Now that Team Mumbai, comprising many new young players, has defeated the Sri Lankan team in a one-day tour game, people will expect a tour win for India, no less, in the forthcoming ODI series.

People may regard this win by Mumbai as just a flash in the pan. But anyone who’s followed international cricket in India will acknowledge that there are just too many flashes in this pan to ignore! Wo can forget the drubbing that Mumbai handed out to Australia before the start of the 1998 Australian tour of India. And then of course, Sachin Tendulkar went on to thrash the living daylights out of Warne’s bowling in the subsequent Test series.

So will something similar happen this time around too? Given the dismal performances by the Indian team on and off the pitch in recent times, it is hard to be optimistic. But with Sachin Tendulkar back in the side and Saurav Ganguly out of it, we might just see a different Indian team competing. Call me optimistic! … but hey… that’s what I am!! ;-)

The incentive for the Indian team, you ask??

A packed schedule right upto the 2007 World Cup should be incentive enough. With so many matches to be played between now and then, consistency will be a huge factor. After all, the recent Challenger series has thrown up so many interesting probables that even the stalwarts in the team need to be on their toes… driving their stakes firmly into the ground!

The point is… India needs to start winning matches on an urgent and regular basis. And what good way to start that off than comfortably winning a home series against Sri Lanka. That will not only get the Indians into a winning habit… but also give them the satisfaction of defeating the 2^nd ranked team in the world.

Mumbai has provided the perfect incentive for the Indian national team. After all, the national team will surely not want to do worse than a team that, some say, is past its glory days!!