Brisbane: Ravi Shastri wasn’t just a member of the Sunil Gavaskar-led team which lifted the World Championship of Cricket (WCC) in 1985, he was adjudged the Champion of Champions in that tournament.

On Tuesday, after India emphatically won the tri-series 2-0, Shastri (a former captain and cricket manager) spoke to The Telegraph for a few minutes. He was, understandably, quite emotional.

The following are excerpts

Reaction to Team India’s win

It’s India’s greatest victory after the WCC... Never before had we even come close to winning a tri-series in Australia and, so, this has to rank very special... Also, don’t forget Australia are the world champions. Frankly, it all seems a little unbelievable... After beating Australia in Australia, Indian cricket can only be on the upswing.

Having backed this team before the tri-series got under way

I did, yes... I knew this team would compete and was confident the boys would reach the final… I know there’d been a big hue and cry over some of the seniors being dropped and the selectors need to be complimented for investing in youth and looking at the fielding aspect. Usually, the selectors get the stick but, this time, they deserve kudos... They looked to the future and have helped some of the youngsters grow big in confidence... It’s a nice feeling.

On captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni having had a big say in the selection of the squad

Well, he needs to be complimented as well... In any case, he deserves much of the credit.

Dhoni’s captaincy

Superb... He’s not afraid to take tough decisions, like not playing a Virender Sehwag... He’s prepared to back youngsters... In my view, right through, he handled his resources exceedingly well.

The stand out players

I’ve got no doubt that one throughout was Gautam Gambhir... He got wasted for the past year or year-and-a-half, when he should’ve been playing regularly... Sachin Tendulkar had a magnificent series and tour... The way he raised his game in the finals of the tri-series was a lesson... Sachin, in fact, has silenced critics forever... Ishant Sharma was very good and Praveen Kumar and Piyush Chawla made the most of opportunities... But the one stand out player was Harbhajan Singh, who got under the skin of the Australian team, the public and the media.

Harbhajan’s role in Australia’s mental disintegration

(Laughs) The controversies didn’t affect him... On the other hand, they led to Australia’s downfall.

The one abiding memory of the tri-series

The way Harbhajan got under the skin of the Australians... The way he got Andrew Symonds and Matthew Hayden in the first finals... The way he had a hand in Hayden’s run-out and the way he got Symonds in the second finals here... He answered the Australians in the best manner possible — on the field.

Top batting and bowling performances

Sachin’s unbeaten 117 at the SCG and Praveen’s first spell (6-1-25-3) at The Gabba this evening.

Finally, reflections on that WCC triumph

You know, 23 years on, people across Australia still ask me about the Audi I took home for being the Champion of Champions... It was a big moment when we beat Pakistan in the finals... We were the world champions then, but the WCC was a major event... It’s so satisfying that I was a member of the team which won the World Cup (1983) and the WCC.