India, Sept. 22 -- Admit it, the partnership between Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill made you feel nostalgic. Not comparing, but the analogy with the past greats is so palpable right now.

Left-right opening pair, truckloads of runs, records set and broken across decades - these were comforts India were used to in white ball cricket. In the dressing room right now is Gautam Gambhir, whose equation with Virender Sehwag wasn't probably exploited to the hilt. But in Shikhar Dhawan-Rohit Sharma and Sourav Ganguly-Sachin Tendulkar India had mined all-time greatness.

Still early days, but watching Abhishek and Gill decimate Pakistan felt like an encore, an auspicious beginning to a long and fulfilling dynamic.

Already making it an endearing ...