Tendulkar hails 'best' team-mates

Coach Gary Kirsten, far left, celebrates with his India side after they wrapped up the Test series against Sri Lanka. He has handled the team "brilliantly", Sachin Tendulkar revealed

Master batsman Sachin Tendulkar believes the current India side is the best he has been involved with during his 20 years in the international game.

India rose to the top of the ICC’s rankings by defeating Sri Lanka by an innings and 24 runs in the final Test in Mumbai, clinching the three-Test series 2-0.

The victory ensured India, who started the year at number three in the Test rankings, would end the year in top spot.

“I would not hesitate to say that this is the best team I have ever played with,” Tendulkar said.

“If you look at the batting line-up, right from the number one batsman to the number seven batsman which is Mahendra Singh Dhoni spot, it’s a solid line-up.

“I’ve enjoyed playing the game and although a lot of people have been asking me about retirement, I haven’t thought about it at all.

“I will continue to play as long as I enjoy the game.”

Tendulkar said India’s process to reach the top of the rankings had started with coach Gary Kirsten.

“It’s been a long wait and I’m extremely delighted,” Tendulkar added.

“I think the process of getting to the number one spot really started when Gary Kirsten and Paddy Upton took over along with Venkatesh Prasad and Robin Singh.

“The aim of the whole team then was to get to be the top in the world.

“All credit to Kirsten, he handled the team brilliantly and credit also to the other players who have been a part of this team over the last 18-20 months. They have all worked very hard and have been very focused.”

Virender Sehwag shows off the spoils of an India victory after they reached the pinnacle of the ICC Test rankings

Bowling coach Prasad and fielding coach Singh were relieved off their duties in October this year, which left the team without their services for the Test series against Sri Lanka.

Virender Sehwag, who set up India’s victory with a blistering knock of 293, was named man of the match and man of the series.

Sehwag, too, believed India’s vault to the top was due to an all-round team effort.

“This is a very good team and it’s a team effort which has got us to the top,” Sehwag said.

“I’m very lucky to be a part of this team and I hope we stay at the number one spot for a long time to come.”

On his knock, Sehwag said: “I scored two triple centuries and I’d rate this one behind those two.

“I approached this innings with an open mind and I always backed myself to play my shots against the spinners.

“I just concentrated on hitting the bad balls and although the guys in the dressing room say I hit the good balls as well, to my mind I was only hitting the bad deliveries.

“In Ahmedabad, I threw my wicket away after working hard for a 50 and I didn’t want that to happen again.

“I had a good chat with Kirsten and he said if I go through the same process which I employed in Sri Lanka and New Zealand, I would get a big one. It was good advice.”