Aakash Chopra has picked three defining moments of Indian cricket in 2021. He shared these moments through a video on his YouTube channel.
Team India had an exceptional year in Test cricket, with the loss in the inaugural World Test Championship final to New Zealand being the only low point. Although the Men in Blue also had a decent year in the limited-overs formats, their inability to make the knockout stages of the 2021 T20I World Cup would have hurt them a lot.
Aakash Chopra Picks India’s Loss To Pakistan In The T20I World Cup 2021 As One Of Defining Moments Of 2021
While stating that he would go in reverse order, Aakash Chopra picked India’s crushing loss to Pakistan by 10 wickets in the T20I World Cup 2021 as one of the defining moments of the year. This was India’s first loss to their arch-rivals in 13 matches combined in ODI and T20I World Cups.
He said: “You might say it is slightly bittersweet or what is good in that. Not good or bad but it defines Indian cricket. Remember the World Cup game we lost to Pakistan. India was totally destroyed and Pakistan won by 10 wickets.”
The cricketer-turned-commentator pointed out that the camaraderie between Indian skipper Virat Kohli and the Pakistan duo of skipper Babar Azam and keeper Mohammad Rizwan deserves a lot of praise. The Pakistan opening duo was unbeaten chasing 152 odd runs to win.
Aakash Chopra elaborated: “But after that, if you leave the outside noise aside, the picture that comes to mind is Babar Azam and Rizwan hugging Virat Kohli. That hug told us a lot of things. Kohli and the Indian team would have had a bigger heartbreak than us but what Virat Kohli did was magnanimous.”
Aakash Chopra chose Team India’s 151-run Test win over England at Lord’s as the second-best moment of 2021.
He observed: “My second moment is Lord’s. India played well in the first innings – Rahul scored a century and Rohit played well. There is a collapse on the second morning and Joe Root hits another century, that too 180. You conceded the first-innings lead.”
The former India opener highlighted that the Virat Kohli-led side had staged a tremendous comeback after they seemed down and out on multiple occasions during the Test. England was the favourite to win the match but India’s pace bowling duo of Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah had some other plans. The duo stitched an unbeaten 89-run stand for the ninth wicket and brought India back in the game.
Aakash Chopra explained: “In the second innings, India were 55/3 at one stage and Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara were playing to save their places. They have a big partnership but again you are 209/8 and then the amazing partnership between Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami. After that, England were bowled out for 120 in just 51 overs.”
The win at Lord’s helped Team India take a 1-0 lead in the Pataudi Trophy. Although they lost the next Test at Headingley, they bounced back to take a 2-1 lead at the Oval, with the final Test of the five-match series to be played next year. The match was postponed as one of the Indian staff members tested Covid-19 positive.
Aakash Chopra Reckons India’s Win At Gabba Best Moment Of 2021 For India
Aakash Chopra unsurprisingly chose the historic series-clinching win at the Gabba in Australia as Team India’s best moment of 2021. Australia hadn’t lost a single Test match at this venue since 1988 but their 32-year-long unbeaten streak was brought to an end by a spirited Indian side in January this year. The series was on the line and nobody gave them a chance to create an upset, especially because they were missing several of their first-team players.
He reasoned: “At No.1, it has to be Gabba. Our bowling lineup was Mohammed Siraj, T Natarajan, Shardul Thakur, Navdeep Saini and Washington Sundar – what was the chance of India doing well in that game? Australia scored 369 when they batted first. India conceded the lead and were only able to fight because Washi and Shardul scored 62 and 67.”
The 44-year-old lauded Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Rishabh Pant for their defining roles on the final day of the Test chasing a stiff target of 328 runs to win.
Aakash Chopra elaborated: “Australia scored 294 in the second innings. You lost Rohit Sharma early on the final day but after that the counterattack. Shubman Gill hit from one end, Pujara was standing at the other end and was getting hit all over the body but when he got out it seemed the game will be stuck. But Rishabh Pant went on playing and hit the winning runs in the end. It was absolutely sensational.”
Aakash Chopra concluded by stating that the 113-run win in the recently concluded Centurion Test against South Africa should also be part of Indian cricket’s best moments of 2021.