Told you so!

It is always a good feeling to say "Told you so"!

India's 2-0 win in the Test series against Australia was as much a result of Australia's decline, as due to the selection of the best available Indian test players for the series. I have been arguing for the inclusion of Pujara, Ishant, and Sreesanth for a long time now. Pujara and Ishant made match winning contributions, and I think Sreesanth is moving in the right direction after the long layoff.

The biggest surprise of the series in my opinion was Pragyan Ojha. He bowled tight, got turn right through, and troubled almost all Australian batsman. Ojha's emergence was all the more welcome given Harbhajan's drop in form. Big kudos to the selectors for retaining their faith in this young man.

However the job is only half done. To remain a champion side, India needs another solid batsman for the middle order, a quality spinner and a fourth seamer. I really believe that Suresh Raina will struggle in England, New Zealand, and South Africa. Obviously he is a prodigiously talented batsman, and could prove me wrong, but I believe that his game is better suited for the shorter versions. Therefore another solid batsman in the middle order would be handy in the long run; particularly with Dravid, Tendulkar and Laxman in the twilight of their careers.

We need a quality attacking leg-spinner. Mishra and Chawla have shown promise, but both have been extremely inconsistent. Perhaps hiring Kumble or Shane Warne for a year to work excusively with these two leggies would not be a bad investment. A crore or two should do it. Mishra and Chawla are also extremely handy lower order batsmen, and good fielders. And yes, while they are being groomed for Test cricket, keep them out of T-20.

Finding a good attacking Test match seam bowler may be harder - but this is perhaps most important for our team to win consistently overseas.

I am encouraged by recent happenings and will keep my fingers crossed that we are moving in the right direction in Test Cricket. However the moment I see Ishant or Sreesanth in the ODI team, or Pujara playing T-20, or even Yuvraj making a comeback to the Test side, I will know that my optimism was misplaced!