Great bunch of boys

India players celebrate a Bangladeshi wicket during the Chennai Test recently. Pic/AFP

As a steady drizzle keeps the players, officials and commentators in their hotel rooms, it gives time to reflect over the last few years of Indian cricket and feel proud of what this team have achieved.

Winning the ICC Men's T20 World Cup was an icing on the cake for sure and it's the come-from-behind wins that tells you about the bounceability of the team. One could say that it started under coach Ravi Shastri when the team bounced back after hitting the nadir of being dismissed for 36 in the first Test of the series (2020-21). To come back from that demoralising loss to win the next Test match and save the next with a display of courage and determination that epitomised what the spirit in the team was about and then go on to breach fortress Gabba with a chase of over 300 in the fourth innings brought tears of joy to all those who have worn the India cap with so much pride.

Fighting through the pain

The courage of the team was not just about taking the physical blows as Cheteshwar Pujara did, but also to withstand the excruciating pain of a lower back that Ashwin had and the hamstring muscle tear that Hanuma Vihari had, which meant that they couldn't rotate the strike as they would have liked, but they still encouraged each other and stuck on to achieve a draw at Sydney.

Pujara, taking the hits on his body and never flinching would have gladdened the hearts of Mohinder Amarnath, late Chetan Chauhan and late Aunshuman Gaekwad, three of the gutsiest players I had the privilege of playing with. They never took a backward step, but just looked back at the bowlers as if to ask ‘is that all you have got?' It was stirring stuff and though Ashwin and Vihari could not play in the Gabba Test that followed, they had given their teammates just the adrenaline and mentality that was needed to tell the Aussies ‘now WE are coming at you.' That series paved the cornerstone of the team's belief in its ability to come back after the lowest of lows to climb peaks never conquered before.

The first Test of the series against England at home that followed this epic triumph went England's way. That was just the wake-up call that was needed and the team struck back with a vengeance to win the next three games and with it another series. The same was observed earlier this year too when England again beat India in the first Test and thought that their new attack-at-all- costs approach had thrown the Indians off. It may have surprised the Indians, but under the meticulous coach Rahul Dravid and a skipper Rohit Sharma, who has the wonderful knack of finding something humorous even in a tough situation, the next four Test matches were won inside five days and with such ease that the England management had to rethink their ‘devil may care' approach for future contests.

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In the first Test of the current two-Test match series, the way the two Ravis, Ashwin and Jadeja brought the team back in the game showed this team is never done and can get back even if the referee has reached the count of eight. Both these all-rounders have been magnificent over the years and rescued and then won several games for India. It would have been fitting if they had captained India too even if it was for one game, but for them winning matches for India is the only thing that matters.

Tribute to an achiever

Rohit acknowledged Ashwin's contributions by letting him lead the team out to field in the all-rounder's 100th Test, a hallmark of a skipper confident and relaxed in his own skin and ready to step aside and give the accolades to the achiever.

It has been an absolute delight to follow this team and share in the joy that their performances is giving to Indian cricket fans. To see their comfort level with each other and to see the joy they get in each other's success, tells you what a great bunch of boys this team is.

Indian cricket have got a tight schedule over the next year or so and that's the exciting bit for one can anticipate some thrillers coming our way in that time. Good on you, guys. Go win even more hearts with your wonderful cricket.

Professional Management Group