The game of glories and stories | The Test | History re-written at Gabba

By / India Tour of Australia / Leave a Comment

It was a win that would stay rent-less in the minds of the Indian Cricket fans. A journey from 36-9 to breaking a 32 year old record will be talked about for a long long time. Gabba was the most feared ground for anyone who played against Australia as they never lost a match at Gabba since 1988. Its been about a week after the win and it is still fresh in our minds. The 4th test was nothing less than “History in motion”. We saw it happening, we witnessed the resistance, we witnessed the fight back, we not only witnessed the Historic win but how the process was in re-writing one. What a blessing it has been to be able to be a part of it in a way!!

Ever player was a story in motion. It was one of the finest wins and just watching them lift the trophy brought tears to the eyes of the Indians fans. Cricket fans from all over the world shared their moments from the game and their feelings after India won not only the match but the series as well. It was once in a lifetime moment for us to witness the amount of will power the team has shown through out the series. They have inspired a lot of young athletes and everyone around the world to fight back and believe in yourself, to not let the outside noise pull you down and be courageous. The winning lap had our hearts pumping fast, teary eyes with a proud smile on our faces. Back in India, everyone was up since 4 am everyday and some were awake all night as we had no idea what was in store for us.

They said walking in with a team of so many debutants and lack of bowling experience would be challenging and might see Australia as the winner for the game. Little did they know about the hunger these people had to change the course of the game and make their presence felt. With not enough experience for the test, India’s bowling unit told us a different story. Every session, India had a new hero standing up for them. It felt like a team of highly experienced players were on the field looking in the eye of the challengers and saying “Game on!!” . One ball at a time, India walked their way to victory. The one we will never ever forget, the one that got us to the edge of the seats, the one that re-wrote the years long history of the Fortress Gabba and the one which told us the stories behind their performance between the 22 yards on the field.

Some of the life lessons that the players gave us from their innings:

Shubman : Playing his first Test series, he was quite calm at the opening position and did not shy away from the challenge the bowlers had for him. His aggressive yet calculated batting approach tell us about measuring the risk and stepping in when needed to take away the best from it. It might look easy to the eyes of the third person but knowing when to step forward and when to take a step back is a process of years of practice and experience. One cannot just walk out with experiences (even if they are just a few of it) if they don’t know how to use it to their best ability in a situation.

Pujara : “The 2nd Wall of Indian Cricket”. He was criticized about his strike rate in this series, his slow approach, and was questioned about his intent while batting because he wasn’t playing big/quick shots. It was all put to rest when he played his game. It was extremely important for him to hold one side and tire the bowlers, the thing he is well known for and his partnership with Rishabh Pant was the point where all had different story to say. His support and intent was not about scoring runs but defining patience and playing his natural game. He scored runs and hit boundaries on the loose balls but he stood like a rock otherwise. He re-defined the phrase “body of steel” when he took several blows on the body but stood strong and dug his feet deeper in the ground after every blow.

Rishabh Pant : The one player who was always on the radar for his fearless approach while batting, his missed catches and his attempt to be better version of himself which meant having to try different tactics on ground and seeing what works the best in his favor. His role was often questioned and compared but he had to stand up for the team in his own way. The gritty 97 and the match winning knock of 89* was a perfect example to everyone about how important it is to believe in your strengths and know your game well. His partnership with Pujara was about playing your natural game. While Pujara held the fort at one end, Pant was all ready to attack from the other. He kept the game in hand and acknowledged the support from the other end. His random burst of laughter and sense of humor was also the point of talking. He was enjoying the game as it was and doing his best to finish the game with a win. His aggressive approach was combined with a calculative one as he took the bowlers one ball at a time, making it difficult for the opposition to get him out. His temperament was questioned at first but appreciated at the end.

Siraj : A youngster who made it big on the debut. Right before the tour started and India had just reached Australia, it was not an expected start for Siraj. Losing a close one who dreamt about your debut and not having a chance to see them for the last time for about 2 months is very hard to process. While processing all of these emotions, making a debut, being mocked and abused by some fans who do not say things in good spirit and having to lead the bowling attack by the end of the series. This youngster took every stone thrown at him by life or people, collected them, and has started making his own palace. Instead of breaking down by the external pressure in the series, he stepped up and set an example for everyone out there. His journey has been an inspiration. From starting as a debutant to leading the bowling attack and claiming maiden fifer. The days in between all of these spoke to us about his journey and his process. He announced himself in the Test format.

Shardul / Sundar and Natarajan : An almost debutant and a debutants in the game. It was a new bowling attack combination. While all three of them were net bowlers for the test series, the injury scare for India brought us to witness some stars in making. Shardul and Sundar built a 100+ runs partnership in the crucial moment of the game in first innings which was nothing less than brilliance. Storm at one end and ice at the other. They announced themselves with their batting and bowling in the match. Natarajan who was having his dream tour by getting a cap in all three formats on the same tour was seemingly more confident and less under pressure which was clearly seen in his bowling spells. All three of them put up their hands in all departments to contribute as much as they can to the team. They had seen the journey from the start and now they were a part of it. Taking blows, leaving good bowls and capitalizing on the bad one. Planning the innings session by session, bowling good spells, not getting affected by one bad spell they bowled and pulling up their socks after a bad over. These guys showed maturity as players and played their best games. They taught us that glory comes to the ones who dream and work towards it. They looked at the opponents in the eye and said they were not here for fun and they had something to give back to the team too.

Each story was celebrated and will be celebrated by the fans of the game!! The glory with a story!!!

Urvi Shah ( Author, Beyond the Matches)

 

Fan Reaction Corner :

“The last five nights have been sleepless for me. All I did was talk and think cricket. Think ahead and try to come up with possible result outcomes for a win or a draw, as per the situation. There were so so so many twists and turns it was quite hard to stick to one possible scenario in my mind, that’s how quick the momentum shifted! All in all, Day 5 saw me pulling an all nighter with constant stomach ache throughout, a racing heart beat and rising body temperature in the last 20 odd overs but the joy, the EXTREME joy  that came after the winning runs is the kind I will never forget in my lifetime”~ Sonali (ICT fan) 

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *