Ajit Wadekar was the first Indian captain to lead the country to series victories abroad. An astute cricketing mind, the aggressive left-hand middle-order batsman and excellent slip fielder made history in 1971 versus the West Indies and England. He played 37 Tests, aggregating 2,113 runs at an average of 31.07. He played two One-day Internationals, and had a total of 73. He was also the chairman of selectors. The Indian Express presents its readers an exclusive 15-article series of critical observations by Wadekar, starting today, through the World Cup.

Isn’t it getting a bit too much? This extreme hype is scaring me a bit. It has happened before—bigger the hype, less the chances for India in the World Cup. And we don’t seem to learn.

There are innumerable examples in the history of Indian cricket. In the 1996 World Cup, for example, India crushed Pakistan at Bangalore and then strode around, possibly with the firm belief that nobody could come in their way till they lifted the trophy for the second time. Alas! They were brought back to Earth by the Sri Lankans in the semi-final. The Islanders went on to win the final majestically against the invincible Aussies in Lahore.

Yet, despite the scare, there is this huge gut feeling that persists. There are few experts, like Zaheer Abbas of Pakistan (called the Asian Don Bradman) and Arjuna Ranatunga of Sri Lanka, the most successful captain in his era, who think that India have the best chance. And even my own gut feeling says the same thing.

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