The Great Indian Visit

The ongoing Australian tour of Indian cricket team would be remembered in the history of Indian sports forever. Exactly, not only for the India’s victory over the World Champion Australia and for controversy arose between the BCCI and Cricket Australia on the issue of alleged racial comment by Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh. But certainly there are some other memorable events and happening of Australia, which have been registered in the history of game. These would be remembered by all fans of sport everlastingly.

There is no doubt that the current tour of Team India would be remembered evermore by all that the International Cricket Council (ICC) for the removal of Steve Buckner from the Test series. Buckner, who holds a strong position in the elite panel of Umpires of ICC, was excluded from the Perth Test match. Certainly it happened due to strong confrontation by the Indian cricket management. It is considered that there was heavy pressure put up by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), which propelled the ICC to reach at this decision.

The Indian media and foreign media both said strong capital holding of BCCI was the main reason behind this decision. Certainly, India holds 70 percent of the total revenue generated from the game of Cricket all over the world. So, it’s quit natural that by giving a threat to withdraw the ongoing tour of Team India to the world’s smallest continent made a headache for the ICC.

This tour would be remembered for another reason. The Indian management withdrew a case against the Australian player Hogg. It was earlier filed by the management in a strong reaction of a petition filed by the Cricket Australia for a racial comment by Harbhajan Singh to Andrew Symonds. India’s stand to withdraw the case has been highly appreciated by the international community. It sent a message that how bigger India’s heart is. Really it was a major decision for India and consequently it showed its greatness. This initiative also showed that India has a sport spirit.

Of course, India made a history by winning the Perth Test. This victory is being considered as a landmark in the Indian cricket history. “It is one of the best victory of my life”, said Indian skipper Anil Kumble after Indian victory.

Perth’s pitch is regarded as the fastest pitch of the world. Additionally, this ground is also considered as the safest fort for Australian team. But India proved that it can challenge the three times World Champion at its own ground.

By this victory India just stopped Australia to make a history of 17th consecutive win once again. Earlier, it was the pitch of Eden Garden Stadium of Kolkata in the year of 2002, when India ruined the Australian dream to become the first Team in the World to make a history of seventeen consecutive win.

Another sweet memory of the ongoing tour is the achievement of Kumble. The Great Indian Spinner became the first Indian to take six hundred wickets in the Test cricket.

An extra point of sweet memory with this tour is related with master blaster Sachin Tendulakar. After such a long time Sachin made a century at the ground of Australia. Actually, he was suffering from a series of nervous ninety for a long time. But Australia became lucky for Sachin and he played a fine game.

For the first time, Australian team is facing so much criticism from domestic media. Many experts have clearly commented that Australia has no more supremacy over the game.

At last it may be said that it does not matter that whether India wins the series in Australia or not. What matters is that there are so many memories associated with this tour, which will remain with us without end.

First Published at
MSN India
January 23, 2008

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