10 defining moments in India's Historic win against Australia

 Hello Friends,

I am sure all of us are over the moon and beyond post the Indian cricket team's series victory in Australia. I want to take a few minutes to pen down what I think are the critical moments in the just concluded series.

Expert opinion

1. Virat's Paternity Leave - Virat not only planned on taking the break but "broadcast" this very early. This led to the team coming a lot closer and have plans in place. From the outside, it led to the lowering of expectations from the fans and the media. In the hindsight, it's perhaps best that Virat was not around as his constant in your face attitude might not have been well received by the debutants! 

A mishap inspired Rahane

2. THAT Runout - Yes, friends, I am referring to the runout of Virat in Adelaide in the first innings. The runout was very significant as India squandered the advantage on Day1 and folded up. It caused a lot of anguish to Rahane and taught him what not to do! ( if you don't believe, try watching Rahane's reaction of him being run out in the next test trying to help Jadeja score his fifty ) 

Losing the toss - a blessing in disguise

3.Losing the toss in Melbourne - Imagine India batting first on a "greenish" surface in Melbourne fresh from a dismal 36. I am glad that India lost the toss and Australia batted first giving time for the team to  focus on the job on hand. The team was able to assess the pitch better and adjust to the match situation. This also gave time for Rahane to do what he does best i.e. to stay in the background for a longer time. 

Ashwin is ecstatic and why shouldn't he be! 

4. Ashwin "neutralizing" Smith - Ashwin has always been known as a thinking bowler and sometimes a maverick. For this tour, he planned ahead and convinced the team management to employ the leg side trap to Smith and the Australian team. It helped him attack the stumps while cutting the runs and put Smith in a lot of trouble early on. 

How well these 2 played!

5. Partnership between Rahane and Jadeja - The match was in the balance when Jadeja joined Rahane, India was still behind in the first innings. The two players played well and scored a century(the only one of the match) and a half-century when no other player from either side scored them. The partnership between the senior players pushed India to 300 and gave India a huge lead. 

Gill took to test cricket like a duck to water

6. Classy Gill in the run chase - Gill would go on to make 2 half centuries later in the series, but in a tricky run chase, Gill, the debutant inspired confidence. His front foot and back foot stroke play hastened the chase and put him in future star category. He knocked off the runs in the company of Rahane in double quick time whacking the Aussie bowlers. 

Tells you a story, isn't it ?

7. Paine drops Pant (twice) - A very achievable win for Australia on a 5th day Sydney test. Pant walks in and throws his bat at Lyon (twice) and both the times Paine drops him. Pant then goes on to score 97 and makes India believe. If only Pant was caught by Paine when he scored almost nothing, we could not have witnessed the drama and the series win later on.

Too numb to even celebrate!

8. Injuries to Vihari and Ashwin - While it is not a joy for any sportsman to get injured, in this case, it worked well for the team. Vihari and Ashwin had both been injured and looked in total pain throughout their gritty knocks. While the injuries restricted their mobility, they also provided them with the single minded objective of blocking everything. Vihari and Ashwin's blockade will be a story that will not be forgotten by this generation of cricket fans.

The Trio played with NO fear

9. Siraj, Shradul and Sundar - One is a story of inspiration, the other a 7th choice fast bowler in the Indian setup and the last a net bowler . However, all of them turned the crisis the Indian team faced into a huge opportunity to showcase their talent. They showed us that they are second to none in talent and reduced Aussies to a very sub-par first innings total. If this was not enough, Shradul and Sundar broke the back of Aussies by putting on the only 100+ partnership and Siraj taking a maiden 5 wicket haul. 

Pujara - the ultimate team man!

10. Pujara - Body over the line - Cheteshwar Pujara conquered the Aussies in the previous tour. However, in this tour, he had occupied the crease with not enough returns. But in the last test, he fought like a gladiator and took blow after blow and held up one end. By doing so, he gave enough license for the others in the team to go after the win. He will always be remembered for being the one who refused to give up despite the pain with which he played.

One for the ages....Indian cricket's tryst with destiny

Finally, I am thrilled to relive all these moments as I wrote these down and I am sure you are too. Let's enjoy them as these come very rare and hats off to the entire team and the support staff!!!

Truly Random

I was walking today in the morning and I had overheard a conversation that made me think and pen this one. There were folks talking among themselves about a person who had died. The questions were on When, How and What caused it etc. But what was not asked was what set me thinking.

Very true...isn't it ?

The question of "Why"  - it was not asked or discussed. It seemed that most of us are pretty comfortable and / or sure of the fact that there is death and additionally no one can question it. It invoked inside me some thoughts that might sound existential.

Working diametrically opposite to that situation, again most of us won't know the answer to the question of "Why" when a child is born.

Science has to a certain extent helped us understand the "How" in both the death and the birth - but the Why is certainly in the realms ( at least currently ) outside the scope of science.

So, when I am born and when I die, there is an absolute lack of knowledge of why - I thought about understanding what is that makes me ..."Me".

The identity which is me certainly is not my name as I am sure I existed before my parents decided to name me ( in my case a very long name thanking a lot of Gods 😄). In the same way, it is not my physical body as if it was just that, the tiny cell that first sprouts inside a mother's womb does not have the body. It is not my mind as there are folks who exist who are "brain dead" but are still alive. So, what is the real identity of the "I" inside me?

Of course, I am neither a philosopher nor a scientist to get to the depths with the questions I have. So, I will take the simple way out to say that I am who I am because the power above me decided me to be me 😃

True - but do we think this way?

Switching thoughts, when we really don't know a lot about ourselves to begin with, what power do
we have to think that we can control others ? ( not from a law and order situation as that's a completely different ball game ) The constant battle of matching others' expectations or them performing to meet ours is an uphill battle that no one wins. So, why don't we just get out of this race that we will never win?


At the risk of sounding preachy( which isn't the intention going by what you read above ), I think we should stop making any efforts to holding up others to what we think is right. In the spirit of the "Dharma and Karma" principles, "As you sow, so shall you reap"!