Time to take note of India

It is time now to take serious note of India. It was all too easy in Nagpur and Mohali but Jaipur was the first real challenge they faced in the series. They did not panic or change their approach in the third one-dayer. They came out swinging and showed the surge of belief which is running through their veins.

It is too early but a seriously good team is in the making now. The batting is flexible and is being groomed to adapt to different situations and different slots. The opposition can struggle to plan in advance. Bowling and fielding are both on the mend. India's rise has taken the world by surprise.

I feel it has happened because they have built competitions for spots. When a senior pro like Sourav Ganguly cannot find a place, and he would soon I am sure, it brings the hunger back in the team. There is no other magic in this transformation. This is exactly what we ignored in Sri Lanka in recent years.

In the mid-nineties, we followed the same route and men like Sanath Jayasuriya, Mahela Jayawardene and Chaminda Vaas in due course first became the integral part and then lynchpin of the team. The likes of Tillakaratne Dilshan and Russel Arnold were brought in by the old gang. But the past few years have been an antithesis to this theory.