Team India’s tour of Australia was no less than a roller-coaster ride, youngster heroics helping the visitors to an unfathomable triumph. In Adelaide, under captain Virat Kohli’s leadership, India was pulverised for 36 runs and the Test match was easily clinched by the hosts. Later, Rahane-led India embarked upon an ingenious turnaround, sealing the Test series as the team laden with young guns exhibited a brilliant all-round performance on the Australian soil.
Playing against one of the best teams, India’s road to victory was tough and fraught with difficulties that were off the field. Spending time in a Bio-Bubble is of course emotionally excruciating. Star performer Mohammed Siraj while spending the time in a quarantine bubble in Australia, lost his father and decided not to attend the funeral. T Natarajan refused the paternity leave to welcome his first child. Despite all these difficulties, the Indian side faced a cascading spade of racist slurs on the field. However, the team rose to the occasion with the fullest of their spirit and played their game as well as they could.
“This is young India,” remarked Harsha Bhogle, “give them a stage and move out.”
Confident, and high on adrenaline, India returned home with an unprecedented victory and scribed a new page in the history of Indian cricket. After showing the might on Australian soil, India’s performance in Chennai came as a shocker.
England, with the luck on their side, won the toss and opted to bat on a flat and batting-friendly surface. With Joe Root’s double ton, the English ship steered to the humongous total of 578— the total which won England half of the battle. Virat Kohli, on the other side of the English siege, used 6 bowlers, as in the first innings the pitch was slow. Trailing behind a sturdy figure, English spinners—important to note that they were under-experienced—spun the web around Indian batsmen and seized the day. India lost their fortress way too early when they could only score 337 runs, for ten down.
I must not hesitate to conclude, when you are in your Homeland you start feeling Homely, one wishes to take it easy and lie on the lap of the motherland for all the pampering. But it’s not that kind of attitude that works. Winning should be followed by sustainability and high spirits. Work harder with correct dynamics.
Author is a sports columnist and an executive member of the Anti-Corruption Academy (ACA). Views expressed are his own.
