An Even Newer India

HIGH DOWN UNDER: The most remarkable thing about the Indian victory against Australia at Gabba was the fact that it was achieved without a trace of anger

- Santosh Desai

It was a truly remarkable win. It was the kind of victory that strikes awe into the hearts of rivals and makes poets out of prose writers. The kind that every takes every cliche in a sports movie beyond its limits of credulity and still has a surprise or two up its sleeve. One that has many heroes, but no protagonists, at least not in a conventional sense.

If Australia played with the memory of being able to intimidate any team into submission, India played by not remembering. That they had lost almost a full team-load of their top players. That they were fielding a bowling side, which had a combined experience of three test matches. That they were playing at Gabba, the place where international teams come to die. That they were without services of their captain who also happened to be the best batsman in the world. That they had just a few weeks ago lost humiliatingly by posting their lowest total in all their 88 years of test history.

Australia should have won the series easily. But India bounced back by winning the second test and then pulled off a truly gritty draw against all odds in the third. They were meant to lose in Gabba and there would have been little shame in that. But the young team forgot to read the script.

There is nothing sadder than a bully who can’t back up his words. One ends up looking foolish, and more damagingly, pathetic. Australia tried everything in their book, from petty sledging to physical intimidation, leaving no tail-ender unscathed. They injured several batsmen, causing a few to have to drop out of the series and battered a few others. Nothing worked.