I must admit i cried yesterday. Cried after seeing india rejoicing in the series victory in Sydney. That was a surreal moment in our history, and in our lives. Remember, growing up in Winters in all of India tours to Australia only to sleep back after seeing India 70/4 or 100-0 before lunch. That was a routine. We were half-hearted in our approach, in our strength, and we sometimes showed up just to compete. A century here, 10 wickets there was like a glimmer of hope to arouse only to be shoved back in that speed of time. We never had the quality to beat Australia in their own backyard, to put it simply. As a fan, it was annoying, disgusting to see the country loose without a fight, without a spine every single time. 2003-04 we came close to winning, i remember getting up on the last day of the Sydney test hoping to feel what i feel now. A series win in the offing. But a certain Steve Waugh batted like he wanted to do everything before its curtains on his cricketing career. He denied India the victory. 2007-08, we became guilty of faulty umpiring, some tough calls, we lost the series. We were not good enough on the next 2 tours, a team was finding its feet with new players coming up the ranks.
Come 2018, a passionate captain, a character to envy for, energy to die for marched his troops and India won the series here. I repeat, India has won the series in Australia. More than the numbers of it, it is emotional. It is something we have dared to dream for 71 years, it is that rivalry which can be compared only to Ashes. This was the dawn of a new cricketing team. Indian team which believed in fast, pace, grit, determination, hunger, desire, and as Ravi Shastri said “even willing to jump a cliff to make the country win”. That was missing. In a team sport, character of the team rubbing off on each individual defines how far you are going to go sometimes. Pujara batted like his family resides in the pitch and he wanted to be with them forever. Bumrah bowled with immaculate strength. Kuldeep Yadav in last test match, showed the art of wrist leg spin still alive. All these special feats, special display of talent was enough to carry the entire team on its shoulders.
I have lived all my life to be able to experience this. Comparing this team to any other indian touring side would be a dis-service to this as well as past tours. They were different. You cannot compare Sachin Tendulkar with Virat Kohli. That’s just not on. Styles different. Era different. As a fan, we need to cherish what’s been served. This feeling, this poignant emotion of invincibility doesn’t come often. This is not just the victory of a cricket team, it is such that nation has won its long standing cricketing battle. It cannot be better than this. Team sport as in any sport is battled in the mind first, and what happens on the field is just a reflection of what your mind is at. That is exactly why, this is special. India conquered its mind first, to win its battle on the field. Upwards and Onwards.
