SPORT YEAR OVERALL 2

It was a dream-come-true moment for the team and Dhoni
proved a worthy successor of the rich heritage of his
predecessors Sourav Ganguly and Anil Kumble.

In the shorter formats, the scenario was less rosy.
The 2007 World Twenty20 champions could not defend their
title in England, came a cropper in the Champions Trophy –
second most elite one-day tournament after World Cup – and
also allowed the opportunity to become the number one ODI team
slip through their fingers with the home series defeat against
an under-strength Australia.
It was rather an irony that Test cricket provided them
their finest moments despite the cricket board's criminal
negligence of the format which is on its last leg.
So engrossed in Indian Premier League proliferation,
Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has scheduled
just two Tests in the next 11 months for the team, which is
just not enough to protect the number one Test team's status.
Subsequently some sanity prevailed and BCCI apparently
has convinced South Africa to play two unscheduled Test
matches when the Proteas visit the country in February-March.
Individually, Dhoni became the number one ODI batsman
while Gautam Gambhir emerged as the top ranked Test batsman.
Tendulkar, meanwhile, completed 20 years in international
cricket and tributes poured in from all quarters for the
batting great's durability.
The biggest blot on the cricket landscape came towards
the end when the India-Sri Lanka ODI in the capital was
abandoned because of a dangerous pitch. (More) PTI AY
ANU



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