Pakistan and India may be arch rivals both on and off the field, but when it comes to cricketing achievements, players from both sides can’t hold themselves from praising each other, as Mohammad Hafeez has now joined the bandwagon to laud India’s historic Test series win over Australia.
Ever since the on-paper underdogs, the Indian cricket team, thrashed the favorites Australia at their fortress The Gabba in the final Test to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2-1 on January 19, the entire world couldn’t stop hailing the incredible efforts of the tourists on the Down Under.
India had a disastrous start of their Test campaign in Australia, as the tourists bowled out for 36 in the second innings of the Day-Night Test and eventually suffered a humiliating defeat in Adelaide.
They suffered another setback as Mohammad Shami and Umesh Yadav left the tour due to the respective injuries alongside their talismanic captain and batsman Virat Kohli who took paternity leave.
Well, things got even worse for the Indian Cricket Team as the four-Test series progressed with the injury list of the tourists extended, losing almost all the first-choice players and forced the tourists to take on the mighty Australians with an inexperienced squad in the final Test at The Gabba.
But young Team India showed great courage and determination to crush the Australians at their won soil to complete one of the Test cricket’s best series win and veteran Pakistan all-rounder Hafeez has credited India’s proper talent-grooming system for the remarkable feat for the ages.
The veteran further said he “enjoyed” the contest between the two cricketing powerhouses and it was really amazing to see the way the Indian team recovers from all the setbacks and fightback to win the series in Australia.
Hafeez said in a media interaction on Wednesday: “I enjoyed it that the (Indian) team was down in morale but the way they came back and won the series after an amazing recovery is great.”
The former captain added, “The reason why India came back from being bowled out for 36 and went on to win the series despite their captain not being available or so many players injured is because their new and young players are groomed properly into finished products.”
He also lamented the lack of such a system in Pakistan while stressing on the need to have a proper process and structure to nourish and polish the skills of the talented youngsters into world-class players.
The 40-year-old added, “Unfortunately we don't have a system which can make finished products which are now essential in modern-day cricket. That is why so many of our young players fail to succeed at the international level. We have to polish the talented youngsters and make them world-class players.”
Hafeez signed off by saying, “In India, their domestic system ensures the talented players are groomed properly. But in Pakistan, we don't go through that process.”
(With PTI Inputs)
