Former England cricketer Geoffrey Boycott claims that current England Test skipper Joe Root has the potential to surpass Sachin Tendulkar in Test Record.
During the Test series against Sri Lanka, Root went past Boycott, Kevin Pietersen, and Dawid Gower in the all-time England scoring list in Tests. Only Graham Gooch (8900) and Alastair Cook (12,472) have scored more Test runs than Root.
Joe Root can Surpass Sachin Tendulkar in Test Record
At the age of 30, Joe Root has played 99 Test matches and scored 8249 runs at an average of close to 50. While Sachin Tendulkar ended his career with 15,921 runs in 200 Tests.
“Forget just scoring more Test runs for England than David Gower, Kevin Pietersen and myself. Joe Root has the potential to play 200 Tests and score more runs than even Sachin Tendulkar,” Boycott wrote for The Telegraph.
“Root is only 30. He has played 99 Tests and scored 8249 runs already. As long as he does not suffer serious injury there is no reason why he cannot beat Tendulkar’s all-time record of 15,921,” he added.
Boycott oppose Root’s comparison with former England greats
Meanwhile, Boycott said it’s unfair to compare Joe Root with the past greats, saying every player is a product of their environment.
“His contemporaries, such as Virat Kohli, Steve Smith and Kane Williamson, are wonderful players as well who could also score that many runs. We should enjoy Root and only judge him alongside those guys, not great names of the past because every player is a product of their environment,” Boycott added.
Joe Root
Meanwhile, Boycott said Root would have reassessed his game during the Covid-19 lockdown and it would have helped him renew his hunger for big runs, adding it was not until this series the England captain was making influential scores in the longest format of the game.
“Until this tour Joe had not been making the big scores that influence matches. Perhaps the COVID-19 lockdowns allowed him time to take stock of his batting. For too long he appeared to be influenced by Twenty20 cricket. He was trying to force his way back into England’s T20 side, but that frenetic type of batting is not for him,” Boycott said.
BCCI Announced the Schedule for the England tour of India 2021 to play 4 Test matches, 5 T20I, and 3 ODI matches. The four-Test series will be played first. The tour begins with the first Test from February 5 in Chennai and culminate on March 28 in Pune where the third ODI will be played.
Venues
Chennai will host the first two Test matches and expected to play behind the door. While the third (D/N) and fourth Tests will be held in Ahmedabad.
Ahmedabad will remain the host for all five T20Is. The teams will then move to Pune to play the ODI series.
The venues have been fixed to three to set up and maintain biosecure bubbles. The newly built stadium in Motera, Ahmedabad will host 7 of the 12 international fixtures.
England announced the squad for the first two matches where Joe Root leads the team that faces India.
Joe Root (C), Jos Buttler (WK), Zak Crawley, Ben Foakes (WK), Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Ben Stokes, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes, Jofra Archer, Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Dom Bess, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns.
India and England squads for the 3rd and 4th Tests: TBA
India and England squads for the T20I and ODI series: TBA
India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has given Cheteshwar Pujara a unique challenge for the upcoming Test series against England.
Indian spin bowler R Ashwin promises to shave his half mustache if Pujara scores extraordinary against England spinners. Team India is set to face England in a 4 test match series begin from February 2021.
Ashwin sledges his own teammate Pujara
It started with Ashwin asking the batting coach, “Will we ever see Pujara hit an off-spinner over the top?”
“Work-in-progress. I’m trying to convince him that at least once go over the top. He is still not convinced, He is giving me great reasons,” Rathour replied.
“If he goes over the top against Moeen Ali or any other spinner stepping down the wicket in this English series that we gonna play, I will take half my mustache out and come to play the game. This is an open challenge,” Ashwin said jokingly.
“That’s a great challenge to put across. Let’s hope that he takes it up. I don’t think he will take it up,” Rathour said.
Pujara
Pujara was recently seen in action in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia. The batsman’s grit and determination was there for everyone to see in the final Test as he stood tall even after receiving numerous body blows.
Often criticised for his defensive approach, Pujara batted like a warrior in the fourth Test against Australia. He took blows to the body, fingers, and head, but did not flinch. He stood tall, defying the Australia bowlers who looked for one opportunity to break into the Indian lower-order.
“Because for some reason you really sledge him. I don’t know why. What the deal there? You really go after him all the time. And him being one of my favourite players in the team. I love his attitude. The way he bats, the way he prepares actually he is a coach’s dream actually. So, I have to defend him against you. I think no praise is enough for the way he batted in the last Test match. The way he responded to all those short balls and all injuries that he had,” Rathour said.
Ashwin explains the reason for sledging Pujara
Ashwin explained why he sledges Pujara in the team, he said, “Because what happens is, every time an opponent like Nathan Lyon is bowling, Pujji makes it so heart throbbing for me.
Every time the ball goes up in the air, I am like ‘You know what? Nobody plays like this man. You are making him look like unplayable.’ And eventually, everybody will think that I’m not able to make the other batsmen bat like this.”
“He does not. I mean, he handles him really, really well. And the numbers show that. he is averaging 50 plus against him. So, he has done well against him and that’s his way of playing. He has a very set method. He is a stubborn character and that is his strength as well,” Rathour said.
Watch the full conversation between Ashwin and Rathour
Both Ashwin and Pujara will now be seen in action in the four-match Test series against England. The first Test is set to begin in Chennai on February 5.
RCB released 10 players, the most out of the eight teams. KXIP decided to end the contract for nine players. SRH had decided to retain a majority of its previous season’s squad, letting on five players go for auctions.
Some big names would be up for grabs at the auction that will take place in Chennai on February 18 after the second Test against England.
Players like Jason Roy and Steve Smith would be up for auctions along with stars like Glenn Maxwell and Tom Banton. While some players would in all probability fetch big, some will go unsold. That is the nature of the sport.
Franchises slots and Purse Value for IPL 2021
Franchise
No of Players
No of Overseas Players
Total money spent (Rs.)
Salary cap available (Rs.)
Available Slots
Overseas Slots
CSK
18
7
62.1
22.9
7
1
DC
19
6
72.0982
12.9018
6
2
KXIP
16
3
31.8
53.2
9
5
KKR
17
6
74.25
10.75
8
2
MI
18
4
69.65
15.35
7
4
RR
17
5
50.15
34.85
8
3
RCB
12
4
49.1
35.9
13
4
SRH
22
7
74.25
10.75
3
1
Total
139
42
483.39
196.6
61
22
Players Available for IPL 2021 Auction
Kedar Jadhav, Murali Vijay, Piyush Chawla, Monu Singh, Alex Carey, Keemo Paul, Tushar Deshpande, Sandeep Lamichhane, Mohit Sharma, Jason Roy, Glenn Maxwell, Sheldon Cottrell, Mujeeb Zadran, Hardus Viljoen, James Neesham, Krishnappa Gowtham, Karun Nair, Jagadeesha Suchith, Tejinder Singh Dhillon, Chris Green, Harry Gurney, M Siddharth, Nikhil Naik, Siddhesh Lad, Tom Banton, Prince Balwant Rai, Digvijay Deshmukh, Nathan Coulter-Nile, James Pattinson, Sherfane Rutherford, Mitchell McCleneghan, Steve Smith, Akash Singh, Anirudha Joshi, Ankit Rajpoot, Oshane Thomas, Shashank Singh, Tom Curran, Varun Aaron, Chris Morris, Shivam Dube, Aaron Finch, Umesh Yadav, Moeen Ali, Parthiv Patel, Pawan Negi, Isuru Udana, Gurkeerat Mann, Billy Stanlake, Sandeep Bavanaka, Fabian Allen, Sanjay Yadav, Prithviraj Yarra.
The venue and dates for the tournament are not known as yet. BCCI has confirmed that it will try its best to make the tournament take place in India. IPL 13 took place in UAE after the pandemic did not allow the lucrative tournament to take place in India.
Former India cricketer Gautam Gambhir feels that CSK made the right move by retaining the core players for IPL 2021.
Gambhir Explains CSK’s IPL 2021 Auction Strategy
The former Kolkata Knight Riders skipper added that this is the specialty of MS Dhoni, adding he looks to assess the situation per season and doesn’t get ambitious by pondering way too much about the future.
“I feel it is the right strategy. Overall revamp does not mean that you change the entire team. And if you see CSK’s season, it was not that bad a season. Just because there are a lot of expectations from CSK, they had qualified for the playoffs every time, probably because of that we were asking if they need an overall revamp,” Gambhir said on Star Sports’ Cricket Connected chat show.
CSK Current Squad for IPL 2021
“This is MS Dhoni’s speciality. I have always said that MS Dhoni does not think too far ahead. He only thinks about building the team for a particular season and that is the difference between CSK and RCB. People are saying that CSK had a very bad season and need an overall revamp but despite that, they have left only five players. On the other hand, RCB have left ten players even after qualifying for the playoffs,” he added.
“CSK’s success story in the IPL is a balanced mind which knows how important it is to give security to the players, not only to those players who are in your playing XI but also all the players who are sitting in the dressing room,” he further said.
Gambhir especially praises Dhoni and CSK for this move ahead of IPL 2021 and explains the reasons for the released players.
“Piyush Chawla, probably for the price tag and they have a replacement for him in Karn Sharma and Imran Tahir. Kedar Jadhav because of the number at which he bats and the price tag, that could be the reason, if he had a price of 3 or 4 crores, I feel MS Dhoni would have given him another season. They have left him only because of the price tag, which I think is a very very sensible thing CSK has done,” Gambhir signed off.
CSK under Dhoni’s leadership have won three IPL titles. However, the team endured a rough patch in UAE last year and failed to advance to the playoffs stage for the first time in the history of the tournament.
After Rahane shows a kind gesture towards Australian cricketer Nathan Lyon fans dig one of the incidents that happened back in 2006. Fans start to compare both the incident and praises Indian’s for their kind gesture even after making a record-breaking match.
Rahane Hands over a Signed Jersey to Nathan Lyon
At the post-match presentation, following India’s historic victory at the Gabba, Ajinkya Rahane handed over a signed jersey to Nathan Lyon before lifting the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Nathan Lyon, who was playing in his 100th Test, was presented the jersey signed by Indian players as a gesture of respect for the off-spinner.
India defeated Australia by three wickets to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, while also ending the hosts’ 32-year unbeaten streak at The Gabba.
Ajinkya Rahane gave India’s signed jersey to Nathan Lyon and congratulated him for his 100th Test. Top gesture by team India. pic.twitter.com/UfcZwgOg6k
Australian cricketers pushed Sharad Pawar off the dais
After lifting the Champions Trophy 2006 the Australia team pushed the then BCCI President Sharad Pawar off the dais. The incident took place when Australia beat West Indies to lift the maiden Champions trophy title.
Ponting first pointed with his forefinger to Pawar to give away the trophy quickly. Once that was done, he stepped back to join his teammates while batsman Damien Martyn pushed Pawar off the dias. It was the first time ever that Australia had won the trophy.
Watch the moment when Australian cricketers pushed Sharad Pawar off the dais
Pawar dismissed any ill feelings he had at the time for the Australians. In an interview to a newspaper a few days later, Pawar said that it was “a small thing, a stupid thing.”
Ponting Apologise
Ponting told Pawar that if his feelings had been hurt, “I and the team would like to apologise.” Responding to Ponting’s unambiguous words, Pawar said that he had never intended to make an issue of the incident, which was why no official complaint had been sent to Cricket Australia.
In a select media Interview, Ravichandran Ashwin answers a bundle of interesting questions based on the historic Australia Test series win. R Ashwin plays a key role in the 3rd Test match which draws in a dramatic way.
He excelled with the ball, picking up 12 wickets and continuously troubled Steve Smith, and restrict him from scoring massive runs.
Ashwin’s Select Media Interview Excerpts
How are you shaping up after the injury?
It was looking good for the fourth Test, it looked like I would play. But there was an unfortunate turn of events. Even pool access was cut. The pool is an important activity in the recovery process.
The physio also felt if the recovery process was in place, there was a good chance to play. It was a freakish injury. After that 1-1 draw, things took a U-turn. The way things happened in Sydney and Brisbane, we had to quarantine.
Sometimes it was questionable. There was insensitivity around people commenting on why we were complaining. The rules were not such. It looked like off the beat. Being the tour it was, we buckled down and put on a good show.
What changed after the first Test? You were more involved and in the ear of the bowlers…
There was no considerable change. It could just be the requirement of the particular day. We had quite a bit of inexperience in the attack. (Mohammed) Siraj was making his debut.
We were 36 all out and we presented ourselves with a wonderful opportunity to turn things around. It is just a natural energy one brings out on the field. There is no larger role I am assuming for myself.
In recent times, your batting has come under criticism. How important was the Sydney knock?
There have been questions raised over my batting since the West Indies tour. But one more thing that needs to go into consideration is I was playing all formats of the game and sometimes roles of people just playing Test cricket alone changes.
I feel when I’ve just been playing Test cricket, it’s pretty much one game here or there and I’m constantly fighting with someone else for the lone spinner slot. And if I have to be judged purely on my batting skills and batting averages then I think an innings or two alone to drop me out of a particular series, I felt wasn’t quite justified.
Is this the best that you have bowled in Australia?
Looking back you can say that but I personally think that this is just another dimension of cricket that I’m seeing myself in. I’ve always maintained that you cannot really say this is the best or anything, you never know something else could lie in front of you.
Tim Paine and Ashwin
It didn’t look like I was going to start the series, in all honesty. Because Jaddu (Ravindra Jadeja) damaged his hamstring and that is why I got my opportunity in the first Test. For me, things fell in place and I also have been feeling over the last two years I have been bowling well, how it’s come out of the hand.
Did the Aussies underestimate India’s bench strength?
I am not too sure. They got bowled out for 190 in Adelaide. With another hundred runs on the board, even that pink ball Test could have gone either way. I personally think they knew our bowling was going to challenge them all through the series.
I think it is just that the team found ways to bounce back from 36 all out. It’s not quite the bench strength alone that dictated the way the series went. I think every time there was a challenge, somebody in the team raised their bar.
One piece of good fortune, there were new people and fresh legs especially in the bowling department walking in. Sometimes when you’re playing a long series, fresh legs and minds can do the trick.
After the Vizag Test (against SA in 2019) you said, ‘it felt like a debut’. You said the same thing during the Adelaide Test. Despite being at the international stage for more than a decade, do you still feel that you have to prove yourself in every game? Is it justified?
I don’t know if it’s justified. Everybody walks their journey and it’s mine. I have had some wonderful interactions with batting coach Vikram Rathour (a former selector) throughout this series.
He was telling me that they were looking to leave me out after the England series in 2011-12. I asked him ‘was it real?’ because I heard noises about it. He said ‘yes and we didn’t quite think that you were bowling well’.
But I made close to 400 runs in that series and picked up 14-15 wickets. ‘Is that justified for a youngster to be spoken on the same lines’, I asked him. It’s a battle that I always fought. It’s not new territory for me.
My belief is that there will always be someone who will be competing with you. That’s life. I accepted this at a young age.
For me, the competitions have got the best out of me. I have no complaints. I feel whatever I have left ahead of me will also be on the same lines. So I have decided to play every Test like my first. If I can’t be excellent, I should just hang my head down and move on. That’s the way I played my cricket, it won’t be any different in the future.
Duels with Steve Smith… best you ever had in your career?
There has been a lot of noise about how I am bowling and pitting me against someone like Nathan Lyon. During the previous tour in Adelaide, I picked up six wickets and kept on bowling despite a tear in the abdomen.
After the match, there was a comparison between us with suggestions of how well Lyon bowled. I felt it was extremely insensitive towards a good performance. That was the lowest I ever felt in my life after Southampton (2018).
I feel I have been constantly put under the microscope. I did take it upon myself personally. So rather than me competing against Lyon, I thought I must be competing against Smith.
Lyon is a lovely bowler and I have respect for him. But my focus was on something else. There were records that Smith had never got out to spinners in Australia. I wanted to turn that around.
I am entitled to think and probably the best in the world and I wanted to think on those lines. I thought ‘who is the best in the series?’ I can’t compete with Virat Kohli so I decided to compete against Smith.
A lot of people were talking about who will dismiss Smith. But, nobody even gave me a chance. Then, I made sure that people spoke about me at the end of the series.
Lots of pacers coming up. In the spin department, we have you, Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav. After that, there aren’t many knocking on the doors of the Indian team. How do you see that?
Everything is a perception. Ten years ago, people were saying the same about our fast bowling department. 15 years ago, we were talking the same about our batting department.
Once the greats go, what will we do for our next batting reserves? With all due respect to all the legends of the game and the great ones who are still playing in various formats, this will not be the be-all and end-all.
We are a country of 1.4 billion people and when so many people are mad… there will be players who will emerge. I feel a lot of wickets and the way spinners are being dealt with in first-class cricket is not giving the sort of comfort to spinners.
When I came through the first-class ranks, my first captain was S Badrinath and coach was (WV) Raman. The learning I had under them is not the same for spinners coming right now.
I was having a chat with Wasim Jaffer and Amol Muzumdar and that’s one of the reasons. Another thing is the amount of grass and the number of wickets the seamers take… games that finish in the first two days with seamers taking a lot of wickets to throw spinners off guard.
Spinners are someone who emerge because they do a lot of repetition and get a lot of games in FC cricket. If you are taking that away from the spinners and look at them as a T20 commodity, that’s where you will finish them.
I feel there are talents but the way they are dealt with in first-class cricket is not the same as the privilege I had of being mentored by my captain and coach.
Is there a tinge of disappointment about not being made the vice-captain?
I may have been talking about it in a deeper extent in the past if you had asked me this (question) whether it matters or are you a touch disappointed. Honestly speaking, I am not disappointed and it is irrelevant to me.
I go out there and make my own plans and get fields that I want. The captains and vice-captains that I have played with have been very supportive of whatever I have wanted. Leadership is just leading yourself and keeping your space upbeat for any situation that arises.
If you can help another teammate that’s also leadership so it really doesn’t matter because I am lucky to have shared the dressing room with some wonderful players in the past and again sharing the dressing room with some great players like Virat Kohli, Rahane, Pujara.
These are not small names and once I hang up my boots I will realise the significance of sharing the dressing room with such people even more. But I think I’m truly blessed to be playing alongside these guys and sometimes I do think that it can be a tough call on who you want to go as a vice-captain but it is extremely irrelevant to me.
You have been led by Kohli and Rahane. Talk to us about the differences in their style of leadership.
Rahane has led India in about five Tests and Virat Kohli much more and that’s the first difference. I am totally blown away by the kind of comparisons people like to make when it comes to captaincy.
All along it was about MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli and their styles of leadership. People just want to pick on it and just talk about it because it makes the headlines.
Personally, I feel that as a captain your achievements can only be as good as the team that you get. I feel this Indian team has had some wonderful results in the past because of quality players and human beings in the dressing room.
Virat and Rahane have been captain and vice-captain for as long as I can remember now. They lend great balance to the team. As soon as Virat left, it was just an extension and nobody had to tell Jinks how things had to be operated and it was an automatic transition that happened.
For me, it was an extension of what’s been happening in the last 5 years. We have played under Jinks in the Dharamshala Test (Against Oz in 2017) and then the Test against Afghanistan and we know what to expect. When the players know what to expect, things get a lot easier.
I wouldn’t say there is a distinct difference in their style of captaincy. It’s just the people they are. Virat is more expressive, communicative and in your face while Jinks doesn’t do these three things. But the way they captain the side is pretty much similar.
You had mentioned about bowling with a plan to restrict as well as take wickets. So did you buy into that restrictive, leg stump line?
I was given ample freedom to implement whatever plans I had. Nobody came up to me and said what I should be doing or where should I bowl. The homework was completely done by me.
Before each Test, I sat and watched videos for eight hours on the bounce. I made my own plans about where the fielders should be. For example, how Tim Paine got out in Melbourne came from what happened in Adelaide about where the short-leg fielder should be and where the ball might go.
So these are orchestrated plans and the freedom the team management gave me on how I should be working it. Bowling middle or leg stump line or off-stump line is, in my personal view, is not defensive nor attacking. It is just that who you are bowling to is of ample relevance.
If you look at a lot of experts and commentators speaking about off-spin bowling and bowling outside off-stump — the glory they keep talking about — is the most overrated thing in world cricket at this point of time.
Bowling that line especially for someone who has not bowled with a left-arm seamer in my career is the most insignificant thing one can do.
If Moeen Ali or Nathan Lyon is bowling outside off-stump to a glorious plan and Shane Warne is talking beautifully about it in the commentary box, it doesn’t mean I have to do the same thing and wickets will fall. Because he is bowling to Indian batsmen and I’m bowling against English and Aussie batters.
And when I look back at the Southampton Test, where I stand now, the wide off-stump line that Ali bowled, I feel a little disappointed about myself. I should have skinned the cat, the way I skin the cat rather than falling for the trap and monotonously bowling into the rough.
Because it is just not me. As far as I’m concerned, I bowl at other team batsmen not at Indian batters. If I have to bowl at Indian batsman then I may try what Ali or Lyon does.
And sometimes the comparison between Ali and Lyon and myself, I have taken way too personally and it has hurt me and it will remain a hurt as long as I live.
On England series…. and are you looking at the 400-wicket milestone?
Honestly speaking, no! Had you asked me some time ago, I would have said yes. But not now. Once I crossed 200 wickets, I stopped looking at milestones. It just happened over a course of time.
I think the England series is going to be good. They are coming with an amazing preparation in Sri Lanka where the wicket has spun over the last two Tests. Joe Root has been batting beautifully. When we beat them 4-0 last time, they played amazingly but the results did not go in their favour.
We were just too good on a lot of occasions. England are one of the teams who come well-prepared for a Test series. They have got good spinners and good quicks who can reverse the ball. They have got good batting order. What else can you ask for? A hard-fought Test series is surely on the cards.
We have never played two back-to-back Tests at a venue in India. That also gives the touring team an ample time to get used to the conditions. These are new territory that even our team would be looking forward to adapting to.
How important is Natarajan’s success story for Tamil Nadu cricket?
It’s an extremely important story. A lot of people drive through Natarajan‘s journey for different reasons. But I look at it in a very pragmatic way rather than looking at different sorts of reasons that have emerged in the last six months.
It’s an extraordinary journey for a simple reason. I have seen a lot of cricketers emerge from districts and perform well in the junior category, but more often than not those who come from humble backgrounds tend to choose a Railway job or an ICF job over pursuing their professional career.
Natarajan is a stark contrast in that regard. He could have settled down well by taking a Railway or a government job, but Natarajan decided to stay with Chemplast and prolong his professional career. He did well in TNPL and then fetched an IPL contract.
I think it’s only justified given the risk he has taken. You must take the risk in order to be rewarded. He fully deserves all the accolades.
Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja explains the dressing room talk after suffering a crushing defeat in the first Test in Adelaide.
India’s defeat in the first Test against Australia in Adelaide was a hard pill to swallow for the team and also for the fans. Despite being ahead for most of the Test, the Indian batting order bowed down to the Australian pace attack on Day 3, getting bowled out for just 36 (with Mohammed Shami getting injured).
The score was the lowest for India in Test history giving Australia a target of 90 runs, which was chased by the Tea. Team India was under immense after the mammoth collapse and it was the only Test when Virat Kohli led the team as he was set to return home for paternal leave.
However, Team India defied all odds and fought their way back and went to defeat Australia 2-1 after a historic win at the Gabba.
Jadeja Recalls the dressing room Talk after Adelaide loss
While speaking to Sports Today, Ravindra Jadeja revealed the conversation that took place inside the dressing room after the Adelaide loss.
“I think after Adelaide’s loss, it was a bit tough. You know bounce back from there. Especially in Australia, playing against Australia. It was tough as Australia’s bowling attack was very strong. That was the discussion we had in the team meeting,” Jadeja said.
“We decided to look at it as a 3-match series from thereon. ‘Let’s forget about the first Test, it’s a three-game series for us’. We decided that we will create positive energy in the ground and boost each other’s confidence by talking, not think or talk about Adelaide Test,” Jadeja added.
“I personally decided that I will practice batting in Australia. I had a positive mindset that whenever I will get the chance I will contribute to the team’s cause,” he further said.
Rahane, while speaking to Sports Today, revealed why he turned down the on-field umpires’ offer to leave the field midway after Mohammed Siraj was subjected to racial abuse by the crowd in Sydney.
“What happened in Sydney was really sad. With Siraj and a couple of others. We had to take a stand. Yes, I said that we are not going out of the field, we are here to play cricket,” Ajinkya Rahane told Boria Majumdar in an exclusive interview with Sports Today.
“At the same time, we respect our players so if you can actually take those guys out who used bad language. We are here and we can start the game. We didn’t want to lose that momentum. At the same time, we respect our players and I am always there for my players,” Rahane added.
Following the repeated misbehavior by the SCG crowd on Day 3 and Day 4, Cricket Australia had issued a strong statement against discrimination and hold that there’s no place in cricket for racism.
Siraj was the main target of the spectators in the racism incident, who later went onto being India’s leading wicket-taker in the series (13 scalps). It was his debut series and he exceeded expectations with his temperament and overall skills.
Even the likes of Washington Sundar, Shubman Gill, T Natarajan, Shardul Thakur made a mark in India’s memorable fightback and series triumph.
Rahane-led India won the second Test at the MCG, Melbourne, showed grit, determination, and incredible resilience to earn an inspiring draw in the third Test, at the SCG. Defeated Australia at their fortress, Gabba, Brisbane, to claim the series 2-1.
Rahane Handing Over The Test Trophy To Debutant T Natarajan
Indian pace bowler T Natarajan opens his view on making the debut in Australia and recalls the interesting incidents that happen on the tour.
Natarajan on his Australia tour
“I was keen to do my job. But I didn’t expect to get an opportunity in the ODIs, was not expecting to make my debut in Australia,” Natarajan told reporters in Chinnappampatti in Salem district.
“When I was told that I will be playing there was pressure. I wanted to make use of the opportunity. Playing and taking a wicket was like a dream.”
T Natarajan
Natarajan took three wickets in the series-deciding Test, playing a part in India’s incredible win. “I cannot express my happiness in words about playing for India. It was like a dream. I got a lot of support from the coaches, players. They supported and motivated me a lot. I was able to perform well because of their backing,” he said in Tamil.
Nattu on playing under Dual captains
Natarajan said he enjoyed playing under the captaincy of both Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane, adding they both supported and encouraged him a lot.
“Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane handled me very well. They had positive things to say and encouraged me a lot. I enjoyed playing under both of them,” he said.
The moment when Kohli handover trophy to Nattu
He made his ODI debut in the third and final match of the three-match series and picked up two wickets with Marnus Labuschagne being his maiden international scalp. Natarajan said he got emotional when Kohli handed the trophy to him after the team won the T20 series.
“When Kohli handed over the trophy to me after the T20 series win, I had tears in my eyes,” he added.
Virat Kohli hands over the trophy to T Natarajan
T Natarajan on Sharing Dressing Room with senior players
Asked about sharing the dressing room with international players, Natarajan said it was tough initially but he was able to pick up many things from them.
“Having played in the IPL and played alongside many Indian and foreign players helped as that experience was useful. I could communicate with them and learn from them. First, it was tough but as things went on, I was able to pick up many things,” he added.
He said Australian opener David Warner, his captain at Sunrisers Hyderabad, had good things to say about him.
“Warner said he was very proud of me. He was happy to see my progress. He told me during the match that you are very lucky and told me that I was doing well because my daughter had been born,” the Tamil Nadu pacer said.
Natarajan, whose daughter was born while he was playing the IPL in UAE, said he did miss seeing her but playing for the country was a matter of pride for his family. Natarajan, a late bloomer at 29, said he first aimed at playing for Tamil Nadu.
“My first aim was to play for Tamil Nadu, step by step everything happened, it was like a dream. Hard work is the key, it will take one places. I thank Almighty for everything.”
Australian opener David Warner praise his IPL teammate T Natarajan for his impressive performance in the Australia Test tour. SRH retained T Natarajan in IPL 2020 for a whopping Rs. 4 crores.
David Warner praises T Natarajan
Natarajan became the first Indian cricketer to make his debut in all three formats – T20I, ODI, and Test – on the same tour.
The left-arm seamer who was drafted into the India T20I side for the Australia series after an injury ruled out another uncapped cricketer Varun Chakravarthy, played all three matches before being asked by the team management to stay back as a net bowler for ODIs and Tests.
As it turned out, Natarajan played an ODI and then went on to make his Test debut in the final Test in Brisbane after a string of injuries ruled out India’s first-XI players.
“First thing I’d like to say is Vazhthukal Nattu, you’re an absolute legend. I’ve got so much time for you, you’re a great person on and off the field and I love having you in our team. Cheers!” Warner said on Sports Today.
Natarajan’s brilliant performance for the Sunirsers in the IPL earned him his maiden call-up for the Indian side. Warner, who was instrumental in treating Natarajan as one of SRH’s main weapons, said he was fortunate to lead the youngster.
“I was fortunate enough to captain Nattu. He’s an amazing guy, humble and a true gentleman. What a talent he is, we’ve just seen a guy who played unbelievably well in the IPL 2020, going on tour with the Indian team as a net bowler while sacrificing being there for the birth of his first child and then making his debut in all forms… what a magnificent achievement.
“I couldn’t be any happier and pleased for him. I’m very pleased and excited to see what he has to offer in this year’s IPL as well. He knows what he has to do, he knows how to bowl in certain situations.”
“The way we used him – outside the powerplay, maybe an over in the powerplay and bowling alongside Rashid Khan in partnership worked very well. I think he bowled 80 yorkers in the tournament which is an exceptional display of death bowling whenever he did come on. I’m extremely excited to see what he brings to the table this year,” Warner said.
Natarajan’s homecoming celebration
Natarajan got a grand reception in his village after returning from the Australia tour.
“We saw first-hand yesterday the response that his home town gave him, it was extremely humbling to see. You had a guy there getting a thorough warm welcome for him and for what he’s achieved,” Warner said.
The Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) secretary RS Ramasaamy on Friday has announced that the first two Test matches of the four-match series between India and England will be played behind closed doors at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.
India vs England to play Behind Closed Door
“Yes…crowd will not be allowed for the two-Test matches as a preventive measure in view of the virus situation,” he told PTI.
Also, a circular dated January 20 has been sent out to TNCA members saying that the decision to play the matches behind closed doors was taken along with the BCCI.
“In view of the prevailing COVID pandemic, the BCCI has decided not to take any kind of risk with the safety of the players during the forthcoming India-England Test series,” the circular read.
“As per the BCCI directive, the first two Test matches between February 5 and February 17 being held at M A Chidambaram stadium will take place behind closed doors (No Spectators/Guests/Sub-Committee Members) as a preventive measure,” it added.
Both the team will reach Chennai by January 27 as the players will undergo the COVID-19 tests before entering the bio-secure bubble created by BCCI.
It must be noted that the Indian government had recently announced that outdoor sporting events could be conducted with 50 percent of spectators after following the standard operating procedures.
The first Test is scheduled from February 5.
India have announced the squad for the first two Tests of the series as some of the key players who missed the Australia Test series returned to the 16-member team including Hardik Pandya, Virat Kohli, and Ishant Sharma.
