India confirms the number 1 ranking...

As the first test match of the recently concluded series between India and Australia entered and then progressed through the final day, I went from feeling hopeful to despair to anguish to disgust to tense and finally to euphoria. I can't remember the last time I went through so many emotions in a single day (or night in my case). At a point in time when VVS Laxman and Ishant Sharma were playing, I even became superstitious when I started believing that whenever I watched the match, a wicket fell. So I manly denied myself and restricted myself to check score occasionally on Cricinfo. This superstition was partly confirmed when I couldn't resist and watched the match just to witness Ishant Sharma being being given out wrongly. I promptly stopped watching. But then the excitement of the match had grown so much and my heartbeats were so quick and loud I said to myself, "Why are you torturing yourself? You watching or not watching is not going to decide the match. Why not enjoy the classic cricket that is being played." And so common sense prevailed and I was able to enjoy the riveting and extremely satisfying climax of a wonderfully played test match.

But that's not the point of this column. I don't want to go on and on about my emotions but want to put forward some things that have been discussed before. India is the reigning number one in Test match cricket. Why is it so hard to accept to many people? Would it be because a former colony has become better than the former masters? No, that's not it. England has been living with the colonial guilt for the past 60 years or so. When I recollect the events and report immediately preceding and following India's ascension to Number 1, I think that most of the criticism to India's status came from Indians. I think after 150 years of slavery, we Indians still find it hard to believe that India can rule the world (figuratively). It is us Indians who have more negative vibes that the rest of the world about ourselves. Why? When a player rises to number one ranking in tennis, nobody questions it whether he or she deserves it or not. Nobody questioned Marcelo Rios' or Dinara Safina's rise to number one? A player or a team will become number one if it satisfies a certain number of measurement criteria that has been laid down by the governing body. India did that and became number one. Does it matter that India has never defeated Australia in Australia or South Africa in South Africa? It might from a perspective of becoming a complete team, but it does not matter at all when it comes to deciding who becomes number 1. India became number 1 by virtue of playing good cricket over a period of 3 years and not overnight. If they are not good enough, then they will slip to lower ranking like the players mentioned above. But for the moment, India is undisputed number 1 in test cricket and let's savour that sweet achievement.

If Indian cricket team not good enough, then it will slip to lower ranking eventually. But for the moment, India is undisputed number 1 in test cricket.

What was heartening about the chase was the kind of self belief India has shown lately and confidence that Indian team has shown in hopeless situation to pull back and win the game. The Indian cricket teams of past who had some great players in their ranks had given up and laid down their arms. That's how they use to think, which is very well articulated by none other than Navjot Singh Sidhu in one of his speeches (You can also watch it below). This is a lost cause, lets not get in harms way. This team is different. They have shown it time and again that they are not afraid to stand up and go the distance and more to ensure that India wins. That if nothing else is a mark of a true champion, who never gives up when chips are down. There has been a lot of ink spent to point out that India needs better bowlers if they are to remain number 1 for a long time. I will not spend anymore. There are people out there more qualified than I am to comment on that.

I just want to savour the great achievement as a very enthusiastic cricket fan and let the so-called analysts and experts to ramble and quarrel about how India could become number 1.