India’s victory in Melbourne has been lauded by the cricket community. The Indian cricket team were on the backfoot after the humiliation they faced in Adelaide. India were bowled out for just 36 runs and many feared the worst for the team as several players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Shami were missing the second Test.
However, India turned the tables as they defeated Australia by 8 wickets to win the second Test. India handed debuts to Shubman Gill and Mohammed Siraj and it worked as the players justified their selection with impressive performances.
Shubman scored 45 and 35 in the two innings while Siraj picked up 5 wickets in the Test. A lot of plaudits have been given to India for their ability to fight back from a tough defeat. Former Pakistan seamer Shoaib Akhtar was also impressed with India’s display in the Melbourne Test and reserved some praise for Siraj.
“Ajinkya Rahane made sure he was going to come out as a brand with the bat and the performances. His captaincy was also smart. His bowling changes, the way he used Bumrah, the way his Siraj,’ Akhtar told Sports Tak.
It was difficult for him after having lost his father. He got the support from his teammates. It shows the faith India has on their players in the dressing room, regardless of the caste, race and creed. It could have been the best moment for his father, but unfortunately he was not able to see that. That goes to show how the dressing room backed the player.”
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Akhtar said that this success is ‘making all the noise’ for a calm and composed Rahane.
“Team India has beaten Australia like how you beat up a person in a sack. Characters are not made in crisis, they are exhibited. Team India has exhibited their talent when they were in deep crisis. This is team India’s character,” Shoaib Akhtar said on his YouTube channel.
“The best part was that they showed heart and courage today. They didn’t have 3 of their star players but it didn’t matter to them. Ajinkya Rahane quietly led the team but his success is making all the noise for him today. They say work hard in silence and let your success make the noise,” he added.
