Unexpected results have struck on the cricket ground once again — this time, with more compelling news that binds cricket lovers in India in a comfortable grip of earning the prestigious trophy. A victory was gained against a far stronger cricket team. Obviously, this remains the Australian team, whose captain Tim Paine must be feeling the pain of loss at the hands of the young lot of the Indian cricket team.
How a fine feat was narrated by none other than coach Ravi Shastri himself! When success touches the team, there is no paucity of the glowing praises. Cricket critics start eulogising beauties of the play. This Brisbane win was described far greater than the year 1976 victory when India chased down a staggering fourth-innings target of 403 set by Clive Lloyd’s West Indies at Port of Spain, Trinidad. That was established as a world record in those bygone days.
The recent win is termed even greater than the epic victory resulted during the Eden Gardens Test against Australia, way back in the year 2001, when India won by a good margin of 171 runs after being pushed to follow on. News report said this is only the third time since Test cricket’s conception 144 years ago that a match has been won by such a great margin.
Australia had surely not failed in Test cricket at Gabba in the last 33 years. Pant took up India’s command towards a memorable win in the last hour of the Test, hitting the winning runs with minutes remaining before the conclusion of the match. At tea break, India’s score stood at 183 for three wickets, thereby calculatedly requiring as many as 146 solid runs to attain a win in the final session of the historic match.
Yet, Pujara stood like a combatant and kept on bearing various blows on his body. He was given an out on account of an LBW on the umpire’s call for 56 runs. A heavy counter-attack from Gill (91) set up a thrilling hour of play on either side of the lunch break before Ajinkya Rahane joined Cheteshwar Pujara. Pant (89*) was enabled to play at the fifth position as this change proved to be a turning point. He helped India like a fighter to go for the ultimate triumph.