Savour the victory, but the celebrations should be tempered

So India finally won a Test abroad. Or should one be more precise and say outside the sub-continent? For India did win one match in Sri Lanka in 1993 and another in Bangladesh last year. But either because the conditions in the sub-continent are rather similar or because the opposition was weak, these victories tended to be dismissed. The last time India won outside the sub-continent was in 1986 when India registered successive triumphs at Lord's and Leeds to wrap up the three match series against England.

For that matter, India's victories abroad have been few and far between. The fact that Sunday's victory marked only the 15th Indian win in 158 overseas Tests - a success rate of only 9.4 percent - best illustrates our disastrous record abroad. In this regard, India has the worst record of any country - excluding Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. This is best symbolised by the fact that India have not yet won a Test in Pakistan after 20 Tests or in South Africa after seven Tests. India are yet to win a series in Australia even after seven rubbers `Down Under'. And the 15 victories pale into insignificance against the staggering figure of 70 defeats sustained outside India.

Also, in most countries where India has notched up a Test victory or a series triumph, it has been achieved after many attempts. In England for example, the first victory was registered in the 22nd Test played there. In Australia and the West Indies, it was at the 12th attempt. In Sri Lanka it was in the fifth Test played there - after India had lost the rubber on the previous visit - and now in Zimbabwe, it was at the third attempt, after having suffered a defeat there three years ago. Only in New Zealand and Bangladesh has a victory come about in the quickest possible time.

Coming to series triumphs, India has notched up two victories in England in 13 rubbers while in the West Indies, the country has won only one of seven contests. Even against New Zealand, after winning their first rubber there, India has never won another though they have toured that country five more times.

Given this background, perhaps Sunday's victory calls for some sort of celebration. It does not matter that Zimbabwe are no great shakes as a cricketing nation or that they are lying ninth in the current ratings. For that matter, India is seventh so it is almost a battle for the wooden spoon that is currently going on. However, the fact remains that Zimbabwe was one of only three countries where India had not registered a victory and that is now behind us, leaving only Pakistan and South Africa to conquer. Interestingly enough, India are scheduled to play Tests in both these countries later in the season and who knows - India could well become the first team to win a Test in the nine other Test playing countries.

But that is for the future. In the meantime, let us temper our celebrations by acknowledging a few facts. That it was not a particularly strong team that India won against. That there are still inherent weaknesses in the side. That the win does not overnight remove the tag `tigers at home, pussycats abroad'. Sure, it was a creditable win, even if India had to huff and puff a bit after looking to wrap up the Test in three days. But let us not lose perspective even as we savour the victory. There is still work to be done. Like winning the series for example. As Sourav Ganguly put it succinctly in his post-match comments, "We have to build on this now. It is good to have such a start but we have to be more consistent in winning abroad. We have to be more consistent in playing good cricket." Ah, consistency. That is one quality Indian cricket can do with.