India conquers Perth

There are days which are good for a cricket team, and then there are days which get imprinted in the memory of the fans. 19th January 2008 will be one such day for Indian cricket fans, when India humbled the mighty Australians in a ground known as their fortress. Australia had not lost a test in Perth since 1997, when Curtly Ambrose led the West Indies to a memorable win. This time around, it was a bunch of rookie quicks, with a combined test experience of less than 20 tests, that went right through the Aussies. The spell which young Ishant Sharma bowled to Ponting on the last day of the test epitomized it all. A 19 year old quick, barely 3 or 4 tests old, bowled a hostile spell that continued for 8 overs, against arguably the world's best and most consistent batsman, and had him all at sea right through the spell. And at the end of it, Ishant Sharma got the better of Ponting, and that for me was he defining moment in the match. Never in the recent past do you remember a young pacer from India bowling such a hostile spell to a premier batsman. It was a memorable test, capped by some memorable performances, be it Sachin's innings on the first day, Laxman's grit in India's second innings or Sehwag's bowling in the last innings. It was an amazing display of teamwork, and you cannot find a single player who was more responsible for the win than anyone else. Anil Kumble has already shown in his short tenure, that he should have captained India far earlier, and his inspiration has driven India against all odds. It is probably a matter of time that dictionaries in India start using his name as an example for the definition of a ‘leader’.

 

India has emerged as a strong test team in the past few years. They have won test matches abroad in locations traditionally known as fortresses of home teams. Be it Sabina Park against the Windies in 2006, Johannesburg against South Africa in 2006, or Perth against Australia now. Fans would still have not forgotten the Adelaide win in 2003, and this team has given them one more memorable moment to reflect on. This has to be one of the best wins for Team India in test matches, if not the best. 1-1 going into the last test would have been a fair result for this series, but India can hold its head high even going 1-2 into it. India has been the only team who has challenged Australia successfully in the last 10 years, and this intense rivalry continues to keep everyone interested. It definitely sets up Adelaide for a thrilling finale.