A comprehensive win after two tight matches is a result any captain will gleefully accept.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni had led India in their breathtaking win at Rajkot and also their heartbreaking loss at Nagpur.
However, when it came to celebrating a commanding result in the third One-Day International at Cuttack on Monday, it was Virender Sehwag who had taken the centrestage.
Team India's slow over rate at Nagpur had ensured incumbent Dhoni a two-match ban and handed over the reigns of captaincy to Sehwag. And the dashing opener had responded to the challenge by leading his side to a dominating seven-wicket win at the Barabati Stadium.
It was India's third win in six one-day matches under Sehwag's captaincy and that probably explained his jovial mood at the post match briefing.
The stand-in skipper had no hesitation in giving his bowlers all the credit they deserved for the success.
"I think [Ravindra] Jadeja and [Harbhajan Singh] Bhajji bowled really well, specially Jadeja," said Sehwag, lauding the efforts of the Baroda all-rounder who was named the man-of-the-match for his career-best figures of four for 32.
He also had words of encouragement for Ishant Sharma, who had replaced Praveen Kumar in the squad and had conceded as many as 46 runs in his first three overs before coming back well.
"Ishant also gave away only 17 runs in his last four overs and took two wickets. And that is why we could stop them under 250," added Sehwag.
However, the skipper had probably reserved the best compliments for his Delhi team mate Ashish Nehra.
"Nehra gave away only 30-odd runs in his first five-six overs and we could remain in the game because of that," explained Sehwag, adding, "Else, it seemed 350-400 runs would be scored again. It is in such occasions that experience comes in handy.
"Also after he came Dilshan got out and the pressure was back on them as they couldn't find easy boundaries thereafter."
Talking of bowlers, didn't he also pick up the crucial wicket of his opposite number Kumar Sangakkara? "I bowled three-four quick overs as we were three overs short at the 20-over mark," explained Sehwag, downplaying his crucial role with the ball.
Despite doing a credible job later on, the bowlers still struggled during the early part of the Sri Lankan innings again. Wasn't this a cause of concern?
"I think both the sides are batting well, especially in the opening overs. So it becomes really difficult for the fast bowlers to contain," justified the skipper. "The only way to contain is by getting breakthroughs. They started well but in between the 23 and 40 overs they lost seven wickets. That was a crucial phase."
Having won the match comprehensively, does the stand-in skipper believe India have a chance to win the next couple of matches in a similar manner? "We want to win the series," explained Sehwag. "Whether it is 4-1 or 3-2 doesn't matter."
