From Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, everybody hailed ‘True Grit’ of young cricketers of India on the soil of Kangaroos. As admiration poured in for the remarkable energy and passion shown by the youngsters of India for their historic win, former cricketers and senior coaches of Chhattisgarh looked very pleased with the attitude and character shown by young guns of India.
Sharing his thoughts, veteran cricketer and CSCS coach Anand Talwar said that team effort was clearly visible under the leadership of stand-in captain Ajinkya Rahane who had been cool and calm in his response to every situation. He has all praises for wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant who played according to the situation and picked his bowlers to score. Positive thinking and extraordinary captaincy was the difference, he opined.
Former Ranji player Jitendra Vegad observed that the future of Indian cricket is bright and it has been proved by these young cricketers during Australia tour. They played positive cricket throughout. Some people eye for a chance to play for India, but these players are made of different materials. They got the chance and grabbed it with both hands. Siraj, Shubman, Pant, Washington, Shardul and Natarajan – all played to their potential as they did not feel any pressure in the match because of ‘cool’ captaincy. Pujara used his experience to guide youngsters while protecting wickets on one end. He also compared Rahane with captain ‘cool’ Dhoni. It is a big victory, he said.
“To be honest, I had doubt about India’s victory like many other cricket lovers across the world. But the way the youngsters played they just turned the table round. Rishabh and Shubman were just outstanding. We can say, the youngsters snatched victory from the jaws’ of Australia,” expressed former Ranji player Kevin Coster.
Veteran cricketer and one of the selectors of Chhattisgarh Ranji team Bhavesh Chandrana described the series victory of India as ‘big’. Despite the absence of almost all the senior players, the rookies showed great deal of determination. Credit must goes to the BCCI for using these players well during India-A team’s abroad tour. All these players have played for India-A, he said. Chandrana also praised the captaincy.
Another former Ranji Trophy Player and BSP Coach Raja Banerjee feels that playing for India-A helped these youngsters perform when they get an opportunity. They showed positive intent, passion for the country and most importantly hunger to prove themselves they can be match winners if given a chance. History of cricket says it is always difficult to chase down anything above 300 in the fourth innings of a Test match and that too on the final day, but Indian cricketers proved it wrong through their positive character. “Almost a second line team of India defeated frontline team of Australia and it is a big thing for all of us. We must celebrate.
