The India trip to Australia in 2020-21 was historic since it was the same Test series in which the visitors overcame a 0-1 deficit in the four-match series. India went on to win the series 2-1 despite getting bowled out for 36 in the second innings of the first Test in Adelaide.
In the absence of Virat Kohli, who was returning home to give birth to his first child, Ajinkya Rahane was in charge of the squad. India’s mental toughness was on display throughout the tour, as substitute players stepped up and produced on the big stage despite the fact that they lost players to injury during the series.
A new documentary, ‘Bando Mein Tha Dum,’ has been released about a year and a half later, telling the tale of India’s historic reversal in the series. One of the statements made by the then-Australian captain Tim Paine in the documentary has piqued the interest of viewers, particularly those from India.
Paine recalls an incident during the trip, just after India’s victory in the second Test of the series in Melbourne.
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Five Indian cricketers, including Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, Prithvi Shaw, and Navdeep Saini, were seen waiting for their dinner in a restaurant in a video that went popular on the internet.
That footage did not sit well with the Australian camp, as strolling around like that was not permitted because of Covid-19’s rapid spread in Sydney. The SCG Test was coming up soon, and when that video went viral, these Indian cricketers were quarantined and only allowed to leave after testing negative.
Paine commented on the event, claiming that the five Indian players placed the entire series on the line. “I mean, those four or five men jeopardized the entire Test series. For what purpose? To be honest, I think that rather selfish for a bowl of Nando’s chips or wherever they went “According to Paine.
The Australians were irritated by the act, according to current Test captain Pat Cummins, since some cricketers had to spend Christmas away from their families, and seeing the other side breach the regulations and not take the procedures seriously was a bit unpleasant.
However, Indian captain Ajinkya Rahane claimed in the documentary that the Australian players’ outbursts were nothing more than mind games since they were shaken by the loss in the MCG Test a few days prior.
“The players in the photos were really waiting for their takeaway order to arrive. They had to wait indoors due to the poor weather. The story that was broadcast on the news was completely false. According to the Australian Cricket Board, no one is allowed to leave the hotel when traveling to Sydney from Melbourne, and you must go through quarantine.
Everything was normal in the outer world, especially in Sydney. There was no lockdown; everyone was free to walk, and the players were requested to remain inside. We knew Australia was playing mind games, especially after the events in Melbourne,” Rahane added.
Tim Paine criticizes Indian cricketers for jeopardizing Test series against Australia
