Sense of security

Opener Gambhir, now the team’s most reliable batsman, said the main reason for his golden run has been a sense of security provided by the skipper and coach Gary Kirsten.

“I’m much more relaxed. Once you feel secure of your place in the side, and know that one or two failures are not going to make much difference, you feel a lot more confident. It’s going to be a fantastic achivement if we can make it 5-0. You want to be a part of history. Winning 4-0 is not enough. When you go onto the field you go to win. Great teams are those who don’t let up,” he said, making India’s intentions clear for Sunday’s day-match.

One-day cricket is all about the start — with the bat and the ball — and this Indian team has forged potentially dangerous partnerships with both. Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar and Gambhir with the bat, and Zaheer, Ishant, and Praveen Kumar with the ball. And then there are players such as Yuvraj, Dhoni and Raina in the middle-order, along with plenty of makeshift bowling options. The pieces of jigsaw have all started to fit in nicely.

Even Sri Lankan off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan had words of admiration for how the Indians have shaped up. “One of the reasons why this team is doing so well is because they have confidence. That was the case with the Australian team that won so many matches in a row as well. India have just had a landslide 5-0 win against England, so they’re feeling good and playing without the fear or failure.”

... contd.