC Test Rankings, this feat comes after Dhoni and boys won the Test series against England 1-nil.

Following their win the opening Test at Chennai and draw in the final Test, India surged ahead of South Africa taking a one point lead at number two slot, a position the India has held on briefly after trashing the Australians 2-nil.

Here’s a look at the ranking’s table:

Australia remains on the firing line after the defeat at Perth, and is still retaining the top spot with 130 points. Team India stands at the second place with 118 points, meanwhile South Africa fares just a point behind at 117. However the Proteas will be hoping to continue their good form ‘Down Under’ and retain the number two peg by winning the ‘Boxing Day Test’.

The former English players have again hailed Team India’s performances, and David Lloyd has gone on to declare, “India is definitely the number one Test side in world cricket, in fact the former England all-rounder believes that, India has always been a better side in the ‘Winter War’ – and at the moment, they are the best in business.”

Derek Pringle too has hailed the efforts of an united Team India but the former English paceman has especially, praised skipper MS Dhoni’ s leadership skills and his confidence, in leading a youngish team to the summit of world cricket.

According to David Lloyd, the famed former English player, “India has always been the better team in the series and in my opinion, constitutes the best team in the world in Tests at present. On the other hand, England has also played its part and can only learn from their Indian experience.”

Just as India end the year on a winning note, it’s time to cast a glance at India’s best wins of the 2008 season.

After umpires cheated India in Sydney and the ‘Monkey Gate’ saga, a spirited team India stunned the Aussies by an impressive fightback to conquer Perth. India denied Australia a record 17th straight victory by dismissing them for 340, going on to win the third Test at Perth  by 72 runs.

What followed in the one-day series was phenomenal, with Dhoni leading India to script a historic win and lift the CB series. The  Sachin Tendulkar being the star performer for the ‘Men in Blue, after a century in the first final, the ‘Little Master’ scored 91 to beat the Aussies on their own soil.

Again, in the home series against South Africa, India fought back from being 1-nil down to draw the series against Proteas. India also finished the Kanpur Test in 3 days, this being Dhoni’s first Test as the skipper with Kumble getting injured. Spinner Harbhajan Singh was adjudged the ‘Player of the Series’ for Team India.

It was revenge time for Team India as Australia arrived in India. India’s golden run continued, as the Aussies were demolished by Team India at Mohali, after Ganguly slammed a century and Tendulkar went on to become the ‘King of Test’ cricket by surpassing Brian Lara – as the highest run scorer in the Tests in first Test.

The final Test at Nagpur witnessed a historic Test victory by Team India, as Dhoni led India with Kumble retiring from international cricket. India reclaimed the ‘Border Gavaskar’ trophy, after 8 long years in the farewell Test of Sourav Ganguly. India humiliated the Australians and won the series 2-nil.