India 'can be number one'
Man-of-the match Dravid scored the winning runs
India captain Sourav Ganguly said his side's historic Test win against Australia in Adelaide could be a stepping stone to greater things.
"I said before that we are the second best side in the world," said Ganguly after Australia were beaten by four wickets on Tuesday.
"But if we can win this series then we definitely can be number one."
"This was our Test. I think we played better than them in the last three days of the Test and deserved to win."
It was the first time in 22 years India had won a Test in Australia and only their seventh victory in the last 69 matches away from home.
Ganguly is well aware of that fact.
He went on: "We are almost unbeatable at home but we haven't played well overseas."
They may not look like it from the outside but they're pretty tough characters
Sourav Ganguly
"We've started to play well over the last two years but we also knew we had to do something special to beat this side [Australia]."
India seemed to have no hope of winning the match after Australia racked up a daunting first innings of 556 before reducing the tourists to 85-4.
But they turned the match around with a 303-run partnership by vice-captain Rahul Dravid (233) and VVS Laxman to get within 33 runs of Australia before Ajit Agarkar took 6-41 to skittle the home team for 196.
Ganguly added: "There are some characters in the side, they may not look like it from the outside but they're pretty tough characters."
Ganguly expects the Australians to respond with some tough cricket of their own.
"We have to lift our game, this is a four-Test series not a three-Test series," he said.
"We know that they're going to come hard at us but also we know that we can beat them."
India, in a similarly unlikely performance, came back from the dead to win the second Test at home two years ago before taking the series 2-1.
Man-of-the match Dravid scored the winning runs
India captain Sourav Ganguly said his side's historic Test win against Australia in Adelaide could be a stepping stone to greater things.
"I said before that we are the second best side in the world," said Ganguly after Australia were beaten by four wickets on Tuesday.
"But if we can win this series then we definitely can be number one."
"This was our Test. I think we played better than them in the last three days of the Test and deserved to win."
It was the first time in 22 years India had won a Test in Australia and only their seventh victory in the last 69 matches away from home.
Ganguly is well aware of that fact.
He went on: "We are almost unbeatable at home but we haven't played well overseas."
They may not look like it from the outside but they're pretty tough characters
Sourav Ganguly
"We've started to play well over the last two years but we also knew we had to do something special to beat this side [Australia]."
India seemed to have no hope of winning the match after Australia racked up a daunting first innings of 556 before reducing the tourists to 85-4.
But they turned the match around with a 303-run partnership by vice-captain Rahul Dravid (233) and VVS Laxman to get within 33 runs of Australia before Ajit Agarkar took 6-41 to skittle the home team for 196.
Ganguly added: "There are some characters in the side, they may not look like it from the outside but they're pretty tough characters."
Ganguly expects the Australians to respond with some tough cricket of their own.
"We have to lift our game, this is a four-Test series not a three-Test series," he said.
"We know that they're going to come hard at us but also we know that we can beat them."
India, in a similarly unlikely performance, came back from the dead to win the second Test at home two years ago before taking the series 2-1.
) especially in the 2nd Innings. I was quite impressed. I didnt see it, but the highlights were enough, haha.