Sharad Pawar
BCCI President Sharad Pawar on Saturday hailed the Indian team for their stunning victory against Australia in the Perth Test and also promised to felicitate captain Anil Kumble for joining the 600 Test wicket club.
"On behalf of the cricket loving people of India and the Board of Control for Cricket in India, I extend heartiest congratulations to Team India led by Anil Kumble for their emphatic win over Australia at Perth," Pawar said in a statement.
"It was a great team effort with each member contributing to the win, particularly the efforts of the young and inexperienced pace attack is laudable," he said.
"Anil Kumble led the team with dignity and honour both on and off the field and marshaled his resources well," he said.
Congratulating Kumble for achieving the personal milestone of 600 Test wickets, Pawar said, "The Board of Control for Cricket in India is indeed very proud of Anil's achievement and it will felicitate him in a befitting manner after the return of the Indian Team from Australia."
The players also lavished praise on skipper Anil Kumble who showed remarkable poise in the difficult times and succeeded in regrouping the team after two consecutive losses.
"Anil's decision to bat first was great after a lot of people had written about the bounce on the wicket. Had we won the Test at Sydney (where a number of crucial decisions went against India) things would have been even better," said former captain and chairman of selection committee Dilip Vengsarkar.
"I hope the team continues to play in the same manner at Adelaide (fourth and final Test from Jan 24-28)."
"It was a tremendous victory especially considering the reputation of the Perth wicket and the opposition. I had always felt we can beat Australia in Australia and it has been proved," he added.
Another former Test captain Ajit Wadekar and left arm spinner Bapu Nadkarni also termed the victory a tremendous one and rated it as one of the top three in the annals of Indian cricket.
"It was a great victory and would rate it only behind our wins in England and West Indies (in 1971). The team showed tremendous positive attitude by deciding to bat first after all the pundits had said that the wicket would be very bouncy and put Australia on the backfoot," Wadekar said.
"The decision to introduce Virender Sehwag into the attack today was a master stroke. It reminded me of the Oval Test (against England in 1971) where I brought on (Bhagwast) Chandrasekhar for (Bishen) Bedi," Wadekar recalled.
"Anil is a tremendous fighter but does not show it outwardly. He has what I call controlled aggression. Irfan Pathan also bowled and batted very well. He looks to be a capable all rounder," he added.
"The way India have turned things around after the happenings in the Sydney Test, which would have been a morale dampener, was fantastic."
Nadkarni echoed Wadekar's views and said, "This victory should go down as among the top three by India in Tests. I was very impressed by the way the team played aggressively and as a team from the first ball. They showed zest for victory."
"Too often in the past we have come so near to victory before falling by the wayside. An example was the Karachi Test (against Pakistan in 2006) when we lost after having them on the ropes at 46 for six," the former left armer said.
"Beating Australia in Australia is not a joke. Had things gone our way (umpiring decision-wise) we would be up 2-1 now.
I am very impressed by the way Kumble has led the team, it has been tremendous," he said.
"The spirit should be kept high as we go into the final Test in Adelaide. What we have seen is tremendous team spirit.
We have showed we are capable of beating the giants of the game on their own turf," he added.
Former player and chairman of selectors Chandu Borde also lauded the team for shrugging off distracting controversies to keep the series alive.
"It is an amazing and fantastic victory because at one stage the Indian team was in a turmoil whether to stay back in Sydney or to proceed and fight back the Australians," Borde said.
"They chose the second option and the way the fought back resulted in a tremendous win for us," he added.
Borde praised comeback heroes Sourav Ganguly, Virender Sehwag and Irfan Pathan for their fine show.
"Though the team as a whole deserves all encomiums and praise, I am happy to note that Sourav Ganguly, Virender Sehwag and Irfan Pathan in their come back trail have performed remarkably well," he said.
"Sehwag and Pathan chose the right path and clicked well to send notice to others. They proved that they still have the game in them," he added.
19-year-old pacer Ishant Sharma's lion-hearted effort also caught the eye of Borde, who felt the bowler proved himself to be an exciting prospect.
"I am totally impressed with him. He was with us in the England tour but there he was struggling because of no ball problems. He seems to have got over such problems. He has speed, height and age with him and he will go a long way in serving India and has a bright future," he said.
Borde felt Kumble's gritty leadership also had huge part to play in the Indian triumph.
"I raise my hat for Anil (Kumble) for his handling the side with experienced ones and the younger lot and one could visualise as to how the team had played together for the winning cause," he said.
Legendary spinner EAS Prasanna also saluted the team's effort considering it came after a week of off-field drama following the Sydney furore.
"It is an extremely deserving win under extra-ordinary situations. The win speaks volumes about the togetherness of the team members. The trauma that they underwent has really been a motivating factor and it resulted in our superb victory," he said.
Once again Kumble's captaincy drew rich praise from Prasanna.
"Even before leaving the Indian shores, Anil (Kumble) has been saying that he leads a winning combination. He has pieced together the strengths of each member of the team effectively and proved himself in man management," he said.
"He has bestowed well in giving a fair deal to each of the playing eleven during the four days in the Perth Test."
Former skipper Krish Srikanth was also impressed by Kumble's determination.
"Hats off to each member of the team, particularly Anil Kumble for his leadership qualities. The manner in which he encouraged the three youngsters like Sharma, RP Singh and Pathan was striking," he opined.
"Anil's grit and determination and motivating his team members taking the Sydney fiasco has proved vital in our win," he said.
BCCI President Sharad Pawar on Saturday hailed the Indian team for their stunning victory against Australia in the Perth Test and also promised to felicitate captain Anil Kumble for joining the 600 Test wicket club.
"On behalf of the cricket loving people of India and the Board of Control for Cricket in India, I extend heartiest congratulations to Team India led by Anil Kumble for their emphatic win over Australia at Perth," Pawar said in a statement.
"It was a great team effort with each member contributing to the win, particularly the efforts of the young and inexperienced pace attack is laudable," he said.
"Anil Kumble led the team with dignity and honour both on and off the field and marshaled his resources well," he said.
Congratulating Kumble for achieving the personal milestone of 600 Test wickets, Pawar said, "The Board of Control for Cricket in India is indeed very proud of Anil's achievement and it will felicitate him in a befitting manner after the return of the Indian Team from Australia."
Sunil Gavaskar
India hailed their team's superb win over Australia in the third test in Perth on Saturday, with former batting great Sunil Gavaskar dubbing the performance as one of the greatest in the nation's test history.
India, the last team to beat Australia at home in 2003, won by 72 runs to dash the hosts' bid to break their own world record of 16 consecutive test wins.
"To win over here, this has got to be without doubt the greatest win Indian cricket has had over the last 35-40 years." Gavaskar, who was commentating on the match, said.
Australia, chasing 413 for victory, folded with over a day to spare. The victory was particularly sweet for the Indians as it was achieved barely a week after the second test in Sydney ended in controversy.
Gavaskar rated the performance, India's fifth win on Australian soil, ahead of memorable 1-0 series victories in West Indies and England in 1971.
The Indian cricket board praised the team and pacers Irfan Pathan, RP Singh and Ishant Sharma, who shared 14 wickets.
"It was a great team effort with each member contributing to the win, particularly the efforts of the young and inexperienced pace attack is laudable," board president Sharad Pawar said in a statement.
"(Skipper) Anil Kumble led the team with dignity and honour both on and off the field and marshalled his resources well."
The leg spinner would be felicitated on his return after becoming only the third bowler in test history to claim 600 wickets during the match.
India hailed their team's superb win over Australia in the third test in Perth on Saturday, with former batting great Sunil Gavaskar dubbing the performance as one of the greatest in the nation's test history.
India, the last team to beat Australia at home in 2003, won by 72 runs to dash the hosts' bid to break their own world record of 16 consecutive test wins.
"To win over here, this has got to be without doubt the greatest win Indian cricket has had over the last 35-40 years." Gavaskar, who was commentating on the match, said.
Australia, chasing 413 for victory, folded with over a day to spare. The victory was particularly sweet for the Indians as it was achieved barely a week after the second test in Sydney ended in controversy.
Gavaskar rated the performance, India's fifth win on Australian soil, ahead of memorable 1-0 series victories in West Indies and England in 1971.
The Indian cricket board praised the team and pacers Irfan Pathan, RP Singh and Ishant Sharma, who shared 14 wickets.
"It was a great team effort with each member contributing to the win, particularly the efforts of the young and inexperienced pace attack is laudable," board president Sharad Pawar said in a statement.
"(Skipper) Anil Kumble led the team with dignity and honour both on and off the field and marshalled his resources well."
The leg spinner would be felicitated on his return after becoming only the third bowler in test history to claim 600 wickets during the match.
Kapil Dev
Former India captain Kapil Dev on Saturday lauded Anil Kumble's men for beating the odds to end Australia's winning run in Perth but felt the victory, though impressive, pales in comparison to the 2001 Kolkata-Test triumph under Sourav Ganguly.
"It is a great victory at that, though I consider India beating Steve Waugh's team in Kolkata was a greater one," Kapil said.
The former all-rounder, however, made it clear that Saturday's victory had its own special place because of the extraordinary circumstances under which it was achieved.
"Today's win is a great and brilliant victory coming under extraneous circumstances. It is a win that boosts the pride of every Indian because every chip was down and against India's favour," he said.
Kapil said the Indians were the underdogs going into the match but did well to come out trumps.
"Any cricketer at world level, be it Indian or otherwise, would not have given even 10 per cent chance to India before the match," he said.
"If you asked anyone, including myself, all would have said a draw is impossible and would have rated Australia as hot favourites with 90 per cent chance. Being an Indian, I would have given 15 or 20 per cent chance to India," Kapil said.
Kapil lavished praise on Anil Kumble's captaincy and said, "I congratulate Anil and members of the team and say that the team has proved that their solid victory over the world champions is no fluke as they dominated and showed their supremacy in each sessions of all four days."
"More than anything each of the player has done his job successfully and this augurs well for future of Indian cricket," he added.
Kapil hoped that the team would carry the momentum into the fourth and final Test in Adelaide and level the series.
"I duly hope that they maintain the momentum and reach greater heights. Now we are in a better position to square the Test series against the Australians."
Rahul dravid
Former captain Rahul Dravid is elated that the Indian team, written off after their back-to-back defeats in Melbourne and Sydney, finally upset the Australian applecart in Perth on Saturday.
"Nobody gave us a chance to win the Test but we showed what we can do," a beaming Dravid said after India's 72-run win over Australia.
"It was a team effort and I am happy for Kumble and the boys that we came up with a remarkable win," he added.
Dravid, who top-scored in India's first innings with 93, however, refused to be dragged into the debate on whether it was India's greatest Test triumph abroad.
"We had some other wins outside India earlier and it is difficult to pick which one was the best. But, it was a sweet win for us as it came against the Australians and after we were 0-2 down in the series," he said.
The right hander was all smiles and was relieved that his dismissal at a crucial stage in the first innings did not prove costly.
"I thought I had messed up in the last half an hour of the first day by getting out at a crucial stage for the team. Fortunately, the bowlers performed fantastically and Laxman came up with a fine knock in the second innings. So, it has sort of removed my regret," he added.
Assistant coach Lalchand Rajput said after trailing 0-2, the team was determined to prove a point by winning the Perth Test.
"We were 0-2 down and lots of things had happened in the tour. The boys desperately wanted a win. We wanted to give the Aussies a run for their money," he said.
Rajput had special words of praise for the bowlers for doing a fine job on a pitch famed for pace and bounce.
"There were lots of stories going around that the Indians would not be able to cope with the pace and bounce in Perth. But our plan was simple: win the toss, put up a good total and put pressure on the Australians. RP Singh, Irfan Pathan and Ishant Sharma did great job in both the innings. Ishant is improving with every match. He has a bright future," Rajput said.
Comeback man Virender Sehwag rated the victory as one of the best ever.
"A lot was said about the pitch, its bounce and Australia's all-pace attack. All these make it a very special win," he said.
On his suggestion to Anil Kumble to give Ishant a longer spell, Sehwag said, "As the Delhi captain, I knew he could bowl a longer spell and that's why I asked Anil to continue with him."
Ishant removed Ricky Ponting in that over to vindicate Sehwag's trust in him.
Anil Kumble
Indian captain Anil Kumble on Saturday described the sensational victory in the third cricket Test against Australia as "one of the best" in his career and said it was a remarkable effort from his team after the traumatic events in Sydney.
"It was one best Tests in my career. Nobody gave us any chance in Perth. But we batted brilliantly, Sachin (Tendulkar), Rahul (Dravid), (Virender) Sehwag, (VVS) Laxman even at the lower order MS Dhoni and RP Singh," Kumble said after winning the match by 72 runs.
"We had tough times. After Sydney, it was important that we got together, back Harbhajan (Singh) and win this game.
"After Sydney there were two options. One was to go back home and the other was to show that we are capable of winning. I am glad the team has got together to prove that (beating Australia)," he said.
Kumble said unlike the Sydney match both the sides played the third Test in true spirit of the game but India dominated the Australians.
"The two teams played in right spirit. But here we did well and if see we did not give one session to the Aussies to come back," he said.
The Indian captain said his team was focused to win the fourth and final Test as well and draw the series.
"We need to get the confidence from this match to Adelaide and finish the series level but the Aussies would not give up," he said.
Comparing rookie pacer Ishant Sharma to former pace ace Javagal Srinath, Kumble said the young speedster notched up a superb performance.
"He was brilliant. He looks like what Srinath was in his early days. He showed a great attitude."
About Sharma's extended spell, which earned the crucial wicket of Australian captain Ricky Ponting, Kumble said, "Viru (Sehwag) is the Delhi captain. So he told me that Ishant is used to bowl longer spells. I asked Ishant if he can bowl one more over and he said yes. Since Ricky was there it was important."
Kumble also singled out Sehwag (2-24), who he brought in as a change bowler, for his outstanding performance causing the Australian collapse.
"Sehwag does something special. It was special to get Gilly (Adam Gilchrist) at that stage," he said and added "in fact, everyone chipped in to contribute to the win in some way or the other."
The 37-year-old leg spinner, who also achieved his personal milestone of crossing the 600-wicket mark here, gave credit to his team for ulitising the conditions here better than the hosts.
"It was a brilliant effort from our boys. It is really special. No one gave us a chance before the match but we utilised the conditions better.
"It was a brilliant effort from young pace attack, it also showed in their body language."
Rival captain Ricky Ponting tried to be graceful in the defeat by expressing the disappointment but offering no excuses for their below-par show.
"It is disappointing but no excuses for the defeat," Ponting said after Australian team was deprived of a record 17th successive Test win by the Indians.
Ponting, however, admitted that his team needed some bigger partnerships and more runs in the first innings which could have made their run-chase easier.
"We could have scored better in the first innings and we also needed some good partnerships. It would have helped our cause in the run-chase. But India's young bowlers really bowled well because of which it was not possible," he said.
Man-of-the-match paceman Irfan Pathan, who picked 3-54 in the fourth innings and also contributed 46 runs with the bat in India's second innings, said things were looking better for him from here.
"It's pretty good. I'm pretty happy with the way I batted and the way I bowled," he said.
He admitted that he was not bowling well last year but the return of swing in his deliveries had again made him effective.
"If a player has a stint of 10-12 years, bad times are bound to happen and that happened with me also. I worked at the MRF Pace Foundation and with our bowling coach Venkatesh Prasad. Things are looking much better for me now," he said.
On his all round performance, he insisted, "I have mentioned that I am a bowler first and would also like to contribute to the team with the bat".
Ricky Ponting
Australia are confident they will regroup from the 72-run defeat by India on Saturday to win next week's fourth and final test in Adelaide.
"Australian teams historically have been able to bounce back," captain Ricky Ponting told a news conference. "If we lose a game or have things not go our way we can turn things around pretty quickly.
"That's what our whole focus will be now. We played some great cricket in Melbourne, we played some great cricket in Sydney. We've let ourselves down a little bit in this game but it's about how we bounce back from that now."
Ponting said the visitors deserved to win the third test here and keep alive their hopes of squaring the series 2-2 in Adelaide but warned Australia would learn from their errors.
He said the home team were not at their best at the WACA, misjuding the pace of the pitch and making a string of fundamental mistakes.
"It was a tough four days, India deserved to win the game the way they did. They outplayed us for the majority of the game," said Ponting.
"A lot of our skills have let us down more than anything this week. I thought our preparation was great and it was just little critical moments in this match we faltered and it's been a long time since we've done that."
Saturday's defeat was Australia's first in a test for nearly two and a half years and their first at home since 2003.
It also ruined their chances of setting a world record of 17 consecutive test victories.
"Sixteen matches in a row is a great achievement, it would have been great to win one more...but we haven't been good enough in this game," said Ponting.
"The run was always going to come to an end at some stage, we just haven't played a brand of cricket that has been good enough to win this match."
Ponting said he was not surprised at how strongly India rebounded from the disappointment of losing the first two tests and said he was expecting his side to do the same in Adelaide.
"The Indians are a very good team," he said. "We never underestimate any opponent and certainly not the Indians because we know they, particularly their batting, can be a formidable opponent and their bowlers did a terrific job here."
Ex Cricketers Hailed on Team-India's Victory at Perth Test
Former cricketers on Saturday hailed India's victory in the third Test against Australia as a "memorable achievement" and said it was all the more creditable as it came after the turmoil that followed the Sydney Test.
India, the last team to beat Australia at home in 2003, won by 72 runs to dash the hosts' bid to break their own world record of 16 consecutive test wins.
"To win over here, this has got to be without doubt the greatest win Indian cricket has had over the last 35-40 years." Gavaskar, who was commentating on the match, said.
Australia, chasing 413 for victory, folded with over a day to spare. The victory was particularly sweet for the Indians as it was achieved barely a week after the second test in Sydney ended in controversy.
Gavaskar rated the performance, India's fifth win on Australian soil, ahead of memorable 1-0 series victories in West Indies and England in 1971.
The Indian cricket board praised the team and pacers Irfan Pathan, RP Singh and Ishant Sharma, who shared 14 wickets.
"It was a great team effort with each member contributing to the win, particularly the efforts of the young and inexperienced pace attack is laudable," board president Sharad Pawar said in a statement.
"(Skipper) Anil Kumble led the team with dignity and honour both on and off the field and marshalled his resources well."
The leg spinner would be felicitated on his return after becoming only the third bowler in test history to claim 600 wickets during the match.
India hailed their team's superb win over Australia in the third test in Perth on Saturday, with former batting great Sunil Gavaskar dubbing the performance as one of the greatest in the nation's test history.
India, the last team to beat Australia at home in 2003, won by 72 runs to dash the hosts' bid to break their own world record of 16 consecutive test wins.
"To win over here, this has got to be without doubt the greatest win Indian cricket has had over the last 35-40 years." Gavaskar, who was commentating on the match, said.
Australia, chasing 413 for victory, folded with over a day to spare. The victory was particularly sweet for the Indians as it was achieved barely a week after the second test in Sydney ended in controversy.
Gavaskar rated the performance, India's fifth win on Australian soil, ahead of memorable 1-0 series victories in West Indies and England in 1971.
The Indian cricket board praised the team and pacers Irfan Pathan, RP Singh and Ishant Sharma, who shared 14 wickets.
"It was a great team effort with each member contributing to the win, particularly the efforts of the young and inexperienced pace attack is laudable," board president Sharad Pawar said in a statement.
"(Skipper) Anil Kumble led the team with dignity and honour both on and off the field and marshalled his resources well."
The leg spinner would be felicitated on his return after becoming only the third bowler in test history to claim 600 wickets during the match.
Kapil Dev
Former India captain Kapil Dev on Saturday lauded Anil Kumble's men for beating the odds to end Australia's winning run in Perth but felt the victory, though impressive, pales in comparison to the 2001 Kolkata-Test triumph under Sourav Ganguly.
"It is a great victory at that, though I consider India beating Steve Waugh's team in Kolkata was a greater one," Kapil said.
The former all-rounder, however, made it clear that Saturday's victory had its own special place because of the extraordinary circumstances under which it was achieved.
"Today's win is a great and brilliant victory coming under extraneous circumstances. It is a win that boosts the pride of every Indian because every chip was down and against India's favour," he said.
Kapil said the Indians were the underdogs going into the match but did well to come out trumps.
"Any cricketer at world level, be it Indian or otherwise, would not have given even 10 per cent chance to India before the match," he said.
"If you asked anyone, including myself, all would have said a draw is impossible and would have rated Australia as hot favourites with 90 per cent chance. Being an Indian, I would have given 15 or 20 per cent chance to India," Kapil said.
Kapil lavished praise on Anil Kumble's captaincy and said, "I congratulate Anil and members of the team and say that the team has proved that their solid victory over the world champions is no fluke as they dominated and showed their supremacy in each sessions of all four days."
"More than anything each of the player has done his job successfully and this augurs well for future of Indian cricket," he added.
Kapil hoped that the team would carry the momentum into the fourth and final Test in Adelaide and level the series.
"I duly hope that they maintain the momentum and reach greater heights. Now we are in a better position to square the Test series against the Australians."
Rahul dravid
Former captain Rahul Dravid is elated that the Indian team, written off after their back-to-back defeats in Melbourne and Sydney, finally upset the Australian applecart in Perth on Saturday.
"Nobody gave us a chance to win the Test but we showed what we can do," a beaming Dravid said after India's 72-run win over Australia.
"It was a team effort and I am happy for Kumble and the boys that we came up with a remarkable win," he added.
Dravid, who top-scored in India's first innings with 93, however, refused to be dragged into the debate on whether it was India's greatest Test triumph abroad.
"We had some other wins outside India earlier and it is difficult to pick which one was the best. But, it was a sweet win for us as it came against the Australians and after we were 0-2 down in the series," he said.
The right hander was all smiles and was relieved that his dismissal at a crucial stage in the first innings did not prove costly.
"I thought I had messed up in the last half an hour of the first day by getting out at a crucial stage for the team. Fortunately, the bowlers performed fantastically and Laxman came up with a fine knock in the second innings. So, it has sort of removed my regret," he added.
Assistant coach Lalchand Rajput said after trailing 0-2, the team was determined to prove a point by winning the Perth Test.
"We were 0-2 down and lots of things had happened in the tour. The boys desperately wanted a win. We wanted to give the Aussies a run for their money," he said.
Rajput had special words of praise for the bowlers for doing a fine job on a pitch famed for pace and bounce.
"There were lots of stories going around that the Indians would not be able to cope with the pace and bounce in Perth. But our plan was simple: win the toss, put up a good total and put pressure on the Australians. RP Singh, Irfan Pathan and Ishant Sharma did great job in both the innings. Ishant is improving with every match. He has a bright future," Rajput said.
Comeback man Virender Sehwag rated the victory as one of the best ever.
"A lot was said about the pitch, its bounce and Australia's all-pace attack. All these make it a very special win," he said.
On his suggestion to Anil Kumble to give Ishant a longer spell, Sehwag said, "As the Delhi captain, I knew he could bowl a longer spell and that's why I asked Anil to continue with him."
Ishant removed Ricky Ponting in that over to vindicate Sehwag's trust in him.
Anil Kumble
Indian captain Anil Kumble on Saturday described the sensational victory in the third cricket Test against Australia as "one of the best" in his career and said it was a remarkable effort from his team after the traumatic events in Sydney.
"It was one best Tests in my career. Nobody gave us any chance in Perth. But we batted brilliantly, Sachin (Tendulkar), Rahul (Dravid), (Virender) Sehwag, (VVS) Laxman even at the lower order MS Dhoni and RP Singh," Kumble said after winning the match by 72 runs.
"We had tough times. After Sydney, it was important that we got together, back Harbhajan (Singh) and win this game.
"After Sydney there were two options. One was to go back home and the other was to show that we are capable of winning. I am glad the team has got together to prove that (beating Australia)," he said.
Kumble said unlike the Sydney match both the sides played the third Test in true spirit of the game but India dominated the Australians.
"The two teams played in right spirit. But here we did well and if see we did not give one session to the Aussies to come back," he said.
The Indian captain said his team was focused to win the fourth and final Test as well and draw the series.
"We need to get the confidence from this match to Adelaide and finish the series level but the Aussies would not give up," he said.
Comparing rookie pacer Ishant Sharma to former pace ace Javagal Srinath, Kumble said the young speedster notched up a superb performance.
"He was brilliant. He looks like what Srinath was in his early days. He showed a great attitude."
About Sharma's extended spell, which earned the crucial wicket of Australian captain Ricky Ponting, Kumble said, "Viru (Sehwag) is the Delhi captain. So he told me that Ishant is used to bowl longer spells. I asked Ishant if he can bowl one more over and he said yes. Since Ricky was there it was important."
Kumble also singled out Sehwag (2-24), who he brought in as a change bowler, for his outstanding performance causing the Australian collapse.
"Sehwag does something special. It was special to get Gilly (Adam Gilchrist) at that stage," he said and added "in fact, everyone chipped in to contribute to the win in some way or the other."
The 37-year-old leg spinner, who also achieved his personal milestone of crossing the 600-wicket mark here, gave credit to his team for ulitising the conditions here better than the hosts.
"It was a brilliant effort from our boys. It is really special. No one gave us a chance before the match but we utilised the conditions better.
"It was a brilliant effort from young pace attack, it also showed in their body language."
Rival captain Ricky Ponting tried to be graceful in the defeat by expressing the disappointment but offering no excuses for their below-par show.
"It is disappointing but no excuses for the defeat," Ponting said after Australian team was deprived of a record 17th successive Test win by the Indians.
Ponting, however, admitted that his team needed some bigger partnerships and more runs in the first innings which could have made their run-chase easier.
"We could have scored better in the first innings and we also needed some good partnerships. It would have helped our cause in the run-chase. But India's young bowlers really bowled well because of which it was not possible," he said.
Man-of-the-match paceman Irfan Pathan, who picked 3-54 in the fourth innings and also contributed 46 runs with the bat in India's second innings, said things were looking better for him from here.
"It's pretty good. I'm pretty happy with the way I batted and the way I bowled," he said.
He admitted that he was not bowling well last year but the return of swing in his deliveries had again made him effective.
"If a player has a stint of 10-12 years, bad times are bound to happen and that happened with me also. I worked at the MRF Pace Foundation and with our bowling coach Venkatesh Prasad. Things are looking much better for me now," he said.
On his all round performance, he insisted, "I have mentioned that I am a bowler first and would also like to contribute to the team with the bat".
Ricky Ponting
Australia are confident they will regroup from the 72-run defeat by India on Saturday to win next week's fourth and final test in Adelaide.
"Australian teams historically have been able to bounce back," captain Ricky Ponting told a news conference. "If we lose a game or have things not go our way we can turn things around pretty quickly.
"That's what our whole focus will be now. We played some great cricket in Melbourne, we played some great cricket in Sydney. We've let ourselves down a little bit in this game but it's about how we bounce back from that now."
Ponting said the visitors deserved to win the third test here and keep alive their hopes of squaring the series 2-2 in Adelaide but warned Australia would learn from their errors.
He said the home team were not at their best at the WACA, misjuding the pace of the pitch and making a string of fundamental mistakes.
"It was a tough four days, India deserved to win the game the way they did. They outplayed us for the majority of the game," said Ponting.
"A lot of our skills have let us down more than anything this week. I thought our preparation was great and it was just little critical moments in this match we faltered and it's been a long time since we've done that."
Saturday's defeat was Australia's first in a test for nearly two and a half years and their first at home since 2003.
It also ruined their chances of setting a world record of 17 consecutive test victories.
"Sixteen matches in a row is a great achievement, it would have been great to win one more...but we haven't been good enough in this game," said Ponting.
"The run was always going to come to an end at some stage, we just haven't played a brand of cricket that has been good enough to win this match."
Ponting said he was not surprised at how strongly India rebounded from the disappointment of losing the first two tests and said he was expecting his side to do the same in Adelaide.
"The Indians are a very good team," he said. "We never underestimate any opponent and certainly not the Indians because we know they, particularly their batting, can be a formidable opponent and their bowlers did a terrific job here."
Ex Cricketers Hailed on Team-India's Victory at Perth Test
Former cricketers on Saturday hailed India's victory in the third Test against Australia as a "memorable achievement" and said it was all the more creditable as it came after the turmoil that followed the Sydney Test.
The players also lavished praise on skipper Anil Kumble who showed remarkable poise in the difficult times and succeeded in regrouping the team after two consecutive losses.
"Anil's decision to bat first was great after a lot of people had written about the bounce on the wicket. Had we won the Test at Sydney (where a number of crucial decisions went against India) things would have been even better," said former captain and chairman of selection committee Dilip Vengsarkar.
"I hope the team continues to play in the same manner at Adelaide (fourth and final Test from Jan 24-28)."
"It was a tremendous victory especially considering the reputation of the Perth wicket and the opposition. I had always felt we can beat Australia in Australia and it has been proved," he added.
Another former Test captain Ajit Wadekar and left arm spinner Bapu Nadkarni also termed the victory a tremendous one and rated it as one of the top three in the annals of Indian cricket.
"It was a great victory and would rate it only behind our wins in England and West Indies (in 1971). The team showed tremendous positive attitude by deciding to bat first after all the pundits had said that the wicket would be very bouncy and put Australia on the backfoot," Wadekar said.
"The decision to introduce Virender Sehwag into the attack today was a master stroke. It reminded me of the Oval Test (against England in 1971) where I brought on (Bhagwast) Chandrasekhar for (Bishen) Bedi," Wadekar recalled.
"Anil is a tremendous fighter but does not show it outwardly. He has what I call controlled aggression. Irfan Pathan also bowled and batted very well. He looks to be a capable all rounder," he added.
"The way India have turned things around after the happenings in the Sydney Test, which would have been a morale dampener, was fantastic."
Nadkarni echoed Wadekar's views and said, "This victory should go down as among the top three by India in Tests. I was very impressed by the way the team played aggressively and as a team from the first ball. They showed zest for victory."
"Too often in the past we have come so near to victory before falling by the wayside. An example was the Karachi Test (against Pakistan in 2006) when we lost after having them on the ropes at 46 for six," the former left armer said.
"Beating Australia in Australia is not a joke. Had things gone our way (umpiring decision-wise) we would be up 2-1 now.
I am very impressed by the way Kumble has led the team, it has been tremendous," he said.
"The spirit should be kept high as we go into the final Test in Adelaide. What we have seen is tremendous team spirit.
We have showed we are capable of beating the giants of the game on their own turf," he added.
Former player and chairman of selectors Chandu Borde also lauded the team for shrugging off distracting controversies to keep the series alive.
"It is an amazing and fantastic victory because at one stage the Indian team was in a turmoil whether to stay back in Sydney or to proceed and fight back the Australians," Borde said.
"They chose the second option and the way the fought back resulted in a tremendous win for us," he added.
Borde praised comeback heroes Sourav Ganguly, Virender Sehwag and Irfan Pathan for their fine show.
"Though the team as a whole deserves all encomiums and praise, I am happy to note that Sourav Ganguly, Virender Sehwag and Irfan Pathan in their come back trail have performed remarkably well," he said.
"Sehwag and Pathan chose the right path and clicked well to send notice to others. They proved that they still have the game in them," he added.
19-year-old pacer Ishant Sharma's lion-hearted effort also caught the eye of Borde, who felt the bowler proved himself to be an exciting prospect.
"I am totally impressed with him. He was with us in the England tour but there he was struggling because of no ball problems. He seems to have got over such problems. He has speed, height and age with him and he will go a long way in serving India and has a bright future," he said.
Borde felt Kumble's gritty leadership also had huge part to play in the Indian triumph.
"I raise my hat for Anil (Kumble) for his handling the side with experienced ones and the younger lot and one could visualise as to how the team had played together for the winning cause," he said.
Legendary spinner EAS Prasanna also saluted the team's effort considering it came after a week of off-field drama following the Sydney furore.
"It is an extremely deserving win under extra-ordinary situations. The win speaks volumes about the togetherness of the team members. The trauma that they underwent has really been a motivating factor and it resulted in our superb victory," he said.
Once again Kumble's captaincy drew rich praise from Prasanna.
"Even before leaving the Indian shores, Anil (Kumble) has been saying that he leads a winning combination. He has pieced together the strengths of each member of the team effectively and proved himself in man management," he said.
"He has bestowed well in giving a fair deal to each of the playing eleven during the four days in the Perth Test."
Former skipper Krish Srikanth was also impressed by Kumble's determination.
"Hats off to each member of the team, particularly Anil Kumble for his leadership qualities. The manner in which he encouraged the three youngsters like Sharma, RP Singh and Pathan was striking," he opined.
"Anil's grit and determination and motivating his team members taking the Sydney fiasco has proved vital in our win," he said.
3 comments:
Weldone India!! keep the spirit up for the next Test also.... and level the series...
and ya it is best test win of India Cricket History so far....
Australians need to be taught some lessons.. and it wa the best way to teach them... India, keep the high spirit.......
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