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The iconic Sunil Gavaskar hailed Team India’s elevation to the top of the Test rankings but reminded that Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Co. would have to work harder to stay at the summit.
The following are excerpts
“Getting to No. 1 is hard work. But they would have to work harder to stay there because others would try to knock them off the pedestal. They would have to be lot more consistent but it’s not beyond them. They have got the skills and the talent… But it’s the application which is not always 100 per cent.
“I think Sachin (Tendulkar) was probably dying for this day. He started in 1989 and has completed 20 years in international cricket. He missed out on a World Cup when India lost the final in 2003. Now this is a big moment for him. I would think this is as big as all his personal records.
“Players like Sourav Ganguly and Anil Kumble made a lot of contribution. They are the guys who moulded the team.
“Their teammates have imbibed the fighting qualities from the Gangulys and Kumbles.
“We still don’t have a regular opening pair of bowlers. Zaheer (Khan) remains the spearhead… Sreesanth is back and Ishant (Sharma) hopefully will be able to regain his spark. I hope he returns to form soon. If that happens, it would be good for India to have three new ball bowlers who can bowl well abroad.
“In the spin department, (Pragyan) Ojha had a good debut series and Harbhajan (Singh) is also taking wickets.”
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Maestro Sachin Tendulkar termed Sunday as a special day in his life.
The following are excerpts
“Absolutely a dream come true. We have been waiting for this moment for a long time. The last 18-20 months have been very good for us.
“This is a reflection of what we have been able to achieve in the last 20 months or so. It is a special day for me and all the Indians. It is great to be sitting on the top.
“I think it was a combination of factors that has made us the best team in the world. Gary (Kirsten) has been very instrumental, along with the other support staff also. Along with all that, the leadership of Mahendra Singh Dhoni and the team’s effort also had a major role to play.
“So I would say that the whole team got together and worked hard. I don’t want to pinpoint at a particular thing. It is a team sport and it will always be a team sport.
“We have to adopt a simple strategy to remain No. 1. We have to keep following the same process which made us what we are today. We don’t have to do anything different.
“I don’t want to compare because I feel all the Indian teams I have been a part of, I feel privileged to be in them and I respect all the players I have played with.
“I wouldn’t compare. We all know how good the batting line-up is and the world class bowlers we have in this team and that has been our major force.”
