After winning the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series 2-1, India captain Rohit Sharma said his team’s fightback in the second Test at New Delhi is something he would cherish, citing the character and fight shown to retain the trophy.
In the second Test of the series in Delhi, the hosts had conceded a slender one-run lead to Australia, and with the game interestingly poised, experienced spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin ran through the visitors’ batting order on day three to set a chase of 115 for the hosts’, which they did with six wickets in hand.
“With the result 2-1, the first two Tests, we knew how important it was to start the series. I think the Delhi Test match was something I’m really proud of because we were very much behind the game and to come back from the situation that we did shows a lot of character and a lot of fight,” Rohit expressed at the post-match presentation ceremony on Monday.
Though India lost the third Test in Indore and drew the fourth Test in Ahmedabad, they managed to win the series and get their spot sealed in the World Test Championship (WTC) final, where they will face Australia at The Oval from June 7-11.
“It was fantastic. Right from the word go. It was exciting, all the Test matches there was something in it for everyone to watch. We understand the importance of the series and definitely understand the importance of the opposition. After playing good cricket for 40-odd days we stand here with a result we are quite happy with. There were challenges thrown up but we responded to them,” he added..
On the other hand, Australia’s stand-in captain Steve Smith admitted that losing seven wickets in the first session of day three in New Delhi eventually cost them a chance in winning the series, but was proud of the fightback shown by his team in the second half of the series.
“It did end slowly. That was a pretty flat wicket that one. It was a really enjoyable series to be a part of. The boys had a great time over here. The hospitality has been outstanding and the crowds have been amazing. It was a really well-fought series. I think we started to play a lot better as the series went on,” Smith said.
“That hour of madness I suppose in Delhi really cost us in that game. But I think coming back from that in Indore we fought back really nicely and this game as well. Unfortunately, the wicket was probably a little bit too flat for a result in the end,” he added.
India will now take on Australia in the first of three ODIs at Mumbai on March 17, followed by matches in Visakhapatnam and Chennai.