India regains Border-Gavaskar Trophy ”“ a musical summing-up
By Kersi Meher-Homji
After a roller-coaster ride, India won the Dharamsala Test and the series to put the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in their cabinet.
Oh, so many ups and downs, highs and lows amidst lost wickets and lost tempers.
Australia started off with a convincing 333 run victory in the first Test at Pune before India levelled the series at Bengaluru after winning by 75 runs. Series was level at 1-all. An exciting draw in the Ranchi Test and the series remained level at 1-all.
India had to win the final Test at the picturesque Dharamsala as a draw would mean Australia retaining the Border-Gavaskar Trophy as they were the holders, having won it in Australia in 2014-15.
The Test was a see-saw till at lunch on day-3, Australia 300, India 332. Then Australian wickets started tumbling, thanks to Indian fast bowler Umesh Yadav and spinners Ravi Jadeja and Ravi Ashwin and Australia was shot out for 137.
India reached the winning target of 106 runs and were triumphant by eight wickets, the B-G Trophy in their hands.
Once skipper Smith was dismissed for 17 there was panic and an unexpected collapse on a good batting pitch. As Gaurav Joshi wrote in e-TIDU a few days ago, “Where would Australia be without Steve Smith?”
Now no one can accuse India of preparing pitches only for their spinners. Apart from the first Test in Pune, the pitches gave equal opportunities to fast bowlers and spinners. As big scores were made by both sides, the pitches were not doctored for spinners in the last three Tests.
Smith scored 499 runs at 71.28 (with three splendid centuries), Cheteshwar Pujara 405 at 57.85 (with a double century) and Lokesh Rahul 390 at 65.50.
Despite excellent, exciting and competitive cricket being played by both sides, the journalists harped on on-field exchange of words between rivals.
To nullify this, I have presented a light-hearted summing up of players musically. Call it a cricketing opera! Just imagine the following scenario:
Steve Smith lamenting: “Mera sunder sapna beet gaya” after losing the series.
Ravi Jadeja singing swinging his bat like a sword-fighter: “Jaye to Jadega kahan”, on top of best Test bowler ranking and being adjudged Man of the Dharamsala Test and Man of the Series yesterday.
Chinaman spin bowler Kuldeep Yadav: “Mera naam chin chin choo, chin chin choo, babooji mai chin se aaya, Chinaman jaisa bowling karna shikh ke aaya!”
Cheteshwar Pujara: “Tere mandir ka hun Deepak jal raha” and “Pujara hu, gardish me asmaan ka tara hu, awara hu.”
David Warner telling Ashwin: “Tumne muzko sadaa jalaya” by getting him out most times.
And finally,
Usman Khawaja to the national selectors after not being selected in a single Test in this series: “Aye katib-e-taqdeer mujhe itna bata de, kyun mujh pe khafa hai tu, kya maine keeya hai.”
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