At the start of the year, Indian cricket team-led by the Virat Kohli pulled off a major heist. A heist, which let alone any Indian team of the past, no other Asian sise had done in the history of Test cricket- Winning a Test series against Australia in their own den.
It was an achievement of magnanimous proportions as the Men in Blue finally shrugged off 70 years of pain, heartbreak, agony, and humiliation. Virat Kohli became the first Asian captain to lead a team from the Indian subcontinent to Test glory in one of the most obscure places to tour for any visiting side.
But, that is not to say that Indian teams’ of the past did not come close to breaching the barrier that was Australia. The team of 1985-86 or the team of 2003-04 came agonizingly close to winning a Test series Down Under. In fact, during the Australian era of dominance in the early 200s, India was the only side to compete against the might of the world champions in their own den, at a time when visiting sides’ would turn up Down Under, having already been defeated in the mind.
One of the tormentors of the great Australian side of the early 2000s was an artist masquerading as a Test match batsmen- VVS Laxman. It is an open secret and Laxman has admitted many times how playing against the Aussies always used to bring the best out of him.
VVS Laxman names India’s Test series win in Australia as his favourite moment of the year
So, with Virat Kohli’s side having fulfilled his dream, seven years after his retirement, the legendary batsman thanked the Indian captain for their heist Down Under earlier this year. The former Indian cricketer, while speaking to Star Sports, also lauded Kohli’s team for their consistency besides also revealing the country’s Test series in Australia at the start of 2019 as his favourite moment of the year.
“It’s been a very good year for Indian cricket but being a Test cricketer, my dream was always to beat Australia in Australia but I was not able to achieve that in my career,” Laxman said while speaking on Star Sports’ show as quoted by Hindustan Times. “I’m so glad that this Indian team under Virat’s leadership has beaten Australia for the first time in their own backyard which is my favourite moment of Indian cricket in 2019,” he added.
Meanwhile, Virat Kohli’s men will tour Australia in the winter of 2020 for a four-match Test series, hoping to emulate their heroics of 2018, against a much-stronger Australian outfit.
Watch: South African spinner bowls with both hands in MSL 2019
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