India taste success without Sachin, Kumble

Kanpur: India have retained their No. 2 spot in the ICC Test rankings after the Kanpur Test. But more than rankings, the team would heave a sigh of relief that a proud home record was saved from being erased.

An SUV was Harbhajan Singh's prize for winning the series, but the team deservedly earned the right to celebrate on it. After the mauling at Motera, they bounced back against the tide at Kanpur, and Harbhajan was happy to let team achievements grab the headlines.

"It was a great team effort. Everything went well for us and the boys chipped in with their performances with both bat and ball and I am obviously happy to be part of the winning squad today," Harbhajan said after his series-levelling efforts.

The odds had even been longer once Team India's talismanic skipper was forced on the sidelines due to injury. But the man who stepped in to Kumble's shoes wasn't perturbed, marshalling a young attack astutely and getting some of his long established run-machines to deliver in a crunch.

"I think it was crucial the way Sourav batted in the first innings because most of the things depended on the first innings. The 60-odd runs were crucial because it changes the mindset of the team that is batting next," stand-in skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni said.

For the visitors, the dream of a third straight series win in the sub-continent was quashed by a timid batting performance on the third morning. But their captain wasn't too worried, proud of how his side had responded to the challenge of taking on a strong Indian outfit.

"We obviously would have loved to win the series, but I think we have played some terrific cricket in this series and this season so far. We have won eight out of 12 Test matches and lost two. So, in terms of our record in all forms of the game, I think we have had a terrific season," Proteas skipper Graeme Smith noted.

The dust has settled on the Kanpur pitch and Team India's home reputation is intact. What makes this win even sweeter is that it was achieved without both Sachin Tendulkar and Anil Kumble, the first time since 1992 that either player did not appear in a home Test.