Asian Games gold, direct entry to Rio Olympics and now a rarest or rare series win against world champions Austrlaia in their den, Indian hockey is enjoying an upswing not witnessed since the turn of the millenium.
A 3-1 scoreline in a four-Test series Down Under was unimaginable even after the Asian Games triumph, but it actually happened on Sunday evening with a 3-1 win in the fourth Test at Perth.
The series began as most Indian fans dreaded. A 4-0 defeat at the hands of the Kookaburas raised doubts over the feeling that India was closing the gap with the top-ranked hockey nations.
But the Indians rallied in style.
A 2-1 win came along next to level the series, followed by a 1-0 victory to take lead in the rubber and finally a 3-1 triumph to seal the deal in Perth. The cherry on the cake was that the series-clinching win came in skipper Sardar Singh's 200 international game.
The inspirational India captain couldn't hold himself back and got onto Twitter to connect with his fans. "Credit goes to my coaches Terry Walsh and @OltmansOltmans & my team mates for a successful Australian test series! #200thcap," the skipper tweeted.
A few critics may reckon the win has come against a developmental Aussie squad, with seniors like Jamie Dwyer, Mark Knowles and many others not part of the rubber. But that takes nothing away from India's effort.
"A great result for India in its first series win over Australia in many years," Nobbs told IBNLive Sports from Australia. "This team has been building over the last 3-1/2 years and is now starting to show that it's ready to emerge from the shadows of India's past failures."
But Nobbs also cautioned to not jump the gun with this win as Australia had opted not to field their seniors. "Let's not get too far ahead, Australia had 13 senior members not available but it does show India continues to improve and Australia has not.
"Below Australia's top players, there is a lot of work to do or they may find themselves slipping from the top of their pedestal," the Australian said.
Nobbs, however, agreed India are back making their presence felt in the international arena. "Congratulations to Sardar and his team. This team has announced its presence on the World stage. To beat the number one ranked team in the world is not an easy job."
But the next test will be their toughest yet this year - the Champions Trophy at home in Bhubaneshwar. And that will help measure how much India have narrowed the gap between themselves and the likes of Australia, Germany and Holland, who will appear in the tournament with their full might.
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