India, Feb. 7 -- Monopoly. It's a strong word, a word that denotes dominance over a sustained length of time, a concept that separates the greats from even the very goods. It speaks to the ability to rule consistently, which, in a sporting context, stems from a vibrant structure, a formidable core steeped in fundamentals that help tide over succession challenges, and a vision for the future that doesn't cloud the demands of the immediate present.

Sporting history is replete with examples of individuals or teams monopolising a specific discipline. Like Brazil in the Pele era of football, when they won the FIFA World Cup three times in four editions between 1958 and 1970. Like Steffi Graf, particularly in 1988, when she completed a golden ...