It's a new year and after what was pretty much a calamitous 2020 for the entire world, at least when it comes to Indian cricket, we couldn't have had a more resounding start to the new year!!
Actually, things began taking a turn for the better right after Christmas 2020, with the Boxing Day Test itself where we registered a historic win, which was followed by an unforgettable heist to achieve a draw at Sydney in the first week of the new year by our bravehearts, culminating in a crescendo of indescribable proportions with the unbridled joy on conquering what used to be called - attention all Aussies, especially Tim Paine: past tense now - what used to be called - a fortress for Australia, the Gabbatoir.
There are so many things one feels as a cricket lover and as an Indian team fan, yet there's precious little that I have which can be explained in words.
Some of my friends have pointed to certain sections in the cricketing world (you can guess and even expect the geo-coordinates of such people! It must also be mentioned though, that in all fairness, not everyone from such locations is bereft of objectivity and fairmindedness. So we are talking of only some/most (but not all) Burnol-worthy, jealousy-driven zealots from certain locations in Asia). They deserve to only be ignored and prayed for. Nothing less, nothing more.
You don't even need to be an Indian fan, not even a Test match specialist. All you need to be is to not be a bigoted, blinded supporter who would hate to see India win anywhere against anyone.
In any case, if you cannot appreciate this from India, there's nary a chance you ever will.
So let that be as it may, one can only pity those who understand cricket and even know the importance and magnitude of such a series win, but fall short of duly accepting or acknowledging it. Such achievements, are anyway not dependent on anyone's certificate or the lack of it.
Sample this: the last time we won in Australia two years ago, in 2018-19, there was a lot of talk about Smith and Warner being away from the squad and hence, it was seen as a win that wasn't against their best team - as if we had kept the two out, instead of it being the result of their own shenanigans.
Despite that, 2 years later, when we toured again, we already landed with a depleted squad.
Ishant was ruled out of the entire tour right from the IPL. Rohit did not reach Australia till the second Test and so he could play only two (half of the) Test matches and Virat had to return back on paternity leave right after the first Test.
It was pretty much an India A team that we had fielded. Even with that team, people began getting injured, hit and replaced. Hanuma Vihari, Ravindra Jadeja, KL Rahul, R Ashwin, Navdeep Saini (soon into the fourth Test).
If this is not backs to the wall stuff, what else is?
From losing the first test after getting dismissed for 36 on Dec 19 to becoming 2-1 winners in the same series exactly a month later on Jan 19 with pretty much an India A squad (or even lesser), it could not have got better than this. Fairy tales might look more realistic in comparison.
And yet, we did it!
We did what no team has done. With not just two players out, but almost the entire first-choice team being out injured or unavailable. We did it despite a historic loss and humiliation. We did it, despite every kind of targeted, hostile bowling and equally targeted, equally hostile behavior by the haughty Aussie team.
We marched on and achieved the unthinkable. To beat the Aussies in their own. Correction: We beat the full-strength Aussie team with our second-string Indian team in their own den. Even at their so-called fortress. Even when we did not have to or need to win the match to win the trophy. We would have won the trophy even.after just drawing the final Test.
But this is why is the new Team India.
This is why champions are made of sterner stuff.
This is why we won, even when we did not have our best personnel.
We won it when Pujara hobbled and winced in pain after taking body blows but did not cower and did not leave until getting out and ensuring we were not going to lose the match.
We won it when Vihari and Ashwin braved every bruise, every hamstring, every back pain, every ounce of their patience and ability to see through the Aussie battery in Sydney.
We won it when Rahane, Gill, Jadeja, Pant, Saini, Sundar, Thakur, Bumrah, Siraj, Rohit and Saini kept punching above their weight ball after ball, game after game.
We would have won it even if all our players were asked to bat on one leg.
We won because everyone in that team had self-belief and a never-say-die attitude. Combined with dignified aggression. All these are qualities which only one team had in the series. And it wasn't Australia.
Thank you Team India, for providing such a spectacle, such joy, such a series. Truly the best win till date and one to savor for the ages!!
It was a privilege to watch this team do the unthinkable and in such grand style, despite such adverse circumstances - beating Australia in Australia two times in a row!! Too good, keep it up!!
Jai Ho!!
