Sachin slams critics who doubted India's ability to be on top

Sachin Tendulkar today slammed critics who doubted the Indian team's ability to retain the No 1 world ranking soon after they achieved it more than a year ago and said that the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led side was still atop the ladder today was proof of the team's calibre.

"Many people thought we would be on top for only 30-40 days when we achieved the no 1 spot in Tests (beating Sri Lanka at home) as the South Africa series (at home) was next. After losing the first Test at Nagpur we heard we will lose the no 1 spot. "But after more than a year we are still standing there. In this competitive era it is fantastic," said Tendulkar at the Castrol Awards function here.

Tendulkar received three awards the Indian Cricketer of the year (2009-10 season), the Test Cricketer of the year and a special award for completing 50 Test tons.

Tendulkar said the team faced many challenges after reaching the top and praised the entire team as well as coach Gary Kirsten.

"I feel extremely proud to be part of this team. To get there (to the no 1 spot) was not easy. We had to face a lot of challenges and stood together supporting each other. We had to work hard. Gary brought a remarkable change in the squad. All batsmen have performed well since 2007," Tendulkar said in an indirect dig at former coach Greg Chappell.