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A few days ago, at the Sydney Cricket Ground, the Indian cricket team were cast under the mightiest of storms. Having gone behind considerably in the first innings, the Men in Blue faced the prospect of batting out more than 120 overs on a wearing SCG track.
Yet, the Indian cricket team barely flinched, riding on heroic performances from cricketers, who incidentally, were then ruled out for the 4th Test at the Gabba.
Thus, as the Indian cricket team arrived at Brisbane, there was significant trepidation, not just because they’d lost more than half of their first-choice eleven, but also due to the sheer fact that Australia hadn’t suffered defeat at the Gabba since 1988.
In fact, the hosts’ confidence and at times, brashness, was characterized by Tim Paine quipping to Ravichandran Ashwin that the Aussies couldn’t wait to get to the Gabba. Unfortunately for them though, it seemed as if the Indian cricket team was the one chomping at the bit to get to Brisbane.
Indian cricket team needed 324 runs to win on Day 5
At the start of play on Day 5, the Indian cricket team had a steep 328-run mountain to climb. More importantly though, they had to negotiate past a surface that had played a few tricks, just a few hours ago, when the tourists were bowling.
And, to add to all of that drama, rain remained a potential decisive factor – something that forced countless cricket fans into hours of calculations, trying to decipher the approach that might be most suitable.
As the day progressed, the Indian cricket team started showcasing their hand. At first, they tried to eliminate the defeat, meaning that they buckled down for a majority of the opening session, with Cheteshwar Pujara, of course, playing the role of the protagonist.
The right-handed batsman was battered and bruised, both literally and figuratively. To put things into perspective, he copped more than 13 blows, when batting, with a couple of those pinging him on the helmet. Yet, he gutsily stood in the face of adversity, even as everything around him threatened to unravel.
After Lunch though, the Indian cricket team flicked a switch and signaled their intentions of going for the victory, perhaps for the first time in the game.
Subsequently, the balls that were defended with a dead bat, became meaningful pushes into gaps. Short deliveries that were left alone previously, were feasted upon. Most tellingly, the urgency that seemed to desert them in the morning session, suddenly became the norm.
At that juncture, Australia seemed rattled, especially when Shubman Gill amped up the pressure. Furthermore, when Rishabh Pant came into his own, the home side looked bereft of ideas and one that prayed for divine intervention or a moment of inspiration, rather than actively searching for something from within.
By the time the game unfolded, and Rishabh Pant had weaved another memorable innings, the Australians were guilty of batting an eyelid in the midst of a tempest - something that separated the hosts from the visitors.
For large swathes of the 21st century, Australia have been invincible at the Gabba and most of it has stemmed from the conviction they’ve portrayed, both with the ball and with the willow.
However, that particular facet went spectacularly amiss when push came to shove in 2021 – something that highlighted the deficiency that existed in the Australian ranks but also signified the brilliance of the Indian cricket team.
To put things into context, the attacking adventure India displayed, forced Australia to rummage into half-baked ideas – plans that they ordinarily might’ve not even been contemplated. And, to be fair to the Indian cricket team, that was the pattern throughout the Test and not just on the final day.
On Day 3, the Indian cricket team found itself under strife, when tottering at 186-6. The visitors had lost all of their designated batsmen and were relying on Washington Sundar – a debutant, and Shardul Thakur – another cricketer who was playing his second Test.
Yet, the pair exhibited the sort of decisiveness that experienced heads would be proud of. When they decided to be belligerent, there weren’t any half measures. And, when they opted to defend, there was no cluttered mind to muddle their thinking.
A day later, Australia began like a house on fire and immediately suggested that they intended to set the game up and dominate, much like previous encounters at the Gabba. At that moment, it might’ve been easy for the Indian cricket team to let the Aussies make the play and wait for mistakes, especially with a drawn game aiding the tourists’ cause.
However, Ajinkya Rahane, who has strengthened his case for a role as full-time skipper, continued persisting with attacking fields. In the process, Australia were immediately put under the cosh, as soon as their opening stand was broken.
In turn, Mohammed Siraj and Shardul Thakur, who were only playing the series because Messrs. Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Shami were injured, became the beneficiaries as they ripped the game open completely – again highlighting the strength in depth in the side.
Consequently, the Indian cricket team kept pegging away and ultimately, restricted Australia to a total that was deemed chaseable, even on a strip that had enormous cracks. Though the initial reaction might be to justify the means by looking at the end, it is imperative to note that the mindset of not allowing the Australians to settle, turned the tide firmly in the Indian cricket team’s favour.
And, as far as the visitors’ Day 5 exploits are concerned, well, there are so many aspects to endear them to the cricket-watching population. The sight of Cheteshwar Pujara battling like a gladiator, Shubman Gill oozing class like a hardened veteran, Ajinkya Rahane providing the breath of fresh air the innings craved and of course, Rishabh Pant thrilling the audiences, in a manner that only he is capable of.
In fact, each of those had an air of assuredness about it – something that has only been attributed to the Aussies Down Under, especially when talking about Tests at the Gabba.
Yet, perhaps the most important component of the Indian cricket team’s victory was the belief that they personified. Over the series, there were numerous instances, and at the Gabba, those reached a crescendo, meaning that the Australian fortress was ultimately breached, for the first time since 1988.
At the SCG, Rishabh Pant was the maverick that made the Indian cricket team believe. At the Gabba, all eleven players played their parts to perfection, eventually throwing a spoke in a seemingly indomitable Australian wheel.
However, the most lasting image from this extraordinary tour Down Under, would be that of the Indian cricket team players getting battered and bruised, but never letting their guard down.
Make no mistake, the Indian cricket team was pummeled by injuries and by the Australians, they were harried into committing potential errors, they were chastened by off-field controversies and rather poorly, also subjected to racial abuse. Yet, they stood tall. And, by quite some distance.
At the end of it all, they perhaps morphed into the giant that plenty had predicted they could never become, and at a venue where teams always seem to dwarf under Australia’s brilliance.
After all, the Indian cricket team’s bones were broken, muscles were tweaked and tendons were stretched. Yet, their minds remain unflustered and unflappable. And ultimately, that was enough to land a knockout punch for the ages!
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