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MUMBAI: Few things unite India like cricket, and on December 6, 2009, millions of Indians were united in celebration as their team ascended to the top of the ICC Test rankings.

Main men for Team India

Fittingly, the victory that made it possible was marked by standout performances from the men who have played a crucial role in India’s ascent. Virender Sehwag has scored more runs than any other Indian batsman over the last 25 Tests - played over a two-year period beginning November 2007. His innings of 293 - played at a pace that left the bowlers ample time to finish the demolition job - proved pivotal as India fulfilled its destined tryst with the top slot.

Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan have been India’s highest wicket-takers during this period. Both picked up six wickets apiece for the match, with Zaheer coming up with a five-wicket haul to polish off the tail on Sunday morning and take India to a comfortable win by an innings and 24 runs.

Gautam Gambhir was missing, but the glorious trinity of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman all made valuable contributions. In the autumn of their careers, they finally got to savour a moment they have dreamt of for many seasons. What made it particularly poignant was that it came in perhaps their last Test on home soil together. India has no Test series scheduled at home next year and by the time 2011 dawns - post World Cup, that is - age may well have caught up.

But that’s in the future. For now, the team deserves to soak up the moment. Sadly, Sourav Ganguly and Anil Kumble aren’t part of the present squad, but there’s no denying their massive contribution.

India needed to scalp four Sri Lankan wickets on Sunday morning to clinch the series and ascend to the No.1 spot in the ICC Test rankings. When the moment did arrive, it came with dramatic rapidity. Zaheer produced a near-perfect inswinger to get rid of Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara early on the fifth day.

On the fourth day, Sangakkara had been the lone man standing between India and their ultimate achievement. With him gone, the rest of the batting soon perished against a fired up Zaheer, who logged his career’s eighth five-wicket haul.

‘‘The way they played in the two Tests (Kanpur and Mumbai), they deserve to be there,’’ was Sangakkara’s way of paying tribute to the world’s new No 1 team.

It is only the third time in the last 47 months of Test cricket that India have managed to register two consecutive victories. Yet, the 2-0 win has catapulted them to the top of the world. A far cry from where India were exactly a decade ago: the 3-0 thrashing in Australia in 1999-00 immediately comes to mind, followed by their first ever home series defeat to South Africa in 2000.

In between, there were two drawn series Down Under, a historic series win in Pakistan (2003-04) followed by series victories in West Indies (2006), England (2007) and New Zealand (2009). That India ruled at home too, during this phase, has finally led them to the zenith.

Dhoni knows the bigger effort now will be to sustain that position. Australia did it for eight long years, ever since the Test championship was introduced in 2001. South Africa briefly reigned and Sri Lanka arrived here with a shot at the title too. In fact, if they had won this series 2-0, they would have been numero uno.