India’s win over Australia, Isn’t this test series a G.O.A.T?
We all love fairytales, don’t we?
In fairytales, the fairy showcases a miracle that seldom happens in reality. It was rare of the rarest occasion that fairytale turns real. One such occurrence happened yesterday (19/01/2020) when the Indian Cricket Team made an epic turnaround in Brisbane to pull off an emphatic test series win against mighty Australia at their home.
How did it happen?
If anyone has said that India might win the test series after being rolled for 36 in Adelaide, one might have asked how they will do it on Earth. Especially after India’s captain was off to take paternity leave past Adelaide’s embarrassing defeat, almost all the cricket experts wrote India off saying that “there’s going to be a series of whitewash”.
The shattered Indian team faced Australia at Melbourne for the second test with Ajinkya Rahane as the ‘stand-in’ captain in the absence of Virat Kohli. I would say, that the innings of Rahane impacted the momentum for the Indian dressing room and boosted up the confidence of the team players. His 112 in the first innings gave a clear 131 lead and India won the match by 8 wickets. With the series being 1–1, the injury concerns affected team India badly.
Adversity kept asking questions. It checked their attitude, ate away at their self-confidence. But in the mix-up, the men of Captain Ajinkya Rahane found inspiration. Somebody from the 11s found the flow whenever the team ebbed. With key players being out of the team due to various terms of injuries in the third test, India tends to pose true determination and resilience in the knocks of Ravi Ashwin and Hanuma Vihari on the final day at Sydney, before an excellent counterattack played by Rishab Pant, who got out at 97.
Mind you, Hanuma Vihari played with a grade two hamstring injury and Ravi Ashwin played with a sore back and the duo created a sheer grit for 42.4 overs, smothering all the mighty Australian bowlers threw at them to create one of Test cricket’s unforgettable draws. With 1 -1 each, India went on to face Australia at Brisbane, Gabba which was been said as the fortress of the home side and they haven’t lost a game for 32 years.
The decider
For the final test and the series decider at Brisbane, team India went on with two net bowlers making their debut as almost all the experience bowlers are out due to injuries. Indian’s squad with several top players absent due to injury and other causes, while newcomers including Mohammed Siraj, Navdeep Saini, Shardul Thakur, and Washington Sundar only cut their teeth in the International Test Cricket.
Yet the youngsters have displayed immense bravery and dedication during this match. In reality, while he was in Australia, Siraj lost his father. Then he went on to pick up 13 wickets in the series demonstrates the kind of character that younger players were sporting. As can be seen in the survival of the fittest, a bruised and brushes Indian side with Cheteshwar Pujara, Rohit Sharma, or Rishabh Pant, had elected to maintain the coveted Border-Gavaskar Trophy by drawing a spectacular record run in the 4th and final test.
It was the sledge-statement that Tim Paine would certainly regret as long as the Australian skipper stays at the helm, “Can’t wait to get you to the Gabba,” The Virat Kohli-less team continued to punch beyond their weight while getting their back against the wall by carrying out a mesmerizing match at Gabba against the formidable Aussies.
Is this, the best series win ever for India?
I’ll say yes. The reasons are, as follows
1. An inexperienced but gritty Indian side had tamed the massive Australians at Brisbane which was considered as a fortress and breached the fort after 32 long years.
2. India’s second test series win in Australia but this time they have won the power-packed Australian side.
3. On this trip, many boys have turned into men. Shubman Gill announced his arrival to the world as the next big thing in Indian cricket.
4. The twin fourth inning special knocks by Rishab Pant ensured his place in playing 11 as a pure batsman alone.
5. Chetaswar Pujara, who suffered more blows than a heavyweight fighter and played for 1368 Minutes and 950 odd-balls, was distinguished by the unflinching anonymity that characterized the tightness of the great Rahul Dravid.
6. The series was alive until the last hour of the 5th day which says the specialty of this test series. Rarely do tests these days go till the last hour, but we had two in succession.
India’s dedication and enthusiasm let you fall in love with test cricket once again, while the major countries of India, England, and Australia primarily want to play on loops more often. India has gradually become the undisputed power off-field but not yet on-field through competence, strategies, and financial heft, amid various degrees of progress in the last two decades. This win might well prove to be a harbinger for India. I’ll like to finish with the words of the “GOD of Cricket”.
Now, you say. Isn’t this series win a G.O.A.T?
