To term this ODI series win as an emphatic one would be an understatement. India has demolished South Africa 5-1. It took its own sweet time coming (25 years) but finally, India did manage to seal a bilateral ODI series victory against the Proteas in their own backyard. It is not just this opening of an account of sorts that is fulfilling, but it is the way in which we have done it that makes it even more special. After suffering humiliating losses in the first couple of Tests, it has been a remarkable turnaround in fortunes for Team India. They have gone from strength to strength from thereon. They justified the numero-uno tag and put up a performance worthy of it.

 

Our bowlers have had a great run and they have massively contributed to the series win. The young spin twins seemed to enjoy themselves while making a mockery of the South African batting line up. Together, they accounted for 33 wickets in the series. Like in batting, partnership in bowling is equally effective in denting the opposition’s spirits. Both, Kuldeep and Chahal have announced their arrival onto the scene and the team management too sees them as a potent force going into the 2019 World Cup. The captain has got their back and that was evident in the way they bowled. They were fearless, tossing it up to them, inviting the batsman, who failed to read them, to go big and were always attacking. Bumrah was impressive and he provided crucial breakthrough’s with the new ball, making up for Bhuvi’s okayish performance in the colored clothing. Hardik failed with the bat but played the role of the 5^th bowler quite well, chipping in with some wickets here and there, and of course, he almost manufactures a wicket with his athleticism on the field, be it taking blinders or effecting run-outs.

The batting unit looks solid and the top order is having a dream run. Dhawan was fluent, Rohit looked good in patches before coming to his own in the penultimate ODI and Kohli has been his usual self. He did what he does best in the limited overs format. He comes, scores hundreds for fun, breaks records, chases targets and sets higher standards in batting. In years to come, he could well go on to own every batting record there is. Speaking of records, Dhoni is set to reach 10,000 runs in ODI’s. Quite a milestone for someone who has batted lower down for a major part of his career. He has been simply outstanding with the bat and behind the stumps, no one comes close to matching his skills, however unorthodox they might be. The hand-eye coordination while stumping is peculiar to him. He has this amazing sense of timing while whipping the bails off.

In shorter formats, ours is the team to beat. This team is destined for greatness. We have a pool of 25-30 odd players who can play at the highest level and the quality of benched players is what sets us apart. The bowlers have been brilliant in this series and that is why I talk of them before the batters. To have potential is one thing, to cash in on that is another. The current team is not only rated high on potential but is paying equally rich dividends (with performances on the field) as well. And it is the skipper who is leading the way. Be it fitness, commitment towards the game, and passion, he is inspiring everyone, young and old alike. The support staff also deserves a special mention. They do all the work behind the curtains and it is easy to skip them while rolling out credits for the win. Here’s wishing the team more success in the forthcoming tournaments.