M A I N   N E W S

Hail the new Test king India
It’ll be tough to stay No. 1: MSD

Mumbai, December 6
Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni today described India rising to world number one status in Test cricket as a dream come true but conceded that it would be a tough job to maintain the top spot.

“It was a dream come true. But what we actually do is to try and play every game well and ratings take care of themselves. It was a constant process for the last 18 months. Whatever Test cricket we have played we have played really well. I think it’s a team effort,” Dhoni said after his team swamped Sri Lanka by an innings in the third Test to win the series 2-0 and become the world’s best Test team.

Dhoni, however, conceded that it would be difficult to maintain the top spot considering India is playing only two Tests in the next six months (against Bangladesh in Janaury next year).

“It’s a bit of a concern we are playing only two Test matches in the next six months. It will be tough for us to maintain this top position. At the same time we have done something remarkable. We would celebrate the feat rather than thinking what next should be doing (to remain on top). At the moment we would like to just be with the achievement, which is because of the whole team,” he said.

“Next we are going to Bangladesh and I don't know when we are playing Test cricket after that. It's good to play Test cricket. But we are here to play whatever cricket is offered to us,” said the skipper.

Dhoni felt the side was blessed in its journey to the top by the fact that more or less the same cricketers played for the last some months without injuries.

“There were not too many injuries and the core of the team remained the same. We always played with the best squad available. It was also about planning and executing them well. It's the result of hard work put in by individuals. It’s a constant process,” he said. Dhoni felt the dressing room atmosphere also contributed a lot to the achievements on the field. — PTI