FAIRYTALE DOWN UNDER: HOW AJINKYA RAHANE’S YOUNG BRIGADE PAVED THE WAY FOR A NEW INDIA.
An entire nation of one and a half billion people sat on the edge of their seats as Rishabh Pant smashed India to an iconic victory and helped breach Australia’s fortress- the Gabba, a place where the Aussies had never lost in over thirty years. “Kohli departs the Adelaide Oval, and shortly Australia, as he heads off to spend time with his wife.” were the words of the commentators just about a month earlier, as India crumbled to a miserly 36 all-out in a real ‘blunder down under’. For some, the Adelaide disaster and captain Kohli’s departure was a dark phase, a loss of faith; for others including me, it was a glimmer of hope regarding the fresh, resilient India and an opportunity for Ajinkya Rahane to prove why he was a leader for the future. As coach Ravi Shastri mentioned “Giving up is not in the vocabulary of this Indian team!”
Rahane’s leadership in comparison to mainstay Virat Kohli was like the ice in comparison to the fire; the calm after the storm. The 32-year-old took over at a time when the side was facing all sorts of misfortunes and it seemed like all the dark clouds had descended over Ajinkya and India would face the wrath of the ‘thunder down under’. The absence of King Kohli, the late arrival of Rohit Sharma, the injuries of trusted bowlers Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Shami, and the list just goes on. But as all great captains do, ‘Jinx’ overcame every hurdle and showcased maturity well beyond his experience to exploit India’s next-gen and build an empire out of a rubble. Rahane was confident in his field placements, interactive on the field and fully aware of what to do during DRS situations. He also knew when and where to play the newcomers and gave them the freedom and belief to express themselves. Even with the bat, he led from the front with a brilliant match-winning century in Melbourne and an average of nearly 40 across the series.
The big revelation of the tour was the rise of the new talents of Indian cricket. Aggression, maturity, bravery and defiance define the brand of cricket that India represents and the youth opened a new chapter in the great books of the Indian cricket team. Shubman Gill, who was directly thrown into the deep end and asked to open the batting, made his mark and pretty much sealed his place in the team with his grace and panache. Rishabh Pant, the “baby-sitter”, took charge and smashed the experienced Australian bowlers to all parts. Washington Sundar, the young all-rounder from Tamil Nadu, was accurate with the ball and toyed with the Aussies like he was an experienced campaigner on Australian soil with the bat. Shardul Thakur, my man of the match in the final test match, picked up 7 wickets and played an invaluable knock of 67 to guide India towards retaining the trophy. Natarajan, the fast bowler from South India who was a coolie earlier in his life, ended up becoming the find of the series. Last but not the least, Mohammed Siraj, the son of an auto-driver from Hyderabad, bowled over the hosts’ comments about his race with his sheer pace and proved why everyone called him ‘Miyan magic’. At the helm of it all was the ice-man Ajinkya Rahane, who paraded his troops to perfection. It gave a glimpse of a new India, a new hope. Maybe India will not do away with the Virat Kohli-Ravi Shastri combination, but the captain certainly has equals and contenders for the spot within the side in all formats.
More than anything, the Border-Gavaskar Trophy showcased the real beauty of test cricket. From the ‘scuff-gate’ controversy which was squashed soon enough to the “Can’t wait to get you at the Gabba Ash”, India surely experienced the ‘banter down under’. This tour between two of the most talented cricketing nations of the world was a clear example of why we require five-day test matches. With the oldest format of this sport losing importance by the day, this little month long battle proved why test cricket will always be the greatest form of the game and the ultimate test of brain and brawn. Australia taught us how to leave it all on the field, how to be confident and fiery, and how we must never take anything for granted. As for the Indians, it was a lesson on defiance, on bravery, on how it’s never over until it’s over, and on how there is always light at the end of a tunnel during wretched times. They showed the whole world that they are here to conquer, just like they did in Australia, with the exuberant youth of the nation basking in the glory of success. The bowling is hungry and fierce, and the batting now has a core like the five elements of nature- Shubman Gill being fire (aggressive and full of spark), Cheteshwar Pujara being earth (solid and unbreakable), Virat Kohli being space (intense and extraordinary), Ajinkya Rahane being water (calm and free-flowing), and Rishabh Pant being wind (quick and unstoppable). This is the new India, an India that overcame all adversities to produce a ‘wonder down under’!
