Beating Australia in a Test Series in Australia!!
25,915 days.
853 months.
71 years.
Yes, that is how long it took for India - or, for that matter, any Asian team - to register their first-ever
Test series win on Australian soil.
Being perhaps as coveted as a World Cup win, our triumph on Australian soil indeed took a long time coming. Generation after entire generation has been fed on Aussie-accented Yayyss and Woohoohoos at the fall of every Indian wicket (leading to eventual defeat) through our tours of the ‘90s, 2000’s, although 2003 was a glorious exception.
We all wondered whether we would ever – in our lifetime – get to see an Indian captain holding the BG trophy solely in his hands, on Aussie soil.
And then, the day came.
True, it was not an attack that comprised Messrs McGrath, Lee, Warne and Gillespie. Not even Ponting, Hayden, Glichrist and Clarke. Heck, not even Smith and Warner. But none of these is our fault, nor did this mean that the inclusion of the last two gentlemen would have made too much of a difference. Only that we might have chased more or that they would have folded up for more and/or later.
THE BEST Part
The best part of our win is the fact that our team looks such a complete unit. Not just from the fact that we have all the bases covered but also by the fact that we outplayed the Aussies on not just batting, bowling, fielding, but even on the basis of bench strength!
Can you imagine we had Bhuvi, Umesh Yadav, Hardik Pandya (and one of Ashwin/Kuldeep) unused always in each of the Tests?
And, I haven’t even mentioned as yet the fact that one of our biggest upcoming stars, Prithvi Shaw, had to miss out at the very beginning of the tour, due to injury.
See, this is exactly my point: Forget the 11 guys we put out on the park in these Tests. A lot (and most deservedly so) has already been written about Pujara, Kohli, Bumrah, Ishant, Shami, Agarwal, Vihari, Pant, Rahane, Kuldeep, et al.
Just look at the support/bench cast: Bhuvi, Umesh, Hardik, Ashwin/Kuldeep, Shaw.
5 people who would walk into any other international team today on any given day.
This bench strength, along with the average age of our team (long-term and one for the future) is the biggest plus for us.
One always hopes sincerely but along with the sincerity, because of these factors, now one can hope with practical expectation and almost assuredness that this team will usher in a great new year and also a great new era in Indian cricket.
This landmark win should now be only the precursor and a catalyst to many more memorable conquests both at home and abroad.
Amen to that, and enjoy the cricket!! Happy new year, and happy new era!!😊
25,915 days.
853 months.
71 years.
Yes, that is how long it took for India - or, for that matter, any Asian team - to register their first-ever
Test series win on Australian soil.
Being perhaps as coveted as a World Cup win, our triumph on Australian soil indeed took a long time coming. Generation after entire generation has been fed on Aussie-accented Yayyss and Woohoohoos at the fall of every Indian wicket (leading to eventual defeat) through our tours of the ‘90s, 2000’s, although 2003 was a glorious exception.
We all wondered whether we would ever – in our lifetime – get to see an Indian captain holding the BG trophy solely in his hands, on Aussie soil.
And then, the day came.
True, it was not an attack that comprised Messrs McGrath, Lee, Warne and Gillespie. Not even Ponting, Hayden, Glichrist and Clarke. Heck, not even Smith and Warner. But none of these is our fault, nor did this mean that the inclusion of the last two gentlemen would have made too much of a difference. Only that we might have chased more or that they would have folded up for more and/or later.
THE BEST Part
The best part of our win is the fact that our team looks such a complete unit. Not just from the fact that we have all the bases covered but also by the fact that we outplayed the Aussies on not just batting, bowling, fielding, but even on the basis of bench strength!
Can you imagine we had Bhuvi, Umesh Yadav, Hardik Pandya (and one of Ashwin/Kuldeep) unused always in each of the Tests?
And, I haven’t even mentioned as yet the fact that one of our biggest upcoming stars, Prithvi Shaw, had to miss out at the very beginning of the tour, due to injury.
See, this is exactly my point: Forget the 11 guys we put out on the park in these Tests. A lot (and most deservedly so) has already been written about Pujara, Kohli, Bumrah, Ishant, Shami, Agarwal, Vihari, Pant, Rahane, Kuldeep, et al.
Just look at the support/bench cast: Bhuvi, Umesh, Hardik, Ashwin/Kuldeep, Shaw.
These 5 people on the bench!!
5 people who would walk into any other international team today on any given day.
This bench strength, along with the average age of our team (long-term and one for the future) is the biggest plus for us.
One always hopes sincerely but along with the sincerity, because of these factors, now one can hope with practical expectation and almost assuredness that this team will usher in a great new year and also a great new era in Indian cricket.
This landmark win should now be only the precursor and a catalyst to many more memorable conquests both at home and abroad.
Amen to that, and enjoy the cricket!! Happy new year, and happy new era!!😊
