As I have noted several times previously, there are often uncanny parallels between foreign policy and international cricket. I would go so far as to argue that few phenomena better-capture the dynamics shaping India, or its foreign policy potential, than its cricket team.
That said, I was amazed to see this comprehensive list of India’s 32 Test victories on foreign soil. Before 2000, India had won only 13 tests away from home, and only one solitary victory (against Sri Lanka in Colombo) during the 1990s.
Armed with a newfound confidence since 2000 (not to mention the addition of some talented top-order batsmen and pace bowlers, historically India’s weaknesses), India managed 19 Test wins away, 12 of them against countries other than Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. With the victory in Hamilton last week, India has also now won an away Test in each of the nine other Test-playing nations this decade. Not too shabby.
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