Cricket Team India : Maverick Pant, Rock Pujara , Vihari - Ashwin Incredible Blockathon n Clueless Aussies

Aussies Clueless Vs

Maverick Pant, Rock Pujara ,Vihari - Ashwin Incredible Blockathon

Unbelievable turnaround by Team India - Sydney test final day.

It`s still sinking in, what an incredible turnaround in the modern day T20 - IPLised cricket era. On fifth and final day of the Sydney Test. India lost Captain Ajinkya Rahane in very second over of the fifth and final day morning. Indian cricket lovers all over the world became bit tense. As only Pujara and Vihari were left to survive the day to save the match. Pant had a hit on left forearm and was doubtful, Ravi Jadeja had dislocated left had thumb. Then the tail of 3 fast bowlers - Bumrah, Saini and Siraj. But to everybody`s surprise Rishabh Pant walked in at no.5. He had a rough time during wicket keeping, the previous day, so was not much high on the confidence, so thought everybody. At 102/3 - 96 overs more to survive, target still 305 runs away. Pant started with very mature, patient manner with just 5 runs off 33 deliveries. Then suddenly went in top gear, scoring all around park lifting Lyon for effortless sixes, into the stands, over long on and long off fielders on the boundary line - 5 at times. Almost as if the hell broke down on Lyon. Pant jumped into his 40s ,50s. Got 50 off 64 balls. 23 year old maverick continued his dominance and suddenly the whole atmosphere especially in the Indian dressing room, around the stadium changed. Suddenly self belief was back. Also the mood in crores of Indian drawing rooms in front of TV was suddenly upbeat. Not to forget the same about millions following the match live on internet .What a counterattack, by this 23 year old maverick. Paine had to remove Lyon from the attack. Pant continued in his aggressive manner, got hit on body, helmet. Again continued in the same manner. And suddenly the remote possibility of Indian win was on the cards. The ex-Australian cricketers including the ones who had predicted 4-0 whitewash had to eat their words. The target for India kept coming down and down rapidly from 305 to 250 to 200 to 160. In his company rock-solid Cheteshwar Pujara`s batting also flourished. Unfortunately Pant fell just 3 short of his hundred. End of Rishabh Pant Grand Show! But the innings was worth more than gold. More valuable than any 100/150/200 for that matter. 250/4.What a partnership of 148 runs it was. In the process 72 year record tumbled. And the target was brought down to 157, with around 52 overs to go. Second new ball was a matter of concern now as Hanuma Vihari joined him. But Pujara played freely and aggressively. Even his nemesis Cummins was hit for 3 boundaries, in an over. He was condemned for his slow batting especially by Ricky Ponting and co. (Another Aussie mind game?), in the first innings. Now for India, everybody suddenly wanted him just to stay there at the crease and kill the time and overs to save the match. But Hazelwood bowled Pujara on 77 in 9^th over of second new ball. 272/5. In walked Ravichandran Ashwin to join Hanuma Vihari. 135 more runs to win. Now India had to think in terms of honorable draw rather than risking going for win and loosing the plot in process. As this was the last batting pair. Meanwhile had Vihari got in trouble with his right hamstring, was really struggling but continued with strapped up thigh. (And now scan reports show he has a grade 2 hamstring tear, which means he batted for around 3 hours with a intense pain). Ashwin too was having a backache problem. So much so that he was standing even during tea break to withstand the pain. Around 43 overs were remaining for the day. 43.4*6 = 262 deliveries , around 3 hours to play for. Against world`s best quality pace attack of Cummins, Stark and Hazelwood. There was a bit of a double bounce, so it was difficult to negotiate pace attack, the ball was going up and down. Not to forget Lyon - one of the best off spinner today, on the wearing fifth day track. Looking at the recent batting form of Vihari and Ashwin, even the devoted Indian cricket lovers had lost the hope of a draw. But what happened next was beyond anybody`s expectation and imagination. As if to celebrate wall Rahul David’s birthday, the resilient, determined pair just blocked, blocked and blocked. Cummins and company tried everything - from yorkers to bodyline sharp rising bouncers, they gave it all especially, since the start of the last session, post tea. Ashwin suffered blows on his arm, shoulders, chest and abdomen. But `bruised and battered` the defiant duo just hanged on and on and on, ball after ball after ball. In the process, twice played more than 5 maiden overs in a row. Brave as they were lady luck smiled on them in the form of few dropped catches, half chances. Pair broke loose, played few strokes freely only in the last hour. Australia tried their best in the field, cordoning the batsman with 4, 5, 6 close-in fielders around the bat, during last hour. Ultimately gave up the hopes with one over remaining, against Hanuma Vihari and Ravichandran Ashwin`s unbreakable partnership. 334/5 - 131 overs - India successfully negotiated 97 overs on the day with loss of just 3 wickets. This was longest fourth innings in 40 years. (Anybody remembers, knows Sunil Gavaskar`s marathon innings of 221 at Oval in England way back in 1979 on final day? Where India just failed short by 9 runs to win of 438 runs target). Such a courageous effort! No wonder the pair was `numb and blank ` even to celebrate towards the end. What an epic test match. This drawn test would be remembered and talked for years and years, even more than many test wins. Team India lived to fight another day, series decider starting on Friday, 15^th January at Brisbane. SCG test - 5^th, final day heroes - Rishabh Pant - 97 (118), Cheteshwar Pujara 77 (205), Hanuma Vihari - 23*(161) and Ravichandran Ashwin - 39* (128). In the end wounded Indian tigers roared to jog kangaroos away.