21 Oct :Terming the 320-run victory against Australia as India’s one of the biggest Test wins, Chief Selector K Srikkanth on Tuesday said the visitors had been beaten "fair and square" on a good batting track.
"An extra ordinary team effort has helped us beat the Aussies fair and square. It was a normal batting track and was not really turning or bouncing. We have proved to the whole world that we achieved one of our biggest victory in a Test match on a wicket which you cannot say was tailor-made to suit us," Srikkanth told reporters in Mohali.
Srikkanth lavished praise on stand-in skipper Mahendra singh Dhoni, who led the side in the absence of an injured Anil Kumble, for his strategy.
"Indians (in this match) have been positive right from ball number one (right from the start). Credit goes to Dhoni as he came out with a good strategy which pushed the Aussies on the backfoot and on the efence.Dhoni is very positive in his approach and by nature likes to keep things simple”, the former batsman said.
"The good thing about Dhoni is that he likes to keep it simple…his positive attitude vibrates on everybody else (in the team)," he said but refused to take any questions whether Kumble would play the next Test in Delhi.
He also lauded the performances of Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Amit Mishra, Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh.
Srikkanth disagreed when asked if the victory had come against a "weak Australian side".
"I think by saying so we will be taking credit away from our own team. We cannot call them weak and I think they have been the same for the past year or so. Full credit must go to our side for comprehensively outplaying them in every department of the game," he said.
Meanwhile, debutant Amit Mishra, who took seven wickets in the Test match, drew lot of praise from selector Narender Hirwani.
"Amit reminds me of my own playing days. He has lot of talent and the fact that he has played domestic cricket for so many years will only make him a better bowler," Hirwani, leg spinner of yesteryears, told reporters.