An inexperienced team makes history

Former Team India player Pragyan Ohja maintains that Ajinkya led from the front, adding that his century in the second test match only proved how important it was for a captain to lead from the front when the chips are down.

“His calmness and ability to extract the best from the players has changed everything from the second test. That’s how he has been as a player, calm and composed too,” says Pragyan, adding, “Each player is different in his own right.”

PERFECT SYSTEM IN PLACE

While pointing out that Ajinkya had led the side brilliantly, former cricketer V.V.S. Laxman also agrees that the youngsters delivered when it mattered the most. “It is an emotional moment for me! My eyes were literally moist with this fantastic win. I rate this win as the best one after the 2011

World Cup,” says the former batting great.

Ascribing the current victory to the structure and process of how the team was built, Pragyan further adds that as India A-Team has played around 55 matches and toured various countries, the players were able to showcase their best.

“Remember Team India hasn’t fielded full strength, so we have relatively new players; in fact, most of them are debutants. But as most players have been to Australia during their Indian ATour, they understood the conditions and played fearless cricket,” the former left-arm spinner says.

Also hailing the bench strength of the team, Pragyan attributes it to the effective execution of Virat Kohli’s captaincy and the team management. “The team has invested a lot in these players on a long-term basis, and the results are there for everyone to see,” Pragyan adds.