Former Australian Captain and the leader of no.1 Test Team & 2015 World Cup winning side, Michael Clarke has said that the Indian cricket team under Virat Kohli has the strength to win all over the world and become the best team in the world. Clarke believes India can succeed in all conditions for the next 5 to 10 years.
Speaking at a book launch recently to India Today. Clarke was quoted saying, "Look at the quicks that you see around in the IPL. The strength there is so strong and I believe travelling around the world. Yes, you do unbelievably hard work in India as a fast bowler and you got to work your backside to get wickets. But come England, Australia and those conditions...that's why India are a threat for becoming the best team in the world for not just one year but for the next 5-10 years. Because of their depth is so strong and bench strength is so strong,"
Clarke was also quite vocal about his liking of the recent decision by the Indian Team to accept the art of wrist-spin in limited overs cricket above finger-spin, which subsequently meant India moving forward from Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja and picking Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav.
Clarke firstly gave credit to the team management led by coach Ravi Shastri and Virat Kohli for the tough, bold move which has paid huge dividends.
He said, "Sometimes in the leadership position, you make tough decisions based on what you feel is the best interest of your team. The person you bring takes confidence from that because you have selected them. But you have to drop someone. It's hard because you're not dropping someone because they are not good."
"You are dropping someone based on conditions, oppositions and gut instinct and all you try is get the best XI to win that game of cricket. I think these guys and the leadership deserve a lot of credit for making those tough decisions,"
Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal were absolutely brilliant in South Africa and Srilanka in the limited overs leg, India whitewashed Srilanka 5-0 and won its first ever bilateral ODI series in South Africa beating the hosts 5-1. Who knows what would've happened if India had relished the wrist-spin for the Champions Trophy last year.
(Inputs from India Today)
