What was a matter of shame just a month back becomes a memorable material of most incredible story of comeback in the history of world cricket. Indian team was pulverized by a dizzyingly fiery Aussie pace attack in their second innings at Adelaide, Oval in the very first test. They managed to score 36. One player did not come to bat. Mohammed Shami retired hurt after being hit on the right arm by a rising, stingy cracker of Pat Cummins. Incidentally India’s last lowest score of 42 versus England at Lord’s in 1974 was too without the service of a retiring-hurt player. Australia made a short work of the target of 90 at the expense of two wickets.
Captain Virat Kohli came back home to be beside his wife at the time of delivery after the first test. Ajinkya Rahane took over the reins.
India drew level in the very second test at Melbourne.
In the third at SCG, India fought with Ravichandran Ashwin and a hobbling Hanuma Vihari to hold back the Aussie battery for a substantive part of the day from a possible victory.
“Come to Gabba”— Aussies teased India with an insinuation of a body-line bowling, called in cricket parlance as chin-music.
Chin-Music they did play to depleted Indian side that went to the fourth test without the seasoned regulars. There was no Bumrah, no Shami, no Jadeja, no Umesh, no Bhubaneswar, no Rahul and obviously no Kohli. But that was not music to Aussie ears.
India toyed with Australian attack to devastate them on their home-turf at (in) famous Brisbane pitch where the Aussies remained unbeaten for the last three decades. Thanks to buccaneering Pant and classy Pujara India overhauled the target of 328 on the last day in their second essay.
In a space of a month India corrected the mistakes they had committed earlier.
In a space of a month India dislodged Australia from the first position to the third in world ranking. India herself grabs the first position.
It is a tale of grit, gumption, gallantry against heavy odds.
It is a tale of commitment to the level of rookie pacer Mohammed Siraj who stayed on to take 5 wickets after refusing to come home to join the bereaved family over his father’s death.
It is a tale of revenge against racial abuses and insults that greeted Siraj and Bumrah among some others.
It is a tale of emergence of New India that will not bow down to pressure; and if still pressure is applied, she will hit back hard where it hurts most.
Let her live in peace; otherwise angry youth power will be unleashed; surgically; brutally; phenomenally.
Beware of her.