Team India on Tuesday (January 19) created history as they beat Australia by 3 wickets at the Gabba to clinch a historic Test series victory.
Chasing 328 to win in the fourth innings, the visitors rode on Shubman Gill’s classy 91, Rishabh Pant’s unbeaten 89 and Cheteshwar Pujara’s gritty 56 to get over the line.
WATCH – Ravi Shastri delivers special speech in dressing room after India’s historic series win
India achieved this feat in the absence of regular skipper Virat Kohli (paternity leave) and a number of star players who sustained injuries during the course of the series.
Speedster Mohammad Shami was one such star, who got ruled out after the first Test in Adelaide with a wrist fracture.
Speaking to Timesofindia.com, Shami reflected on the win and said: "This is a big achievement. There were a lot of injuries. And the way Rahane used the reserved players is commendable. The newcomers have shown character. Most importantly, we have repeated the success of 2018. Nothing can be compared to this historic achievement. We have performed as a unit in the series. Be it bowling or batting, we have done immensely well in the series. With this win, we have proved that we can beat any team in the world in their own den."
"When I got injured. I was in tears. Because we had planned a lot and I was leaving the team mid way. I want to give credit to the management, support staff and all the players in Australia for this win," he added.
"You cannot doubt the bench strength of this team. They have done wonders in Australia and this performance will be remembered for a long time," he continued.
Team India missed Jasprit Bumrah, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Hanuma Vihari in the fourth Test due to injuries while the likes of Shami and Umesh Yadav picked up injuries after the first and second Test respectively.
In their absence, young guns such as Shubman Gill, Washington Sundar, Rishabh Pant, Shardul Thakur and T Natarajan stepped up to the plate.
"If your bench strength can perform to this extent, nothing can be bigger than this. We all are so proud of these youngsters (Shardul, Gill, Sundar, Rishabh Pant, Natarajan, Saini). We lost players due to injuries and these youngsters were given chances. Most importantly, they grabbed it with both hands and performed. If a youngster is playing his first match and performing in the match, it is good for India and him also. He gets a huge confidence boost after performing in his debut match. They all have a bright future," Shami further remarked.
(With TOI inputs)
