India vs Australia: ‘Whole world will stand up & salute you,' Shastri hails Rahane & Co in dressing room speech – WATCH
‘Whole world will stand up & salute you’: Shastri hails Rahane & Co in dressing room speech
As India finished a spectacular 2-1 series win over Australia on Tuesday, head coach Ravi Shastri gave a special speech to praise the hard work put in by every player. He said that every member of the team has been excellent on this tour.
“Guys, I had tears in my eyes, the courage, the resolve, the spirit you guys have shown, you know, is unreal. Not for once you were down (despite the) injuries, the 36 all-out, you know, you had the self-belief in you. It doesn’t come overnight, this happened over a period of time. But now you have got the self-belief, you can see where you have taken your game as a team,” said Shastri while addressing the Indian team.
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“Today, forget India, the whole world will stand up and salute you. So, remember what you guys have done today. You need to enjoy this moment, don’t let it just get away, but enjoy it as much as you can.
“To all the debutants, the support staff, the masseurs, the slingers to everybody, you have all been outstanding,” Shastri added.
The Indian head coach named the players individually and lauded their contribution in India’s terrific win.
“Shubman great knock. Pujara, you will be known as the ultimate warrior. Rishabh, simply outstanding. While you were batting you gave heart-attacks to all the fans. There were doctors in every home in India. But what you have done is magnificent.
“Jinx, to lead the side from the position where we were and then to make them bounce back and control things in the middle like the way you have done, simply, simply brilliant.
“I would not like to forget three debutants, Nattu, Washi and Shardul. Guys enjoy this moment,” he added.
On Tuesday, The Gabba -- Australia's fortress -- was finally breached by the stand-in skipper Ajinkya Rahane-led team India. The last time a visiting team came out triumphant from the Brisbane Cricket Ground was back in November 1988 when the mighty West Indian outfit under the leadership of Viv Richards thrashed Allan Border's team by 9 wickets.
In the first Test against Australia, India was swept out for 36 and several experts predicted that the visiting team will face a 4-0 thrashing. But proving the critics wrong, the Rahane-led team registered record worthy victories at Melbourne and Brisbane. The side also saw a famous draw at Sydney and at every hurdle of the way, this line-up overcame hardships.