"It is fully justified" - Ravi Shastri on India's pumped-up celebration after saving follow-on in BGT 2024-25 3rd Test
Former India head coach Ravi Shastri reckons that the visitors saving the follow-on in The Gabba Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia could prove to be highly significant in the context of the series. While referring to India's pumped-up celebrations, he added that the reactions demonstrated how much saving the follow-on meant to the Indian team.
Responding to Australia's first-innings total of 445 in Brisbane, India were in big trouble at 213-9. However, the last-wicket pair of Akash Deep (31) and Jasprit Bumrah (10*) added 47 to ensure the visitors averted the follow-on. The Indian dressing room celebrated with plenty of emotion as the last-wicket stand frustrated the Australian bowlers.
Speaking on The ICC Review, Shastri backed India's intense celebrations after saving the follow-on amid some criticism of the same. He commented:
“You should celebrate. It required a lot of character from the last pair with 35-36 runs needed. That celebration showed, they knew the importance of that effort within the dressing room in the context of the series.
“It's one thing following on, it's one thing then again being 2-3 down as opposed to, you going ahead and rattling the Australian top-order. It is fully justified,” the 62-year-old went on to add.
Shastri went on to compare the Bumrah-Akash Deep stand to the memorable 89-run partnership between Bumrah and Mohammed Shami against England at Lord’s in 2021. He elaborated:
“It reminded me of the celebration, when in COVID times, when Jasprit and Mohammed Shami were involved in a partnership at Lord’s, which turned the game on its head. England were odds on favorites on the final day to win the Test. And that partnership, I think of about 80 or 90, suddenly turned the game on its head and by the end of the day, India had won the Test match.”
After India were all-out for 260 in the Gabba Test on Day 5, Australia declared their second innings on 89-7 after 18 overs. Chasing a target of 275, India were 8-0 when rain prevented any further play and the game ended in a draw.
"India might just be calling the shots" - Ravi Shastri on upcoming BGT 2024-25 Tests
During his interaction on The ICC Review show, Bumrah hailed India's lower-order for pulling the team out of trouble more than once. He reflected on the partnership between Ravichandran Ashwin and Hanuma Vihari in Sydney during the 2020-21 tour when both cricketers battled injuries to help India save the Test.
“When the tail-enders are stubborn, they fight it out there. It makes a massive difference. It did it on the last tour. When Ashwin and Hanuma Vihari batted the whole of the last session to save the game, going into the Gabba and then winning the series,” Shastri said.
“It'll lift the Indian team. And for me, the series is on a level peg now and India might just be calling the shots,” the former India all-rounder concluded.
India and Australia will next meet in the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) from December 26 to 30.