Which should bring one to the fact that it was not Sachin's feat alone that merited note in the recent triumph. An innings of such a description cannot be considered independently of the doggedness of the man at the other end. Not a whit less remarkable than the superstar's record was the unsurpassed quality of the opening partnership, with Saurav Ganguly helping Tendulkar to a ton before helping himself to one. Equally important is it to see and stress that it took eleven and not two to win the match and the tournament. The batting paradise that witnessed the pair's brilliance would have turned into a purgatory for the side and its supporters but for the will to win that the Indian boys as a team displayed. The trophy won in Colombo has come, of course, as theculmination of a season of considerable cricketing success for India. There is no doubt, either, of Sachin's singular contribution to it, in view of the hard statistical fact of his record total for the season, including the series against unofficial Test champs Australia and one-day kings Sri Lanka. More satisfying, however, to well-wishers of Indian cricket should be the signs that a solution may have at last been found to the vexed problem of openers, at least in the one-day version of the game. The right-hand-left-hand combination of Tendulkar-Ganguly has more than coped with some of the most competent bowling attacks currently in operation.

Even more so is evidence that the experimentation of building a new team by boldly providing opportunities for younger talent is paying off. Important lessons need to be drawn from all this, particularly in the context of this country's preparations for the cricket World Cup, now barely a year away. Every avid cricket-watcher here will, of course, wish Sachin moreand more world records. But no true well-wisher will rejoice over the emergence of a national squad that relies excessively on the individual genius of a single player. Great cricket requires exemplary team spirit.