‘The rest of the cricketing world, beware’ - Ian Chappell feels India are equipped for era of dominance

Team India has been at their fluent best with both the willow and the ball in recent times as they have managed to stun any opposition anywhere in the world despite the absence of their main players. The four-match Test against Australia saw India scripting victory with a relatively young team as many experienced played had succumbed to injuries during the course of the series.

The Men in Blue carried the winning momentum during the England tour of India too as they outplayed the visitors in the four-match Test series by 3-1 followed by a 3-2 win in the five-match T20I series. Former Australian captain Ian Chappell seems highly impressed with the Indian team as he believes that India now has the depth of talent. He also sent a warning to the rest of the world, citing India’s dominance.

“India’s recent successes in Australia – particularly the latest one – have only reinforced the players’ belief in their ability to win under any circumstance. In an era where teams struggle overseas, India now has the depth of talent to alter that pattern. No longer can opponents afford to say, when India are on their doorstep, ‘Just pick a string of fast bowlers with long run-ups and the series will be ours’,” Chappell wrote in his column at ESPNcricinfo.

It strikes a note of fear: Ian Chappell

Further, Chappell answered the highly-anticipated question, ‘Can India replicate the dominant periods of West Indies and Australia?’ saying that India are finally on the right path and are all ready to dominate the cricket world if managed properly. The veteran reckoned that the emergence of new talent over the past few months has painted a “rosy picture”.

“India have finally got the equation right and as long as they avoid the pitfalls often associated with continuing success, they are better equipped than any team to produce an era of dominance. The rest of the cricketing world beware. The emergence of such talents as Shubman Gill, Mohammed Siraj, Navdeep Saini, Washington Sundar, T Natarajan, and Axar Patel would have been monumental if it had happened in the space of three years, let alone just three months as it did.

“And when you consider that Shardul Thakur excelled in just his second game and the ebullient Rishabh Pant was an international match-winner before his 20th appearance, it really is a rosy picture. A rosy picture, that is, if you’re an Indian fan; for the rest of the cricket world, it strikes a note of fear,” Chappell concluded.