Date:06/03/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/03/06/stories/2008030660412600.htm

Sport - Cricket

A great feeling, says Abhinav

CHENNAI: “It feels great to be the world champion,” said Abhinav Mukund, a member of the World Cup-winning under-19 squad who arrived here on Wednesday.

It also felt good to see a big crowd lined up in the streets of Bangalore to greet the players, he said. “We did not expect such a rousing reception. In fact, we were stunned to see so many dignitaries waiting to receive us,” said Abhinav.

Praise for Whatmore

The 18-year-old Tamil Nadu lad lavished praise on coach Dav Whatmore. “He was an inspiring presence. He had a calming influence on us and we looked up to him whenever the chips were down,” said Abhinav.

With the openers Taruwar Kohli and Shreevats Goswami doing well, Abhinav did not get to play in a single match. “Obviously, I would have loved to play, but I knew fitting me in was tough,” said Abhinav. With all the players performing consistently well, India made just one change in the entire tournament.

Abhinav mentioned that the team always knew that it had a good chance to win the World Cup. “We had a feeling we were going to win. The momentum picked up as the tournament progressed. Now that we have won (the World Cup), it will take some time for it to sink in,” Abhinav admitted.