After 71 years, India breach the Australian frontier!

What Indian cricket fans witnessed on 7 January 2019 goes beyond history and records. A series win in Australia in the oldest and toughest format of the game, had proved to be elusive – till yesterday.

India breached and conquered the cricket grounds of Australia, 71 years after Lala Amarnath’s side flew ‘down under’ to take on Donald Bradman’s ‘Invincibles,’ in what was the very first Test series between the two countries. For the record, India lost that series 0-4. The series of 1985-86 (drawn 0-0) and 2003-04 (drawn 1-1) excepted, India lost all the Test series that it played in Australia.

The 12th full tour of Australia was however different. Virat Kohli’s team won the first and third Tests of the four-match series. The defeat in the second Test was a mere aberration. India held the upper hand in the fourth Test, but rain had the final say. The series thus went 2-1 in India’s favour.

India have now recorded series wins in all Test-playing nations barring South Africa, with whom their cricketing ties are relatively new – dating back to 1991.

Be it the fans, the legends, the players or the coach himself, this win prompted a lot of eyes to well up when the Indian team lifted the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Sydney.

India outplayed its opponent in every department of the sport. Cheteshwar Pujara and Jasprit Bumrah led the way with the bat and ball respectively, and every member of the team contributed to the triumph.

Thanks to a positive attitude and adherence to the three Ds – Discipline, Dedication and Determination – this Indian team is poised to scale unprecedented heights.