Table of Contents

VVS Laxman shared a clip of the Indian triumph against Australia in their own backyard in 2020/21 on Twitter and picked some memorable performances from the famous Australian tour, which saw India wrap the series 2-1 despite fielding a second-string unit due to injuries for most of its players.

A battered Indian unit, missing most of its top players was locked in a four-match Test series against Australia Down Under. Team India under MS Dhoni achieved several laurels, which included the prestigious ICC trophies – T20 World Cup, ICC World Cup, and ICC Champions Trophy.

India Lost The First Test After Being Dismissed For 36 In The 2nd Innings, But Won Series 2-1 Despite Skipper Virat Kohli’s Absence And Most Players Injured

The baton was then passed to Virat Kohli, who did exceedingly well in that role despite a drought in ICC competitions. Apart from leading the unit to the Numero Uno position in the traditional format of the game, India under the captaincy of Virat Kohli also achieved their maiden Test series glory in Australia in 2018.

Fast forward to three years, both MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli (who opted out from the last 3 Tests for paternity leave) were not available in the ranks, and this time the man in focus was Ajinkya Rahane, who had an improbable task in his hand.

Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane Image Source : GETTY IMAGE

A battered Indian unit, missing most of its top guns was locked in a four-match Test series against Australia on their home soil. The team had already lost the opening encounter in Adelaide, which saw the Aussies’ pace bowling power skittle the Indians for a paltry 36. However, what followed next was a sight to be cherished by all the Indian supporters and although it has been over a year the triumph still resonates strongly among the cricketing folklore.

What made the win more special was that India played the final Test without Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Hanuma Vihari. All the aforementioned players, except Virat Kohli (who took a paternity leave), got injured by the end of the third Test in Sydney. From getting all-out on 36 in the first Test, India bounced back to seal the series 2-1 in their favour.

Ajinkya Rahane set the tone for a dramatic turnaround for the visitors with a match-winning ton in the 2nd Test at Melbourne. He was the guiding light for the youngsters like Shubman Gill, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj and T Natarajan who stepped up in the absence of senior players and gave their best to outclass the Aussies in their own backyard.

Being 1-0 down, losing the services of regular skipper Virat Kohli due to his paternity leave, having lost several key players like Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Hanuma Vihari, Ravichandran Ashwin, KL Rahul, and Ravindra Jadeja due to injuries at various stages of 4 match Test series, a second-string Ajinkya Rahane-led India staged a comeback as they won their second straight Test series on Australian soil. The win at Brisbane was more creditable as they even struggled to field an XI and eventually fielded a team without any frontline bowler.

VVS Laxman Feels An Indian C Bowling Line Up Had Beaten A Full-Strength Australia At The Gabba

The latest member to rejoin the celebrations is former middle-order batter and currently the chief of National Cricket Academy VVS Laxman. The ex-cricketer shared a clip of the Indian triumph on Twitter and picked some memorable performances from the tour, which saw India wrap the series 2-1 despite fielding a second-string unit.

“The partnership between @Hanumavihari and Ashwin in Sydney to draw the test match and the one between Shardul and Washington Sundar at the Gabba, an almost India C bowling line up beating a full-strength Australians that too at the Gabba, definitely #BandonMeinThaDum,” wrote VVS Laxman while sharing the video.

After an eight-wicket humiliation in Adelaide where the team registered a low 36 in the 2nd innings, the team made a strong comeback and went to settle the score in the following encounter in Melbourne. The third Test in Sydney, which saw Ravichandran Ashwin and Hanuman Vihari take strong body blows, ended in a draw, although Rishabh Pant’s ferocious approach took the tourists tantalizingly close to an impossible win.

The fourth and final encounter saw both Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin sit out due to injury, as Washington Sundar made his Test debut. Washington Sundar had then stitched a crucial stand with Shardul Thakur, dragging India from 186/6 to 309/7 in the first innings. Rishabh Pant then played a dream knock of an unbeaten 89 in the fourth innings at Gabba, which helped India win the contest by three wickets and the series 2-1.

Rishabh Pant also played one of the pivotal roles in India’s comeback victory in the 2020/21 series against Australia with back-to-back spectacular knocks in the fourth innings of a Test. His 97 off 118 in Sydney helped India salvage a draw in the third Test while his unbeaten 89 off 138 helped the visitors script a historic Gabba win.