India Beats England - Nothing Else Matters

Forget the World Cup. Forget the Greg Chappell saga. Forget all the near misses of the recent past. For heaven's sake, forget the fact that Rahul Dravid didn't enforce the follow-on. For, this is a time to stand and scream yourself hoarse to celebrate a ground-breaking Indian victory.

Team India's performance during this tour of England has been the most comprehensive and cohesive display of teamwork that any Indian cricket team, for the last 20 years, has put on show. If there was ever an example for why a good team will always triumph over a set of stunning individuals, this is the most fitting.

Every player from No 1 to No 11 played a significant role somewhere along the line. These little contributions may not have been as heroic as Mahendra Singh Dhoni's 76 at Lords, masterly as Sachin Tendulkar's 91 and 82 or stunning as Zaheer Khan's 5-fer in the second Test, but they all helped to forge the path to a well deserved victory.

For once in my life, I find myself agreeing with Andrew Miller, when he makes the point that many Indian fans have allowed their cricketing judgement to be so skewed by "burger bar" cricket that they have managed to lose all perspective. This situation is unfortunate as it may dampen the joy that many of the said fans may have otherwise felt. However, the naysayers will keep on neighing. To be brutally honest, life wouldn't be nearly as enjoyable without them.

In the meanwhile, let me take this opportunity to congratulate and thank Rahul Dravid and Team India for all that they have delivered over the past few weeks - may much, much more await us in the coming months and years.

Be sure to cherish and savour the sweetness of a series victory, 21 years in the making. Amid the confusion that abounds in all our worlds, let's not forget that nothing else matters.

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