NEW DELHI, Jan 19: Former Indian cricketers on Saturday hailed team’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 January 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.

Former batting great Sunil Gavaskar dubbed the performance as one of the greatest in the nation’s Test history. “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.

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.

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. — Agencies