ANTIGUA: When Duncan Fletcher stepped in to take over as India coach from Gary Kirsten, he said it was "promising young talent" which had lured him to Indian cricket.
Now, having seen some stellar displays of character as a second-string, virtual India A squad romped to a ODI series win against the West Indies - Suresh Raina's men lead 3-0 in the five-match series - Fletcher believes the world champions have sufficient bench-strength to dominate world cricket for the next five to 10 years."It is due to the amount of talent India have," Fletcher explained. "Indian cricket is in a very, very healthy state presently. I know five years in international cricket is a long time but unless some international teams suddenly come up big, I don't see it happening (India losing its grip)."
It's a provocative statement from the low-key, soft-spoken veteran coach who has mastered the art of working behind the scenes, but a clear indication that Indian cricket's transition from the era of Tendulkars and Laxmans to the Virat Kohlis and Rohit Sharmas might not be as bumpy as Australia's.
The scoreline has not reflected the fact that this young Team India, with an average age of 24 and entrusted with the task of living up to the 'world champions' tag, has had to tide over some tough moments, like Rohit Sharma pulling the team out of a hole in Saturday's chase with a match-winning unbeaten 86, with dogged support from the tail. Sharma and Raina had steadied India in the first ODI too, and on the bowling front, the likes of Munaf Patel, Amit Mishra and Praveen Kumar have played responsible roles.
"It shows the depth of talent India has," Fletcher said on Rohit's innings in the third ODI. "You don't often find a player like that who can finish a game in style. It was a difficult chase and with the calmness that Rohit played, his innings shows a lot of character."
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