As the last Test of the Australia tour gets underway today, here’s hoping that Team India will vanquish its demons
Courage and heroism are not restricted to the battlefield; there are times when these prized characteristics spill onto the cricket field too, among other unlikely arenas. Just as the valiant Indian cricket team showed with a great win in the face of adversity in Melbourne, especially coming as it did after the humiliation at Adelaide when India’s vaunted batting line-up was bowled out for a truly embarrassing 36. And though we didn’t register a win in the Sydney Test, India fought tooth and nail, battled pain and a hostile Australian bowling attack to prevent the hosts from moving up in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series that’s currently tied 1-1. “…This one is a tough one to swallow. Our bowlers were superb but…,” Australian skipper Tim Paine said after the match. By the time you read this, the Brisbane Test — the last Test of the series, an ultimate decider that will test the resilience, composure and physical fitness of the players — would have got underway. Australia need a win to regain the trophy but a draw will suffice for India to retain it for another couple of years. So what’s in store for the Indian cricket fan? Of course, time alone will deliver the result but one thing we can be confident of: That the Indian players will leave nothing to chance to win this one and, will not only perform the best their bodies and spirit allow but hopefully go beyond, into the realm of the surreal. The Indian team’s hotel may have turned into a mini hospital but the players, as well as members of the Indian diaspora, are walking with a lot of pride at their team’s showing, especially since the time the atmosphere was soured by racist chants and abuses from a section of the spectators.
The injuries to key players are a clear and present threat. The list of prominent players who are nursing their wounds comprises pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, Ravindra Jadeja and Hanuma Vihari. Till late on Thursday, Team India had delayed naming the playing XI and there was word that the names would be announced only in the morning, just ahead of the beginning of the Test, thus giving the injured players the maximum time to recuperate and allowing them to take the field after assessing their condition. Notably, Ajinkya Rahane has been performing consistently in his new role after skipper Virat Kohli returned to India on paternity leave to be at the side of his wife Anushka Sharma for the delivery of their first child. Rahane was pushed into a leadership position he did not necessarily want but one where he has since been conducting himself brilliantly. Most importantly, all of India’s players have dealt with the emotional deprivation of the ‘bubble’ well, steering clear of breaking it no matter what the temptations. They have battled it all in the ongoing Test series, within themselves and with the world outside: Issues with facilities, racial slurs, losing key players at crucial junctures, injury after injury, issues with bubble life for multiple months et al. Irrespective of the result, therefore, Team India can return with their heads held high. Meanwhile, Australian skipper Tim Paine urged the home fans to refrain from causing “any trouble”. Gabba has been a fortress for the Aussies where they haven’t lost a game since 1987-88.
