Finally, the CB series hammered a verdict that the Aussie skipper, Ricky Ponting, had predicted, “2-0”. Just a minor difference though. It turned out in
Indians created history to be the first Indian team to topple the ODI world champions to clinch the CB series cup with a resounding win. In the process, Dhoni and his young team has stamped its authority over the invincible Aussies and has dismissed all doubts that the Twenty20 World Cup victory was no flash in the pan.
Dhoni’s captaincy throughout the series has been laudable. As if marshalling and motivating his young side was not challenging enough, Dhoni and the team had to tackle the various off-field controversies that had been tenaciously plaguing the team from the start of the series. That Dhoni maneuvered through these embroilments add further sheen to his mantle of captaincy.
What stood out besides the emergence of Dhoni as a natural leader is the way in which his young players responded to his faith that Dhoni had reposed on them. During the finals, when it was Rohit Sharma who accumulated an unflappable 66 in the first final, it was Praveen Kumar who doggedly stuck to a tight line and length to wipe out the Aussie top order when he was tossed the new ball. Earlier, rookie, Ishant Sharma had played a crucial role to metamorphose as the
The series win was not just about youth triumphing over experience. Even the batting maestro, Sachin Tendulkar, who was a bit off color for most part of the series boomed with a bang towards the end of the series. The experienced Gautam Gambir not to be left far off from the action constantly improvised to raise the highest runs from the Indian squad. Not to mention, Harbhajan Singh, who despite the flurry of controversies, showed immense grit and pugnacity to bring about a remarkable performance.
Overall, the ICC rankings aside, the series saw the rising of the Team India as the numero uno cricket team in the world.
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