Thread on BGT 2020-21 series
India beat Australia : 2-1
"These are the moments we wait & live for [as to] when we will get the opportunity and contribute for the team,"
This was what . @imShard said when he was asked about what was he thinking while coming to bat on day 3

He further added saying "This time also - in my mind and in my heart - I was only thinking that the longer I bat, the smaller their lead will be. Just wanted to spend time on the pitch." -- Philosophical right?
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If you ask a realistic person who hasn't watched..

the Gabba test or the whole 2020-21 series, you give him this scenario in which Shardul thought those things. i.e. Ind were 186/6, 183 runs behind Australia. 2 new batters in the crease - 1 net bowler who debut & other played a game where he was injured after bowling 10 balls.

What will the realistic person respond? -- Ah! good thought kid but be in limits, lol!
You can't really blame the person here right? In our day to day life we think scenarios in our head from saving our school from terrorist attack or to become India's lone fighter in a war..

but how many of us really realize our dreams? How many of us actually accomplish such tasks by understanding the situation? because such moments need experience, knowledge, will power and talent. Now, to think what . @imShard accomplished in the key moment but to do..

it in just his 2nd game? Shardul not only scored 67 off 115 balls but also started his inngs by hitting a six off Australia's best bowler . @patcummins30. topping up with 4 wkts in the 2 inngs. Just the mental strength & determination!! Now spare a thought

for . @Sundarwashi5 with whom . @imShard was able to build a 123 run partnership. ya! The net bowler, we (including me) were skeptical about. The man who had last played FC in 2017 was now supposed to not only replace . @ashwinravi99 but also . @imjadeja. And boy! he did..

Not only did he score 62 in the 1st innings but also dismissed dangerous looking . @stevesmith49 & #Green in the 1st, & . @davidwarner31 in the 2nd when it looked like Aus would take the game away from us. While batting in the 2nd, He hit 2 fours and a six off . @patcummins30..

..that had put final nail in the coffin. & if we also include the 3 wickets of . @Natarajan_91 or of #Siraj? The former was selected for the T20 series, he had to miss the birth of her daughter due to IPL & had to wait to meet his daughter until January, thanks to injuries..

.. shortage of net bowlers, . @Natarajan_91 stayed and became the 1st Indian to debut in all formats in one tour. Interestingly, he took 3 wickets in his debut T20 and Test. Despite being a limited over specialist, Nattu did not give up. He kept bowling discipline line..

..that helped his colleagues to pick wickets at the other end & when his partners didn't, he took the wickets to break key partnership of . @MatthewWade13 & . @marnus3cricket. He also removed #hazlewood when it mattered the most. His performances, dedication was also a tight..

..slap on experts and fans who taught it doesn't matter to the current age players to play for the team since they get heavily paid in IPL. Well, if that was the case, . @Natarajan_91 would have been currently playing with her daughter & #Siraj, yes the guy I'll talk next..

..about would have been with his mother right now, who needed him the most but then whom do you call mad and freak after all? The one's who will leave everything to achieve something they love right? Siraj's parents sacrifice cannot be written in words but his..

..1st fifer in Gabba to become India's highest wicket taker in the series would be most probably God's small token off gift to him and his parents. What he achieved to what he dreamt when he saw his father working hard as a driver & the feeling. For him, bowling in a..

MCG would have meant so much right? Or what he must have been through the national anthem when he missed his dad every bit? & To then bowl his heart out, to come out unscathed & to conquer yourself and then the opposition. His achievements will be spoken across the world..

..for ages... His love for the sport and the nation will be a testimony for Indian team who is often criticized for nationalism. To see 4 1st timers to do what they did would have been enough in normal circumstances for a team fan to be proud off. I mean..

..this is the fight and spirit we wanted to see Indian team to show on away tours right in 2011 when India lost Zaheer on the 1st day of the Eng tour & how we gave up on day 1 itself? Here we lost . @y_umesh in the 2nd inngs of Melbourne when we wanted to force a result,

.. . @navdeepsaini96 the 5th newbie on the 1st day of Gabba where we already where playing bowlers of total experience of 9 matches yet the team never dropped their shoulders. In Melbourne, we still dismissed them for 200. In Gabba, we took 20 wickets, we saw Saini bat out &

..then help his teammate by bowling few overs in the 2nd inngs despite limping. Did I say limping and injury? Ask a fan who watched 2003, 07 tour of Australia, 2011 tour of England and how were we after one of our main bowlers or batter had got injured?

Here we lost our regular capt . @imVkohli to paternal leave, . @MdShami11, . @y_umesh, . @navdeepsaini96, . @imjadeja, . @Hanumavihari, . @Jaspritbumrah93, . @ashwinravi99 (7 off them) to injuries while playing. Add . @klrahul11, @ImIshant to the list, we would have easily..

been raw meat for the Kangaroos & to win it 2-1 from that. Phew!! But then was this series normal? Na. It was like Ind had seen videos of all bad tours before coming to Aus. They went with 5 bowlers in every game despite getting bundled out for 36 in the 1st test.

Also, Our stand-in capt was not mere standing. He scored a well fought 112 in Melbourne when it looked a living hell for the batters, came in the last day of Brisbane - told his other partner to play normal and took the onus to up the ante & give a statement to the Aussies.

Were equally important but more than him there were people who were the most important off the field. Look,36 all out, covid restrictions, injured players one by one. To not only motivate players but to help them come out off niggles and pain. How lucky are we to have..

a man-manager in . @RaviShastriOfc, bowling coach to help debutant feel homely , we had #BharatArun, To help team come out of 36 allout to help them draw 1 and win by batting in the 4th innings , we had #VRathore, To lift the fielding after dropping 6 catches, @coach_rsridhar

was there. Mgmt also backed guys like . @RishabhPant17 & . @RealShubmanGill to bat the way they would love to bat. & fortunately, unlike previous tours where we had just one of Dravid & . @sachin_rt fighting it out, we had . @cheteshwar1 & VC . @ImRo45 fighting it out too!

So much so that @cheteshwar1 played out 1000 balls in the series, he took blows, almost took his fingers out but he fought, he fought the only way he could! . @ImRo45's 50 & 44 are so much more meaningful now, esp with the ease he scored those runs..

A thought for . @Hanumavihari and what he and . @ashwinravi99 did at SCG on day 5! We would be thinking to take a leave if we have small headache, to play 4 hrs with one leg and no back, those innings will be talked with pride in India!!

And to end it how good our next gen big things . @RealShubmanGill who became the 2nd highest run scorer for India was good but how pleasing were his cuts and drives against Aus pacer bowling fireballs at a speed of 140!! and then @RishabhPant17. The Highest Run scorer for Ind.

was dropped from the team last year on same day when team found a better batsmen than him. Sat on bench for close to one and half yr and then to come in the 2nd test and making this series his own.. showed his determination and mental strength. like it did for all...

the players I mentioned above.. Hence this brings me to the point where I said it was not one off. It was sheer effort of players on whole, the mgmt, the family who backed them in tough times. This is the mental strength of every single Indian today. This is INDIA.

And like #Langer puts it. WE ARE FUCKING 1.5 B COUNTRY AND IMAGINE IF WE START WORKING THE WAY EACH OF THESE HAVE WORKED HARD! These kinda win might not come again, but since it has come now -- Hope you guys enjoyed my thread!!! Cheers And JAI HIND!!