India’s Test series wins are usually followed by hyperbole and the one in Australia has been termed “as big as 1983, if not bigger” by coach Ravi Shastri. While the 2-1 triumph is historic because it is the first victory by an Indian cricket team in Australia in 12 attempts starting in 1947, the country’s stature in global cricket in 1983 and expectations surrounding the team at the time will always ensure a special place for the World Cup win in India’s cricket history. Whether this success of the No. 1 Test team against a side still smarting under the repercussions of a ball-tampering scandal equals that victory is something cricket lovers can judge.

This is not to belittle the efforts of Virat Kohli’s team. In batting and bowling they had to dig deep and work hard to outdo the hosts in both departments. There were moments when things could have swung Australia’s way, but the Indians wrested the initiative back and maintained supremacy almost all through the series, barring the second Test in Perth. To beat Australia in Australia and show this kind of command is remarkable. This should strengthen Kohli’s belief that his team can become the best irrespective of conditions, which is something no Indian team has done before. But then, they have just taken the first step.

Before the adjectives start pouring in, it should not be forgotten that India in fact lost their last two away assignments before Australia—in South Africa and England. Teams that have been the best win everywhere. To India’s credit, they learnt from those experiences and made a conscious effort to rectify their mistakes. It’s not the Indian team’s problem that the home team was below-par in the absence of just two players. So instead of losing sleep over how big this win is compared to what happened when the context was different, they should enjoy the moment and continue doing what they have done.