Better days are here for Indian cricket. A Test series victory against the mighty Australians has lifted the morale of the team as well as that of millions of Indian cricket fans all over the world. It was around the same time last year that Indian cricket got dragged through its most infamous chapters - the match-fixing crisis.

The morale of the Indian team was at an all time low. Even the die-hard fans started feeling disconsolate about the whole affair. A couple of senior players were banned from the game, there were serious doubts raised about the commitment of the players at large.

A player of Kapil Dev's reputation was also seriously damaged and he was forced out of the mantle of being the coach of the Indian team. The remarkable turn around and the Test series win have changed it all; a new life has been pumped into Indian cricket. How true it is that nothing succeeds like success!

If not for the dramatic victory, Indian cricket would have remained in the doldrums, struggling to cope up with the tragedy that rocked the nation. How the ICC is dealing with match fixing is another matter all together. The reality for the average cricket fan is that the game is still being played with all its honour in India.

It is only prudent to look back at the remarkable Test series win which has been etched into the history of the game as one of the best ever. The crowds in Kolkata and Chennai bore the testimony to the fact that Test match cricket is not on decline, as many would have us believe.

After having lost the first Test in Mumbai within three days and having lost the initiative to the Aussies in the second Test match, India were struggling to match up against the giants from Down Under. The success of VVS Laxman and Harbhajan Singh has been trumpeted ever since; Ganguly has become a stronger captain and there is a certain professional approach these days in the Indian camp. Good news indeed.

The likes of Madan Lal, Kapil Dev and Anshuman Gaekwad are cricketers with immense knowledge of the game, but they were all found to be wanting in their roles as the Indian team coach. What is it that is so special about the unsung hero, John Wright? In his playing days he was a sedate batsman who went about contributing his bit to the cause of the struggling New Zealand team. He was never a big name in world cricket before he took charge of the Indian team in November last year.

Wright brought into the Indian team his vast international experience and something absolutely new to Indian cricket, professionalism. He has a no nonsense approach to the game that was desperately required to revitalize Indian cricket. No favours asked and none given. You got to earn you place mate, is what Wright seems to tell his players. It is to Wright's credit that all that goes on in Indian cricket has not overwhelmed him. Stability is what Indian cricket wanted and Wright has delivered his goods.

Along with the help of sports scientist/physiotherapist Andrew Leipus, Wright has gone about changing the face of Indian cricket with a lot of emphasis on fitness and endurance. The two men have gone about doing their job without making a noise. The players too have shown remarkable respect to their coach for his approach to the game. It was for the whole world to see what a little dose of discipline could do to the Indian team.

Wright should be given more credit than what he has been given. He brought about a silent revolution into Indian cricket. Wright must have been in the thick of things in the decision to bat Laxman at number three in the Kolkata Test match, which turned out to be a magical stroke. Still there is a lot of work to be done. It is only heartening that Wright did spend some time with the trainees at the National Cricket Academy. Things look bright for the future. Three cheers to the soft-spoken gentleman from New Zealand. There could be more cheers and disappointments in the games ahead. But Wright and the boys need all the support in the coming days. Like it or not, professionalism is here to stay in Indian cricket. It is only heartening to know that the players have asked for a system of contract for themselves. Heartening indeed that the players have started thinking that they are full time professionals. All the right things have been happening since Wright took charge of the Indian team.

© CricInfo