Indian captain Rohit Sharma compared India’s seven-wicket win at the Sahara Park Newlands in Cape Town with their three-wicket win against Australia at the Gabba in 2021. Rohit stated that the Indian team was able to register its first win in the test in Cape Town. after 31 long years. The Indian team had played six Tests earlier at Newlands, but had lost four games with two ending in draws.
The 2021 Australian tour was one of the toughest Test series the Indian team has ever played. To have been impressed for 36 races in Adelaide and then win the series 2-1 with a third force was commendable.
The Indian team lost the first Test match by eight wickets in Adelaide and also lost team captain Virat Kohli when he returned to India due to paternity leave. Team India created history with Ajinkya Rahane and won the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne by eight wickets.
However, India also had many challenges as they lost many key players like Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah and R Ashwin after the Sydney Test which ended in a draw. The toss was also a very memorable aspect of the series as the Indian team batted for two long days and survived the Test match.
However, history was created in Brisbane during the fourth Test when the Indian team played without players like Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, R Ashwin and Mohammed Shami. They were an absolutely secondary team with a completely new bowling attack. Even bowler T Natarajan made his debut in the Brisbane Test.
The Australian team had never lost a Test match in Brisbane in the last 32 years and it looked like it would be an easy job for them to beat India and also take the series. However, the Indian team defied all odds and emerged victorious by three wickets in Brisbane, courtesy of a special knock from Rishabh Pant.
Rohit Sharma joins the victories of ‘Gabba’ and ‘Cape Town’
Rohit Sharma termed the victory as one of the best victories in the history of Indian cricket. He compared it to the iconic Gabba Test victory against Australia during the 2020-21 tour.
Indian captain Rohit Sharma said after the Cape Town Test: “It will be one of our best Test match wins. Not having won here in Cape Town [before], obviously this puts it on par with all the victories we have had. It is very difficult to compare the test matches you play because each test match has its own importance and relevance. The Test Match we also won at The Gabba. The last Test match Australia lost in Brisbane was in 1988, I think. Almost after 23, 24 years [32 years] We won the test match there. In a way it became his strength. They never lose a Test match there.”
“And the way we won that Test match was pretty important too. Where we came from, we were 1-nil, we won in Melbourne and then we drew the Test match in Sydney and then we won in Brisbane. So you can’t really rank Test matches but this one has to be up there because we hadn’t won here. That shows how important this place is for us to come here and perform. “I give a lot of credit to our team for putting in a performance like that and winning the game.”
India is scheduled to play Afghanistan from January 11 in a three-match T20I series after the tour of South Africa.
