India will start Test series as firm favourites

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India start off a new season, a season at home, where India will always be a firm favourite, inspite of what has happened in the last 18 months of test cricket both on and off the field.

When I will sit down at Hyderabad cricket stadium I will witness a new look Indian test team with the likes of Kohli, Pujara, Raina, Badrinath. It will be the beginning of a new era of Indian cricket.

For the last fifteen/sixteen years we have been used to Sachin, Dravid, Laxman, Kumble, Ganguly, all of whom have gone on to play 100 test matches, a very rare feat achieved by playing members of an Indian team all playing around the same time.

It is the beginning of transition which we were all talking of over a period of time and it will be very interesting too.

This game is massive in this part of the world and all these young players along with the grand old man of Indian cricket will have a massive role in taking the test team forward.

The young guns are lucky to have the great Sachin Tendulkar in the dressing-room, who will pass on his valuable experience at the very important phase of their careers.

We have seen young Virat put the world stage on fire and he will also form an inspiration to other young batters who are trying to establish themselves in the best and highest form of the game.

It’s an opportunity for them to take Indian cricket forward. All these players have played ODI cricket at various times of their lives but this is what they will all be looking forward to. All of them are on the same platform and hence the competition will be healthy and great to watch.

It is also very important at this stage not to compare these players with the greats of the game and allow them to settle down.

The Dravid’s and the Laxman’s did not reach where they are overnight and these players will also take time to settle down.

It’s also important for the players to be clear in their minds and concentrate on making runs without worrying about who they are replacing.