The Story of Indian Superheroes in Sydney

"What story are you going to tell me today, grandpa? We are bored with the VVS Laxman 281 Test or the Perth 2008 win or the 2019 series win. Tell us something new."

"Okay, fine. I will tell you what happened just after the pandemic. On the Australia tour."

"But I already know about Adelaide! 36 all out at Adelaide, then at Melbourne, Rahane's hundred, Bumrah and Ashwin, the new fast bowler called Siraj..."

"No, not that one. Today I will tell you about the Test match after that".

"The one at Sydney? But that was a draw! Who wants to hear about draws?"

"Listen, no? India did not have Ishant or Shami, and now even Umesh was ruled out. And India still bowled out Australia for 338."

"I know what you will tell me now. Only Smith and Labuschagne and that debutant, Pucovski, got runs. But surely even you will admit Australia weren't a great batting line-up!"

"Okay, fine. But then the Indian openers added 70. One of them had never opened away from home. The other was playing his second Test!"

"Big deal, they only got 244 from there! This seems to be a boring story."

"They might have got more but for those injuries. Pant was hit on the elbow. He couldn't keep wickets."

"But that was good, for as you tell me, Saha was the better 'keeper!"

"And Jadeja sustained a fracture in his left thumb, his bowling hand. He was ruled out of cricket for weeks."

"I still don't get where the story is. All I can see is Australia declared around tea on Day 4. India needed to bat four sessions. Scoring 407 was, I think, out of the question. There was no Kohli!

"The Indian openers added 71. I am telling you this was not common once Sehwag and Gambhir left."

"Yes, yes, but only 71. Not 171. And the target was 407. And by stumps they were gone anyway."

"And Rahane, who had scored a hundred last match, went next morning. Second over. 102/3."

"But there were still Pujara, Vihari, Pant, Jadeja, and Ashwin. Five solid players."

"You may call Pujara solid, but they trolled him after that first innings at Sydney."

"But he got a fifty! Nobody got more runs!"

"I know, right?"

"Okay, what happened then?"

"So they sent Pant".

"Pant? Weren't they supposed to be saving the Test match?"

"That's what we thought they would do. But well, they went for the kill."

"They wanted to counterattack with a man with an injured elbow? Why?"

"Because Pant was special. He blocked for a while, scored 7 in 36 balls, then went for it. His fifty came in 64 balls. At lunch he was 73 in 97. India were 206/3. The match had changed course."

"Was Pant fine by now?"

"What? No! He couldn't even hold the water bottle properly at drinks break. They had to help him!"

"What was Pujara doing all this while?"

"What he does best, holding an end up."

"Pant scored 97. India needed 407 in 132 overs and Pant had brought it down to 157 in 53. It was looking gettable."

"So India started playing for a draw?"

"No no, not immediately. Pujara hit Cummins for three consecutive fours. He might have been slow, but he never used to let these opportunities go."

"So India had it under control."

"Yes. Vihari was batting slowly, but if he and Pujara stayed put, India might have done a dash for it towards the end. At one point they needed 136 in 45 overs."

"But...?"

"But Vihari pulled a hamstring. And moments later, Hazlewood bowled Pujara with a peach."

"So that meant just Vihari and Ashwin?"

"Yes."

"But Vihari was injured!"

"Yes."

"But Ashwin was fine?"

"No! Ashwin had pulled a back muscle. His wife wrote that he could not even tie his own shoelaces that morning!"

"Who were left? Let me see... Bumrah, Saini, and Siraj – but none of them could bat! So this was the last wicket?"

"I understand what you mean, but India had another batsman, remember? Jadeja."

"But you said he was injured! A fractured thumb! Surely no person can bat with that! If your thumb injured, it hurts every time a ball hits the bat, such is the impact!"

"Maybe Jadeja was superhuman, then. Maybe they were all superhuman."

"But let me understand this. Three injured men all batted over a hundred balls and a fourth one, ruled out of cricket, waited?"

"In the dugout. Padded up and all."

"And they batted all through? Injured Vihari and injured Ashwin batted through the rest of the day to ensure Jadeja or the tail-enders were not exposed?"

"Yes, that is exactly what happened."

"Wow, I had no idea draws can be this exciting!"

"Well, you need to watch more cricket, then."

"And you watched all this... live?"

"Of course I did."

"You must be very proud of that."

"Of course I am. Now sleep."

"But wait, what about Brisbane? That was next, right?"

"Come on, I can't tell all my stories in one go! Good night, now."

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 11, 2021 05:09 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).