5 instances where Team India players stood up for their Australian counterparts feat. Rishabh Pant
India and Australia have scripted a fascinating rivalry in cricket. The two nations have spiced up their contests with sledging, mind games, and most importantly, high-quality cricket. It was the Australians, employing a ruthless style of cricket, who had the advantage earlier on.
However, times for sure have changed with the current crop of players often sharing the dressing room in franchise cricket, where borders do not exist. Instead of old-fashioned sledging, friendly banter has become much more prominent, with some players choosing to take an extra step in the right direction.
The sight of an Indian player backing his Australian counterpart would have been a strange sight in the previous century. Now, with the rivals in international cricket often being teammates in the IPL, things have changed for the better.
On that note, let's take a look at five instances where Indian players stood up for their Australian counterparts.
#1 KL Rahul wishing all the best behind the stumps to Cameron Green
India resurfaced into the cricket world, following the break enforced by the COVID-19 pandemic, with a tour of Australia in late 2020. After heavy defeats in the first two ODIs, the teams moved onto Canberra for the dead rubber contest.
During the final ODI, the Aussies were given a target of 304 to complete a clean-sweep. Youngster Cameron Green walked into bat, with the score reading 117-3. The all-rounder was seen having a word with wicket-keeper KL Rahul, but the exact nature of the conversation came to light after the contest.
"While I was batting, from behind the stumps, KL Rahul asked me if I am nervous or not and I replied, 'Obviously a little bit', and he said 'Go well, youngster', I will remember this forever."
KL Rahul is among those cricketers who are known for their calm and composed demeanor. The 30-year-old is rarely seen engaging in sledging or a furious war of words.
As far as the match is concerned, India ended up winning the contest by a narrow 13-run margin. They proceeded to find more success in the ensuing T20I and Test series.
#2 Kohli calling out the fans for booing Steve Smith
India playing against Australia is always a big ticket draw at the World Cup. The two sides were drawn in the same group for the first time in 16 years at the 2019 ODI World Cup and it led to an interesting contest at the Oval.
The Men in Blue set a solid platform courtesy of Shikhar Dhawan's century and were in line for a grand finish with a settled Virat Kohli at the crease. However, the then Indian captain was not pleased with the a section of the Indian fans in the crowd booing Steve Smith.
Nobody should be surprised by the way @imVkohli has been vigorously defending Shami in the face of racial abuse.
Remember when Kohli even stood up for Steve Smith at the 2019 World Cup? The captain is all class! 🙏
https://t.co/iQylvqhBh6
Emerging fresh out of his ban in the aftermath of the infamous Sandpaper gate scandal, Smith and Warner were still finding their groove and hostile crowds in England did not help their cause a bit.
Making a gesture towards the Indian fans to start applauding instead of booing, in between overs, the 33-year-old's gesture won the hearts of several onlookers. Speaking about the intentions behind his actions, Kohli said after the match:
"What happened, happened long back. He's back, trying to play well for his side. It is not good to see someone down like that. You don't want to see a guy feeling heat every time he goes out to play."
The former Indian captain even went on to win the ICC's Spirit of Cricket Award next year for his honorable actions.
This incident also showed a different side of Kohli. Often seen as ultra-aggressive on the field and not shy of throwing a few verbal volleys at opponents, the former Indian captain acted like a statesman on this occasion and received praise from all corners of cricket fraternity.
#3 Rishabh Pant showing full support to Mitchell Marsh after his poor DC debut
Delhi Capitals (DC) were hit with a myriad of concerns ahead of the 2022 edition of IPL. Injury and availability concerns meant they only had four overseas players available for their opening clash.
The Rishabh Pant-led side slowly found their groove, especially after David Warner joined the camp. Mitchell Marsh, who found resounding success while batting at No.3 for his national side, was given the same role in the franchise's batting order as well.
However, his debut for DC did not go as per plan as he struggled on the slow surface on offer. In an intense 190-run chase, the all-rounder could only score 14 off 24 deliveries. The patchy innings became a huge factor in DC's loss as they fell short by 16 runs in the end.
Despite Marsh's poor knock, skipper Rishabh Pant wholeheartedly defended him during the post-match presentation. He said:
"We could've batted better in the middle overs. Can't blame Marsh also, since it is his first game. He looked rusty, but it’s part and parcel of the game."
Marsh eventually proved his mettle with some crucial knocks down the line for the franchise. He was one of the bright spots for the team in the second half of the league phase, especially after coming back into the side following an encounter with COVID-19.
The all-rounder went on to score 251 runs in eight matches at a strike rate of 132.80.
#4 Indian players presenting a signed jersey to Nathan Lyon
The fourth Test of the Border-Gavaskar series went into folklore as one of the greatest matches for India, but it held importance in the other camp as well. Veteran off-spinner Nathan Lyon racked up his 100th Test appearance, but ended up on the losing side at the Gabba.
Following the culmination of the match, the Indian players, led by Ajinkya Rahane, presented the 34-year-old with a signed jersey. While not much was spoken about it at the time, Lyon went on to reveal that the gesture took him by surprise. He said in the Grade Cricketer Podcast:
"I put it down as a classy touch to be honest. I don’t see it as a champing at all, it’s a very nice gesture. It took me by surprise, as you can probably see in the footage.”
The off-spinner will soon pay a visit to India with a crucial four-match Test series looming, where he is expected to play a vital role.
#5 Mohammad Siraj checks in on Cameron Green after scary blow
India competed in a warm-up contest against Australia A ahead of the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar series. Indian tail-enders Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj were enjoying a fruitful partnership for the final wicket before a scary incident took place.
Bumrah, who was in full groove during the innings, smacked a delivery straight back towards the bowler Cameron Green. While the young all-rounder tried to cover his face in reflex, he still copped a heavy blow.
Absolutely brilliant from Mohammad Siraj. Ball hit Cameron Green's face and Siraj didn't care about the run and straightaway dropped his bat and checked on Green. Top spirit by him. https://t.co/fmHAEcyy4c
Siraj, at the non-striker's end, dropped his bat immediately and rushed over to check on the 23-year-old. The speedster's noble intentions to help his fellow counterparts were hailed by fans and media alike.
What other instances can you recall where Indian players stood up for their Australian counterparts? Let us know what you think.