The last day, of the five-day Sydney test match between India & Australia, was a treat to watch for an Indian fan like me. By the end of the 4th day, it was clear that Australia had a complete grip on the match.
Australia had over 90 overs on the 5th day, to get eight Indian wickets and win the match. India had two good batsmen who were injured – Rishab Pant and Ravindra Jadega. Another batsman – Vihari, hadn’t done very well in the previous two matches and the first inning of this match. The Australian pace attack was very good and they had a world-class spinner in Nathan Lyon.
After losing Rahane first thing in the morning, I felt it was almost impossible for the Indian team to avoid defeat. However, Pant & Pujara, put on a brilliant partnership of 140 runs in 45 overs, before Pant got out just 3 runs shy of a well-deserved century. Pujari got out a few overs later. At that point, India had to face another 42 overs with five wickets in hand. Vihari had pulled a hamstring and was hobbling. Ashwin known for his fantastic bowling but not necessarily for his batting, had come to bat earlier than Jadeja who was injured. The Australian bowlers were on fire – the fast bowlers were peppering Ashwin with bouncers which hit his body a few times. The spinner Lyon, seemed like he could get a wicket out of every ball.
The task ahead seemed almost impossible – however, Vihari & Ashwin managed to block the balls and did not lose their wickets. Vihari seemed to be in a trance – defending every ball. He batted for over160 balls and scored only 23 runs. Ashwin, who apparently had a back ache the previous night and took a few blows to his body, batted resolutely – 39 runs in 129 balls. India managed to draw the test by batting out the entire 5th day and still having five wickets in hand. Though it was a draw, for me, it was as good as a win. This last day of the game demonstrated several things:
- Even in the face of severe adversity, be in a positive mindset as Pant showed
- Mind over body – as Vihari & Ashwin demonstrated
- Take incremental steps and not worry about the end – the batsmen were focused on playing out the next ball and the next over!
- The Indian batsmen – especially Vihari & Ashwin were not at their best, however they showed a lot of “Grit” – a combination of perseverance & passion – described by the psychologist Angela Duckworth, in her book https://angeladuckworth.com/grit-book/
It was a wonderful test match to watch and I am cheering India on, as they face Australia in the final match of the series in Brisbane!!
gopaldevanahalli 