Those of us of a certain vintage would remember the two first-time wins in 1971. The inaugural win in Australia is on a par, perhaps even a shade or two higher for the extra 47 years it took.

Some of India’s greatest cricketers - from Sunil Gavaskar, Gundappa Viswanath and Kapil Dev to Bishan Bedi, Bhagwat Chandrasekhar and Erapalli Prasanna, to Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Virender Sehwag, Anil Kumble, V.V.S. Laxman and Sourav Ganguly have come and gone in that period. Forty seven years is a long time.

Those first wins in the West Indies and England in 1971 were conveyed to fans back home through newspapers and the radio. I was allowed to stay home from school the day following India’s win in England. Those were simpler times; we rejoiced in simpler pleasures.

Different scenarios

When Abid Ali square cut Brian Luckhurst to the boundary to win at the Oval, it remained Indian cricket’s most famous stroke for decades. Skipper Ajit Wadekar, fast asleep in the dressing room (like a general who had laid his plans and knew there was nothing more to be done, said someone, perhaps Keith Miller) was woken up by Ken Barrington with the news.

It is difficult to imagine Virat Kohli sleeping at all, let alone at the moment of triumph. Victory, like justice, must not only be achieved but seen to be achieved. The handshakes at the end might look the same, but the victors’ carries a different message.

When India beat New Zealand 3-1 to win their first series abroad in 1967-68, the captain was Tiger Pataudi the great amateur who, asked by Ian Chappell what he did for a living replied, “I am a prince.” Half a century ago that explained everything. Pataudi might have been a fierce competitor, a great captain and inspiration, but he played for the love of the game; there were no material benefits.

His successor Wadekar came from the next strand of captains. He was a banker from Mumbai’s middle class, and worked in the State Bank of India, which in the 1970s employed most of India’s top players. Holding a job down was important in the uncertain world of sport.

In Australia, India had a captain who symbolised the following stage - the consummate professional who made millions from the game. Kohli has been telling us for a while now that he had the team to beat the best in the world in their conditions.

This season he was expected to walk the talk. South Africa didn’t pan out, England was a disaster. But Australia, where India arrived as the No. 1 team in the world, finally made up for it. As the poet Robert Southey said in another context, It was a famous victory.

In 1971, the churlish pointed out that the West Indies were a team in decline, that debutant Gavaskar who made 774 runs in four Tests was dropped often and so on.

This time, descendants of the churlish might claim that Australia were not at full strength, with top batsmen Steve Smith and David Warner under suspension for cheating in a Test match. But you can only play the team that turns up on the field.

The bans were not India’s fault; and earlier, most memorably in 1977-78, India had failed to beat an Australian team that lacked its top players who had been bought by Kerry Packer.

Australia always held a special place in the affections of Indian fans. Unlike England, Australia always sent their best teams on Indian tours. Then there was Don Bradman, who never played in India, but was still a folk hero of sorts. As was Allan Border. In the 1980s, Australia toured the subcontinent ten times, and Border was in each of those teams.

Most fans carry memories of waking up early in the morning to listen to the radio commentary, and later, telecasts of Tests from that country. Australian fans worshipped Bedi and Gavaskar, and later, Sachin Tendulkar and V.V.S. Laxman.

Success in Australia meant success against fast, bouncing deliveries unseen in India. Australia had the reputation for being tough but fair. Even as, in recent times, relationships on field soured occasionally, there was always respect for the brand of cricket Australia played and the challenge of playing on their storied grounds.

Above all, Australians always played with a passion that Indians recognised, something that the great Windies teams of the past had too. Teams from three different continents were united by a similar approach.

‘I was there’ moment

In the years to come, Cheteshwar Pujara might be spoken of in the manner Gavaskar was after Windies 1971, Jasprit Bumrah as Bhagwath Chandrasekhar was after England 1971. The tag of greatness hovering over Virat Kohli might settle on him - both as batsman and captain.

Forty seven years ago, very few Indians could say “I was there when history was made.” Now, thanks to live television, every fan can make that claim. We were all there in Adelaide and Melbourne and Sydney as Kohli’s team lent heft to their world ranking.