WELL PLAYED TEAM INDIA - 275

             WELL PLAYED TEAM INDIA 

Over the last nearly 60 years , I have been following the Cricket  Matches played by India over the Radio , Transistor Set , Television Set and now on the Mobile Phone. 

Over the years The 5 Day  Test Matches have  slowly begun  to loose its sway over the cricket loving fraternity once the T20 and ODI Formats started being played round the year. IPL Matches because of its fanbase and Monetary Attractions became almost the ultimate in Cricket.  Players from  across the Globe were only too eager to be a part of this extravaganza and rake in the fast moolah. 

The recently concluded 4 TEST - India - Australia Test Series played Down - Under however went on to prove how wrong the above conclusion were .

The First Test played at Adelaide was a D/N Pink Ball Match . The match was over in less than 3 days and India had the dubious distinction of scoring its lowest ever Team Total of 36 Runs . Both , the Visual and Print Media took the entire team to the cleaners and  went on to predict a 4 - 0 Whitewash for India . 

Virat Kohli s return to India on Paternal Duty and KL RAHUL unavailability due to injury during the practice session made the matters only worse . The indefatigable spirit of Team India Spearheaded by Its Captain Rehane who went on to score a century and good all around display ensured an India Win at Melbourne.  The scoreline read 1/1 after the 2 Tests .

The 3 rd Test was at Sydney and this time the injury list also included Shami . Mohammad Siraj and Navadeep Saini found a place in the playing eleven . Hanuma Vihari and Ravichandran  Ashwin had to battle for close to 4 hours to stay put and draw the match which was no less than a victory for the Indian Team . Both Ashwin and Vihari were bruised and battered by the short pitched deliveries of the Australian Fast Bowlers who are reputed to be the best bowling combination on the planet .

What this meant was that Jasprit Bumrah , Ravichandran Ashwin , Hanuma Vihari , Ravindra Jadeja were all rendered Hors de combat for the Final Test at Brisbane .

This again meant that the 5 players fit for combat and ready for doing the bowling duties were Siraj , Saini , Shardul , Washington Sunder and Nadarajan who had a combined experience of just 2 TESTS  between all of them put together .

Pujara , Shubhman , Pant , Shardul , Washinton Sunder , Ajinkya with the bat and all the 5 rookie bowlers combined to script one of the Greatest Test Victories . That this came about with the youngsters barely into the big league against the Best Bowling Combination during tough Covid Time Restrictions has left the Cricket Pundits in a daze . Racial abuse to boot and a constant slanging match by the Australian Players , Press and Media made the 2 - 1 Test Victory a truly memorable one which will stay on in memory for a lifetime . 

WELL DONE TEAM INDIA , YOU MAKE US 

                               PROUD