'That's great for our team and in a way Ashes are bloody hard to win. It's not going to be easy but if we were to win it, that is legacy defining stuff.'
Hathurusingha was also fully aware of the difficulty posed by his lack of red-ball cricket experience before the series.
Sri Lanka lead the standings with 100 PCT, having won both the Tests they have played in this cycle. They are followed by Australia, who have a PCT of 86.66.
There was much criticism of how South Africa managed to reach the final without playing either Australia and England in the two-year qualifying period.
India opener and ODI vice-captain Shubman Gill has paid tribute to Rohit Sharma following his retirement from Test cricket, saying he will forever remember the lessons learned from the former captain.
For their next assignment in the ICC World Test Championship cycle, the two-time WTC runners up will aim to grab maximum points across those four home clashes. Here are five key questions the side must answer prior to their next Test match-up.
'The batting has been the one which has caused us problems every time we go overseas. Why is it happening?'
The legendary Sachin Tendulkar found senior off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin's exclusion from India's playing XI for the World Test Championship final baffling.
As many as four world-class match-winners are expected to bid adieu to the game one by one in the next couple of years and Gautam Gambhir is in an unenviable position as head coach.
Bavuma, in his Test journey of over a decade, as the first black batter for South Africa, has faced a lot of ups and downs. A magnificent century against England in Cape Town back in 2016 attached to him plenty of expectations.
'They (Gill, Jaiswal and Pant) now have to drag this Indian Test team forward like Virat did single-handedly.'
Gillespie said that he feels that either one of Labuschagne or Usman Khawaja, the 38-year-old who failed to touch double-digits in both WTC final innings, will miss out on West Indies tour, which comprises three Tests, starting June 25.
Kyle Verreynne revealed his emotions almost got the better of him before he hit the winning runs to end South Africa's wait for a global trophy.
Pant also matched India's veteran batter Ajinkya Rahane, who was the last vice-captain to smash a century in each innings, doing so against South Africa in New Delhi, in 2015.
Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara, Mohammed Shami and Ravindra Jadeja could do with a break, which will allow India to try out new players in the Caribbean.
India has lost three finals and on four occasion it bit dust at the semifinal stage. It also made an exit at the preliminary stage of the 2021 T20 World Cup.
'I don't know how we approach this kind of an itinerary where you go for a holiday in between and then come back to play Test matches. One week break was enough post the WTC final. The thing is you need to play continuously. I am amazed this itinerary was approved.'
Agarkar said Team India has always found out ways to emerge victorious even in crunch situations.
India dropped both Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara from the side following the South Africa tour but brought them back rather than grooming youngsters? Rahane scored the bulk of the runs for India in the WTC final but was going back to him and Pujara the right call?
'...The players and staff deserve a lot of credit for the standard of cricket we have played over the past two years. It would be a great reward for everyone to finish as World Test Champions.'
India have recalled Ajinkya Rahane to reinforce their batting line-up, which will have to be at its best to negate the Australian attack.
Michael Clarke expressed that if star India batters Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli fail to perform during the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy, they could retire
Jasprit Bumrah doesn't seem to be a long-term captaincy option given his nagging fitness concerns.
India still need two more wins from the remaining three Tests of the series to guarantee themselves a place in the WTC final.
The live viewership of the Test played between June 18 and 23 touched 130.6 million across 89 territories.
With his four-wicket tally in the WTC final, Ashwin surpassed Australian pacer Pat Cummins who had 70 wickets to his name from 14 Tests
Kohli is a massive player, will play major role in Test series: Kallis
'What made my comeback possible was enjoying each and every moment, be it success or failure, and having no regrets. Learning from every individual in Mumbai Ranji team. You have to grow as a cricketer every single day, learning process shouldn't stop.'
While retirement is very much a cricketer's individual call, the counter point will be if the national selectors or the BCCI feel that they need to look at the bigger picture and have only one among Rohit and Virat in the ODI set-up going forward.
Images from Day 4 of the first Test between Australia and India in Perth on Monday.
World champions Australia will hope to round off one of the nation's most successful seasons in cricket with victory in a rare Test series in New Zealand starting at Wellington's Basin Reserve on Thursday.
'I didn't know that we'd won kind of everything until half an hour ago but that's always the aim.'
Rohit Sharma blamed poor bowling in the first innings for their crushing defeat
Former South African captain Graeme Smith is confident that his country will end its long wait for an ICC trophy in 2023, with the Champions Trophy and World Test Championship final on the horizon. He believes the team is in a strong position to break their drought and is focused on developing the nation's cricket ecosystem ahead of the 2027 World Cup.
Former skipper Ricky Ponting predicted that the Baggy Greens will dominate the Rohit Sharma-led side in the five-match series.
'He has played 100 Tests, he deserves respect.'
Kohli's last century in overseas Tests dates back to 2018 in Perth, Australia, and he has been unable to achieve another since then.
'Captaincy for India is slightly different to captaining a franchise or any state side; it comes with its own responsibilities and the pressure.'
Who do you think should be part of India's playing XI for the second Test against Bangladesh?
'I know we've got a big series but we can worry about that in a couple days' time. You only get a few of these moments in your career where you can sit back, acknowledge a pretty special achievement and that's one of these times.'
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