Having re-established their hegemony in the familiar environs of home with three successive Test wins against Australia, India should strive to once again become a force to reckon with in the alien conditions abroad, feels former captain Sourav Ganguly.
Observing that teams like England and South Africa perform well both at home and abroad, Ganguly hoped India would also become strong enough in all conditions.
"England does well home and away. England won here when they came to India. South Africa does well. Sri Lanka does well. So, we will have to wait and see. It is too early to say. We want India to do well (at) home and away. That's very important for us.
"That's what we have done in the last 10 and 11 years. Hopefully, we will become a team which is once again doing well home and overseas. As I said, it is a young team which needed a little bit of time. But that's what we want our team to be," Ganguly said.
Ganguly said a 4-0 whitewash of Australia in the ongoing Test series will be a "good thing" for the Indian cricket team after suffering a similar fate Down Under last year.
"See... don't expect in cricket. Hopefully, they do it. It will be a good thing for them. Because when they went to Australia last year, it was 0-4 and winning 4-0 here would be a satisfying thing for the team," Ganguly said.
"Having said that, they will have to play well. It is not an easy wicket at the Feroz Shah Kotla. Hopefully, India will play well as they have done in the last three Test matches," he told reporters at a commercial event.
India lead the series 3-0 after convincing wins in Chennai, Hyderabad and Mohali.Asked whether India would be able to continue their successful run, he said the present side comprised young players who need time to settle down.
"Hopefully... We want Indian cricket to reach that stage. They played well in the series. They also had a tough time in the last 20¿22 months. We also have to understand that it is a young team, lot of young players are coming in, it is a change which is happening.
"Our own great V V S Laxman has retired, Rahul Dravid is gone. People like us, Kumble have finished. It is a new team, new players. You will have to allow them to settle down and hopefully, we will get back to Indian cricket as it was a couple of years ago," he said.
Asked how he would rate the teams in the Indian Premier League (IPL), which starts next month, he said T20 cricket is quite unpredictable as different teams have sprang up surprises in the past.
"It is always fun. Playing the IPL and watching it. It is difficult to say who will win in T20. Every year has thrown up a new champion. It's Knight Riders last year. You got a new side here (Hyderabad), the Sunrisers, I wish them luck.
They have a good side. Unfortunately, their star Shikhar Dhawan is injured. Hopefully, he recovers. You never know in IPL, who will spring a surprise. Hopefully, we have a good tournament as it has been for the past five years," he said.
© PTI
