Comment on India's series win in England.

Finally India have won a "meaningful" series abroad. Our win in Pakistan was in the subcontinent, and the victory in the West Indies was against a weak team. As far as away series go, nothing is more authentic than the English, even if against a comparatively weaker team. Satisfaction all round.

The fact is this win did not come out of the blue. All of this decade India have been much more than a rollover abroad. The highlights included the draws in Australia, England and the wins in Pakistan and West Indies. Another conspicuous change from the 90s was the invariable test victories in almost every series, though the series itself was lost. Series victory remained elusive till now. We came closest in Australia when we were 4 wickets away in Sydney. However, it was always just a matter of time. It is comforting that it came immediately after the world cup debacle.

Test cricket is real cricket. It is only in tests that a cricketer's skill is really put to test and consequently it is only tests that really provide true cricketing excitement. A closely fought test match offers a spectacle of complex patterns that is probably unmatched in all of sport. It is a pity that India seldom plays 5 match or (even 4) test series these days. Nevertheless it is a happy occasion to see India win and move to the third spot in test rankings.

Sterner tests (pun intended) await.