Former Indian batting great VVS laxman sees a bright future for the country in the longest format, which he feels will see the current Indian side not only climb to the summit of the Test rankings but will also stay there for a long time.
laxman, who has been part of a golden generation of Indian Test side with the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Saurav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and Anil Kumble, believes the present side is not too far behind and he feels that under the stewardship of a positive minded Virat Kohli, India have all the ingredients to dominate the longest format of cricket.
"It's a great opportunity for India because they are going to play three quality Test playing countries. This Indian team has ingredients of becoming the number one side and stay there for a long time," he said during a panel discussion by broadcast partner Star Sports on the upcoming 'Home Season of cricket' which begins with New Zealand tour and will see the team play 13 Tests in that period against some of the biggest names in the sport. "The reason for that is everyone is young in their Test careers and also they have played a lot in overseas conditions. From personal experience I have seen that once you play overseas you become an all-round player because you get to play in different types of wickets, different weather conditions, different kinds of oppositions who are very good in their own backyard," he added.
India will begin the home season with a three-Test series against New Zealand, followed by England, Australia and Bangladesh.
On captain fantastic Kohli, laxman said: "He is very positive, very aggressive right from the first match he captained India in the Test. As a captain you have to be a performer and Virat is a performer. He has been setting the benchmark for his colleagues to follow. He is always looking to play positive cricket and win the matches. They are not playing for No 1 spot. They set targets and goals and try to reach and achieve that goal — that's the hallmark of any good team."
Brett lee, who was also present during the occasion, believes right now it doesn't get bigger than beating India in its own backyard. "Winning India in India is at the top of the tree. For Kane (Williamson, New Zealand captain), if they can win (the upcoming series), they know they achieved greatness," said the former fast-bowling great.
lee believes it will be the bowling combination which will prove to be the difference for India. "India have so many batting options. Indian team has an amazing batting line-up, if they get their bowling right it will be great for them, bowlers will be crucial," explained the former speedster.
laxman also gave thumbs-up to the idea of having five bowlers in the playing eleven.
"I am really happy with this 5-bowler theory. Ultimately it's the bowlers who will win you the matches. If you are not taking 20 wickets — no matter how much you score — you cannot win," he said.
On the five or four bowlers debate, former Indian captain Kapil Dev said only based on the wicket, the team should pick the side. "It all depends on the pitch. It's very easy to say I will go with four bowlers or five but I as a captain would like to see the kind of pitch before picking the team. It easy to talk if the pitch is good enough you go with five bowler strategy," he said. Since Indian pitches offer a lot of turn, is it advisable to go with three spinnersIJ "If the captain feels the third spinner can give him enough, then he can. It depends on how much turning track you get," explained the former all-rounder.
Does making the pitch suitable for the home team the right way to doIJ The experts think it actually is.
"If you are playing at home then why notIJ Of course you should take advantage of home conditions. If you go to Australia or South Africa, they are not going to give you a turning track. No country will give you the pitch which you want," he said.
lee concurs with him. "I agree 100 percent because the greatest thing about touring is you are playing on different wickets. So when you come to India, it should spin because that's what India is known for and the ball should remain low and slow. If a player can score a hundred even in those conditions, then he is the true Test player," said lee.