Former India opener Aakash Chopra has successfully transitioned into broadcasting and made a big name for himself in Hindi commentary. He has been part of many memorable moments featuring the Indian team and he recently recalled a time when he couldn’t help but support the team instead of being neutral.

Chopra recalled an incident where he hugged the Indian flag in the middle of the broadcast.

"As a broadcaster, all of us are asked to be neutral, that it is not us and them, it is always India versus Australia or India versus England. You should never say that it is a fight between us and them. But it happened once when I hugged the flag. I realized that our Indian team was 16 against the entire country," Chopra said in a video posted on his YouTube channel on the occasion of India's Independence Day.

Glenn McGrath feels Australian team up for ‘ultimate challenge’ India in upcoming Test series

Chopra further recalled the 2018-19 India tour of Australia and said that he felt that the entire Australia media and broadcasting team were against the Indian unit.

"I was in Australia and for the first time I realized that the guys in front of you are getting together against you, they are making a mountain out of a molehill - all former cricketers, media, everybody is getting together and going against Team India. It was the 2018-19 tour, I was the only Indian broadcaster there and I said 'let me leave the neutral stand and let's wave the Indian flag.' We won there and I enjoyed it a lot that I was just going all out,” he added.

The 2018-19 tour proved to be a historic one as the Indian team captained by Virat Kohli defeated Australia in a Test series in their own backyard for the first time ever, a feat they repeated under Ajinkya Rahane in 2020-21 as well.