India win four-match Test series 2-1 after rain denies Virat Kohli and Co a victory in Sydney; Team India scripts first-ever series triumph on Australian soil
Sunil Gavaskar
Team India's historic win against the mighty Australians was showered with gushing praise by former players with batting great Sunil Gavaskar slamming critics that the triumph came against a weakened team.
India won the four-match series 2-1 after the Sydney Test ended in a rain-forced draw, their first ever Test series triumph on Australian soil. What the weather could not hide was Australia's poor performance with both bat and ball through the four-match series.
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It was attributed to batting mainstays David Warner and Steve Smith's one-year ban on ball tampering charges but Gavaskar rejected the assertion. "It is not India's fault that this Australian team was without David Warner and Steve Smith. Australia could have handed them shorter bans but obviously it was thought that one-year bans would be good for Australian cricket, that they needed to be made an example for anyone who brings the game into disrepute," Gavaskar said during a post-match show on a private TV channel.
"India played the opposition they were presented with and it's a great achievement for them," the former captain. According to Gavaskar what separates Kohli's men from earlier teams are their world-class fitness standards.
"It is not that teams that I was a part of didn't play to win. We also played to win but this team is at a different level in terms of fitness and the captain has shown the way. In our times, we used to do our individual routines," recalled Gavaskar. Meanwhile, former and current players along with administrators hailed the series win on various platforms.
Here's how the cricket fraternity congratulated Team India on their thumping win down under:
Kudos to Team Ind fr recovering lot o lost ground n Sth Afr/Eng-truly remarkable feat-beating Aust fr 1st time n their own backyard-2 guys @cheteshwar1 & @Jaspritbumrah93 personified consistency-all playing X1’s gr8 resolve/determination helped cross the Rubicon..Congrats All!
— Bishan Bedi (@BishanBedi) January 7, 2019
Many congratulations #TeamIndia on this historic series win in Australia. It took a complete Team effort from every member of the side and it gives such an immense sense of satisfaction and joy to see what the boys have done on the field. Let’s cherish this special series win pic.twitter.com/QFj7oJg47i
— VVS Laxman (@VVSLaxman281) January 7, 2019
Proud of you guysðÂÂÂÂÂu00c2u009fÂÂÂÂÂu00c2u0087®ðÂÂÂÂÂu00c2u009fÂÂÂÂÂu00c2u0087³ðÂÂÂÂÂu00c2u009fÂÂÂÂÂu00c2u0087®ðÂÂÂÂÂu00c2u009fÂÂÂÂÂu00c2u0087³ðÂÂÂÂÂu00c2u009fÂÂÂÂÂu00c2u0087®ðÂÂÂÂÂu00c2u009fÂÂÂÂÂu00c2u0087³ðÂÂÂÂÂu00c2u009fÂÂÂÂÂu00c2u0087®ðÂÂÂÂÂu00c2u009fÂÂÂÂÂu00c2u0087³ðÂÂÂÂÂu00c2u009fÂÂÂÂÂu00c2u0087®ðÂÂÂÂÂu00c2u009fÂÂÂÂÂu00c2u0087³..Well done Team India for winning the test series in Australia.. congratulations @cheteshwar1 for winning MOS u been a backbone of indian batting line up.. keep it up ðÂÂÂÂÂu00c2u009fÂÂÂÂÂu00c2u0094¥ðÂÂÂÂÂu00c2u009fÂÂÂÂÂu00c2u008fÂÂÂÂÂu00c2u008f@BCCI bowling wise @Jaspritbumrah93 has been phenomenal..love ur work âÂÂÂÂÂu00c2u0090ï¸ÂÂÂÂÂu00c2u008fðÂÂÂÂÂu00c2u009fÂÂÂÂÂu00c2u0092ª
— Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) January 7, 2019
Congratulations to the Indian cricket team for making history, winning in Australia for the 1st time is a proud achievement for all of India. @cheteshwar1 & the whole Indian bowling attack was just unstoppable this series. Was thrilling to watch @Jaspritbumrah93 bowling ðÂÂÂÂÂu00c2u009fÂÂÂÂÂu00c2u0094¥ https://t.co/mKZHXWbinJ
— Mitchell Johnson (@MitchJohnson398) January 7, 2019
Congratulations team ðÂÂÂÂÂu00c2u009fÂÂÂÂÂu00c2u0087®ðÂÂÂÂÂu00c2u009fÂÂÂÂÂu00c2u0087³ on a very well played Test Match series 2-1 ðÂÂÂÂÂu00c2u009fÂÂÂÂÂu00c2u0091ÂÂÂÂÂu00c2u008fðÂÂÂÂÂu00c2u009fÂÂÂÂÂu00c2u008f»ðÂÂÂÂÂu00c2u009fÂÂÂÂÂu00c2u008fÂÂÂÂÂu00c2u008f
— Michael Clarke (@MClarke23) January 7, 2019
An amazing day for Indian cricket! The resilience and determination of #TeamIndia has made this a series to be cherished. Proud of the boys. #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/qPPXhYnKzM
— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) January 7, 2019
Congratulations #TeamIndia for this memorable win. Every cricket lover in India will be very proud of this one and a special effort by every member in the Team to ensure this result. pic.twitter.com/GLUaQgLt4S
— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) January 7, 2019
Besides the cricketing fraternity even the B-Town industry lauded the Indian cricket team for creating history by winning a Test series on Australian soil for the first time. Here are some tweets from Bollywood celebrities congratulating Team India:
They came. They conquered !!
— Anushka Sharma (@AnushkaSharma) January 7, 2019
History written and created by this bunch !!
Huge congratulations to all players, coaching unit and support staff ; (1/2) pic.twitter.com/lm3vnagjeb
it takes undying perseverance & solid conviction to focus on what’s important and shut out the rest .ðÂÂÂÂÂu00c2u009fÂÂÂÂÂu00c2u0087®ðÂÂÂÂÂu00c2u009fÂÂÂÂÂu00c2u0087³ðÂÂÂÂÂu00c2u009fÂÂÂÂÂu00c2u0099ÂÂÂÂÂu00c2u008f So so happy and proud of you my love @imVkohli âÂÂÂÂÂu00c2u009d¤ (2/2) pic.twitter.com/6O9y8ilYYy
— Anushka Sharma (@AnushkaSharma) January 7, 2019
Historic win in australia . Well done #TeamIndia jaihind
— Varun Dhawan (@Varun_dvn) January 7, 2019
Congratulations to @imVkohli and Team India for finally breaking through the Aussie barrier. First test series win down under. Boooooyaaaahhhhhh!!! ðÂÂÂÂÂu00c2u009fÂÂÂÂÂu00c2u0091ÂÂÂÂÂu00c2u008fðÂÂÂÂÂu00c2u009fÂÂÂÂÂu00c2u008f½ðÂÂÂÂÂu00c2u009fÂÂÂÂÂu00c2u0091ÂÂÂÂÂu00c2u008fðÂÂÂÂÂu00c2u009fÂÂÂÂÂu00c2u008f½ðÂÂÂÂÂu00c2u009fÂÂÂÂÂu00c2u0087®ðÂÂÂÂÂu00c2u009fÂÂÂÂÂu00c2u0087³
— Farhan Akhtar (@FarOutAkhtar) January 7, 2019
World's number one Test team India defended the Border Gavaskar Trophy after clinching the four-Test series 2-1. The hosts Australia were bundled out for 300 on the fourth day of the fourth and final Test, which also forced them to follow-on at home for the first time in 30 years. The fourth Test at Sydney was abandoned due to rain.
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Edited by mid-day online desk with inputs from PTI
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