Today India
has achieved a memorable series victory against new-arch rival Australia.
Although India had defeated Australia in last 2 home series 2-0 and 4-0 but
this victory has its own significance. The current India-Australia rivalry
started from 1996 when Australia toured India for 1 off test in Delhi. This was
a test match between two countries after gap of 5 years. Since then India &
Australia has regularly played test series at regular interval under the name
of Border-Gavaskar trophy. India has won the trophy 7 times and Australia 5
times. Once India had retained the trophy when the series in Australia ended in
1-1 draw in 2003-04 being the defending champions. The history of test cricket
between two countries have been very old. Australia was the 1st
country which India toured after independence in 1947-48 and both countries had
played 50 test matches between them before the Border-Gavaskar trophy started
in 1996. Let us
talk about this test series. Both the teams are relatively inexperienced
(compared to previous teams) and let by fierce young Captains. They are the top
2 batsmen in all the three formats as of now. It was expected that India will
have an easy time as India had white washed England, New Zeeland and Bangladesh
in this current home season. And Australia was hammered by Sri Lanka in their
last tour of Indian Sub-continent. But the young Australian team surprised
Indians in Pune. Indians failed to cross even 110 in both the innings. O'Keefe demolished Indian
in both innings. In Bangalore, Australia gave good fight to India but Pujara
and Ashwin helped Indian to a memorable victory. Australia played brilliantly
but was outplayed by Pujara in 3rd test at Ranchi. But the victors managed
a great escape on last day. In last test at Dharamshala, Australia was in
contention till the 3rd day. But their good effort on the tour went
in vain in just 2 sessions and they handed series victory to India. Pujara,
Jadeja & Rahul were the star performer along with Umesh Yadav, Ashwin,
Saha. India’s two main players had average series. Ashwin had an average series
with ball and Virat Kholi had a forgettable series with respect to batting. But
Kholi was outstanding as captain. I think this is his best series win in home. Australian
captain Smith was brilliant with bat and hew was well supported by spinners,
Maxwell, Handscomb, Marsh, Renshaw and Hazelhood. But they faltered at the
decisive movement. But still this was a surprise performance by this current
Australian team. A long home season comes to an end for India.For
Indians, now Australia has become our arch rivals in last two decades. Indian
team had stopped the all-conquering Australian team’s winning streak of 16 test
matches twice in memorable test matches of Kolkata & Perth in 2001 and 2008
respectively. We all know that the stories Kolkata test of 2001 has gone into
legends. And India’s victory in Adelaide in 2003 & in Perth in 2009 are
perhaps the best away victories for India. These matches defined the character
of new Indian team under Ganguly and then Dhoni. Even though Steve Wagh failed
to win the final frontier but his team won the series in Indian in 2004 by 2-1
margin under his successor Ponting. There have been a few white washes also but
despite one sided results no team has surrendered easily. Border-Gavaskar
trophy had its share of controversy also. In 1998, there was many doubtful
decision against Sachin, and then came the famous Monkeygate controversy of 2008.
Even this series had a fair amount of controversy. Earlier Australians were the
master of sledging but now India under Kholi has upped the ante. I hope that in
coming years this rivalry will cross the euphoria of Ashes. I will end my
article quoting the greatest Spinner of all time “I will be going to bed having nightmares of Sachin just running down the
wicket and belting me back over the head for six”.
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