Former England captain Alec Stewart on Sunday said that India will
leave the shores of his country with bruised ego and reputation after
their stunning defeats in the ongoing Test series.
 "India arrived on these shores in July as the king-pins and will be going home with their reputation - and egos - bruised and beaten," feels Alec Stewart. © Getty Images |
The former wicketkeeper batsman was also ecstatic at England becoming
the top nation in Test cricket and said, it's time to shout from the
roof top that 'We are the world number one Test side'.
"And I'm delighted to hail Andrew Strauss and his men as the strongest England squad I've seen in my lifetime in cricket.
"India arrived on these shores in July as the king-pins and will be
going home with their reputation - and egos - bruised and beaten,"
Stewart wrote in Daily Mirror.
"England have quite simply battered them into submission with a
ruthless display of high-class, uncompromising cricket. The much-vaunted
Indian batting line-up have had no answers to the high quality fast
bowling which has been brilliantly led by James Anderson," he wrote.
Stewart said against all the expectations, the series turned out to be a lop-sided affair.
"I expected this series to be a closely fought contest between two
evenly matched sides, but it turned out to be a complete mismatch. The
answer to anyone asking if this is the best England side ever - or are
India just hopeless - is that this is the strongest squad of players
England have had in my lifetime and the team will only get better," he
wrote.
Stewart said he had no doubt that the current England side has the
potential to become a great side but the must perform on foreign soils
if they have to earn that reputation.
"Every great side must be able to win both home and away and England
will be fully aware that they must succeed in Sri Lanka this winter and
then in India the following one.
"England cover all bases very well - they bat a long way down, score
big runs, can take wickets on any surface with conventional or reverse
swing and have a match-winning spinner in Graeme Swann."
Stewart also reminded the new world number side that maintaining the top spot is no easy job.
"Getting to No.1 is the easy part. Staying there for a length of time
will be the real challenge. After winning the Ashes in 2005, I felt the
players took their eye of the ball and paid the price.
"It's important players and fans alike do not take anything for
granted now we sit at the top of the ladder - and if any complacency
should creep in, there will be plenty of people in their ear.
"It has taken a long time to reach the top so enjoy it, be proud of
what's been achieved and shout it from the roof tops: "WE ARE THE WORLD
No.1 TEST SIDE."
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