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Too early to call India no.1 : Ganguly

Sourav Ganguly said Thursday it would be “a bit too early” to rank Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s men as world’s number one team as it still needs to prove itself overseas.

The former captain said India had a very good team but the “real test” would come when they play well abroad where the conditions are different.

Asked specifically whether India could be the number one team after Australia’s decline, Ganguly said, “To say that India would be number one, I think it’s a bit too early. Look at the ICC points rankings, Australia, although they have not played good cricket for the last 3-4 months, they are still a few points away from the rest.

“India has a very good team but I believe this team’s real test would be overseas, when India go to New Zealand and when they start travelling abroad. If you look at the last year, India has played a lot of cricket at home,” Ganguly said.

Ganguly, who retired from international cricket after the series against Australia in November, said it would be difficult for India to replace great players like Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid when they decide to retire.

“It will take a lot of time to replace the Tendulkars, Dravids, Kumbles and Laxmans. It has taken a period of time for what they have achieved,” said Ganguly who ended his career with a Test aggregate of 7212 in 113 matches for an average of 42.17.

Ganguly said that there was plenty of talent in India but the younger players who replace these stalwarts should be given a longer rope to establish themselves.

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