Mumbai: Former India captains on Tuesday described India’s historic triumph as a “superlative effort” and said it proved that India were emerging as a major force in cricket. The following are excerpts (in alphabetical order):

Sourav Ganguly: I congratulate the boys for the historic win in Australia. Everyone played well and it was combined effort… Special compliments to Sachin (Tendulkar) and Praveen Kumar for their contributions today. The turning point was the dismissal of Matthew Hayden.

AJAY JADEJA: Incredible effort. I think it is unbelievable. We have beaten them twice in a row and that is quite an achievement. We have outplayed them in every department of the game and it augurs well for Indian cricket.

DILIP VENGSARKAR: It was a fantastic and historic victory after a 23-year gap… To defeat the No.1 team for last decade shows that India are fast climbing up the ladder and closing in on Australia.

AJIT WADEKAR: It was a historic victory and reminded me of the 1971 (Test series) victories over the West Indies and England (away from home). It was a great team effort. Dhoni has led very well and the team is a nice blend of youth and experience. Sachin made a hell of a difference. The Aussies looked a bit aged, didn’t they…? They also concentrated too much on sledging.