Why the current Indian Test team is the most un-Indian of them all

‘No team that scored over 350 runs in the first innings at Wankhede has ever lost a game.’

In a country obsessed by numbers, this little statistical nugget popped up as soon as the English finished batting on Day 2 of the 4th Test of what will undoubtedly go down as a historic series.

No team had ever lost a game scoring 400. Until now. Until this bunch of spunky young men decided to grab the game by the horns and turn it around to complete an emphatic victory. An achievement that would have been considered impossible even a few years ago.

A few years ago, we would have definitely played for the draw. It was the smart thing to do. Very safe, very ‘Indian’. Why risk going for a win when you’re already leading the series 2-0? Even the fans wouldn’t have complained. It was the pragmatic decision. But legends aren’t created through pragmatism.

There was Clive Lloyd’s West Indies, considered one of the greatest squads ever, who terrorised cricketers all over the world with aggressive batting and bowling. Then there was Steve Waugh’s Invincibles, who, through a mix of world-class cricket and ‘mental disintegration’, dominated world cricket for years.

And now, it’s Virat’s squad of young Indians coming in from all over the country, making their mark, grabbing the opportunities given to them with both hands. The terror they create is through relentless consistency, the mental disintegration they cause comes from their ability to never give up.

The rise and rise of the Indian Test team under Virat Kohli has been pretty special to watch. Ever since he took the reins, it felt like we were watching a different team play. They’re not scared of losing, not scared of reputations and not scared of what people have to say. They are just expected to go out there and do the job.

Ashwin and Kohli have contributed massively to the team’s success

If you can’t do it, no worries, we’ll find someone else. No ego massaging, no unnecessary politics, no senior player-junior player hierarchy, no BS. Perform, or you WILL perish. It’s so beautiful. So unequivocally un-Indian.

As fans of the game, we’ve seen several heartbreaks over the years. We’ve seen the team wilt under the flimsiest of pressures, we’ve seen absolutely no spine, we’ve seen embarrassments that still make us cringe. We’ve seen so much of it that we sort of learned to accept it like a cricket lover’s version of Stockholm Syndrome. But so much has changed over the last few months.

No opposition is complaining about doctored pitches that are tailor-made for Indian spinners, nobody is talking about India being lucky, nobody is talking about biases. Every pundit from every country that has watched this Test team has (begrudgingly) accepted its superiority in nearly every department.

India have the best spin attack in the world - spinners who can and have scored centuries when the team needed them the most. The team has pacers that are more than competent even on unhelpful tracks, batsmen like Pujara, Vijay and Rahane who can bat all day. These are players who will dig deep to pull their team out of a tough situation, making it count with the bat and the ball when it truly matters, diving and chasing every ball in the field, saving every run, always relentless, never backing down, never giving up, never letting go of the game.

Leading them all, we have a chubby, arrogant 'brat' who transformed himself into one of the greatest sportsmen in the world today through sheer grit and hard work. The man who breaks records every day, and doesn't even break a sweat while doing it. The boy who became a legend on his own terms, silencing haters every day as he did it.

And then as coach, we have a man who has experienced heartbreak and the pain of losing first-hand – Anil Kumble. I’m sure he’s promised himself that this team will find the spine that the players during his time never had. He’s promised himself that this team will be more than just a bunch of good players; they will be champions.

This squad has changed the game. It focuses on fitness and intense practice, and rewards those who live by these principles. There is a hunger to win, a passion to perform, a love of the game. You can see it in the eyes of the players - the jubilation of a century, the celebration of a wicket, the dejection of a dropped chance. They do it all day and then they get up the next day to do it all over again. And it doesn’t look like they’re in the mood of stopping any time soon.

Kohli has led the team from the front

On occasions when the opposition tries to get under their skin, they simply step out on the field and let their cricket do the talking. No unnecessary chatter (okay, maybe some), no psychological pressure, no need to answer the haters. They keep it simple and just play the game. The world automatically shuts up.

But what happens when they go overseas, I hear you ask. Here’s the thing – for the first time in the history of Indian cricket, this team looks like they’re ready to take on the world, away from home. We have batsmen who have already proved themselves abroad and pacers who will undoubtedly relish the overseas pitches that assist speed and swing; even our spinners rely more on variations and flight rather than the pitch condition. Moreover, they have also have proved themselves to be quality batsmen.

But going above the beyond statistics, we have a team with a fire burning inside their souls. And it doesn’t look like it’s going to extinguish any time soon.

As Indians, we’ve always been satisfied with the little victories. We celebrated them like they were the greatest accomplishments. But this Indian team doesn’t believe in little victories. They want to win every game they play, with little to no regard for external conditions. THAT is what differentiates them from the rest.

We’ve always looked at our cricket team as an escape from our daily struggles and problems. We’ve praised Gavaskar’s stoic resistance and Sachin’s inimitable brilliance. We’ve drawn inspiration from them and tried to apply it in our lives.

In today’s India, where the definition of what it means to be ‘Indian’ is getting narrower by the day, we would do well to take inspiration from a bunch of 20-something-year-olds who are redefining the entire concept. They don’t compromise, they don’t accept defeat, they don’t take no for an answer. They simply do the job assigned to them.

They don’t think like Indians or act like Indians. They think and act like champions, because champions don’t limit themselves to the geographical boundaries they were born in. That’s what makes them champions.

What we are witnessing now is the Renaissance of Indian cricket. And ironically, it’s because everything the team does is un-Indian in every way. We all need to remember that and act accordingly. This country would be better for it.