While waiting for the Unbeatable Indians....

By John Cheeran
There are no surprises in the 15-member Indian team for West Indies tour.
That is, there is no Sourav Ganguly.
By now, after the last match in Abu Dhabi, which Rahul Dravid's India won convincingly only Calcutta would have been disappointed at Ganguly's exclusion.
And only in Calcutta Ganguly would have mattered. But after Indian team's sparkling run in one-dayers with newcomers such as Robin Uthappa, Venugopala Rao and Suresh Raina seizing their chances Ganguly himself has realised that he cannot push his luck any longer. Calcutta Telegraph's crusader for the reinstate Ganguly campaign lets us know that "For one, Sourav didn't take calls. He also didn't reply when one sent an SMS('what now?')."
That indicates there is some sense left with the Calcutta cricketer.
Be that as it may, it was a fantastic season of success for Dravid and coach Greg Chappell. For once they got rid of the cantankerous Ganguly out of the team, one who should have been thrown out of the team long, long ago.
They brought in new comers both in batting and bowling and youngsters have grabbed their chances with both hands. The lone disappointment of the season was leg-spinner Piysuh Chawla.
Two Test losses -- in Karachi and Mumbai -- indeed reveal the shortcomings of the Indian side. But that's the way with Indian cricket.
There was never an unbeatable Indian side in history.
All efforts are now on to build such a team in India. But to replicate the success of West Indies of late 70s and 80s and later the Aussie model would take a long, long time.
I can't foresee India emerging as the Unbeatables in both versions of the game soon.
There is a distinct chance of India being a very, very good side in one-dayers.
The Dravidians already are a extremely competitive side and with more variation and sharpness in bowling, India can nurse their World Cup ambitions in West Indies.
But those fatal flaws in batting and bowling will come to the fore under pressure in Test cricket and it would be comforting if one can admit that there are no quickfix solutions to India's woes.
But while biding our time to emerge as the Unbeatables, let us raise a toast to these worthy winners of recent times. Only South Africans denied India the one-day series win. Comprehensive one-day wins against Sri Lanka, Pakistan and England are reasons enough to rejoice.
Cheers Dravid. Cheers Team India.