Twitter Erupts As Resilient India Defy Australia To Script A Draw For The Ages At The SCG

Twitter Erupts As Resilient India Defy Australia To Script A Draw For The Ages At The SCG

Hanuma Vihari, India, Australia
Hanuma Vihari and Ravichandran Ashwin grit it out to help India salvage a historic draw [Photo-Twitter]

A counterattack by Rishabh Pant and dodged defiance by Cheteshwar Pujara, Hanuma Vihari, and Ravichandran Ashwin has helped India script a draw for the ages against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Starting the final day at 2/96 and possibly a batsman short, India couldn’t have hoped for a worse start to their proceedings as they lost their skipper Ajjnkya Rahane in just the second over of the innings.

With Rahane getting dismissed bat-and-pad against Lyon, it looked like it was a matter of time before it got all over but Rishabh Pant and Cheteshwar Pujara had different ideas.

Pant was promoted ahead of Hanuma Vihari in the pegging order and during the first 37 deliveries that he faced, it looked like the southpaw had come to the crease to play against his natural instincts.

India, Australia, Rishabh Pant
Rishabh Pant (Credits: Twitter)

However, that wasn’t the case as Pant launched a brutal counter-attack against the Australian attack. Pant smoked Nathan Lyon for three fours and a six over his head in back-to-back overs to hit the off-spinner out of the attack for some time.

Pujara, on the other hand, looked rock-solid in his defense, forming a perfect foil to the rampaging Pant. The southpaw stroked some sumptuous cover-drives and disdainful pull shots, especially against Nathan Lyon as he stormed his way to a half-century.

India, Australia
Cheteshwar Pujara and Rishabh Pant [Image Credits: Twitter]
Pant rode his luck against Lyon. He was dropped twice by keeper Tim Pains off the off-spinner and he made full use of it as he went on to smash a whirlwind 97 off 118 balls- an innings which included 12 fours and three sixes- during a brilliant 148-run-stand with dodged Pujara.

Nathan Lyon eventually dismissed Pant for 97 to give Australia a much-needed wicket after a toil of nearly 45 overs. Pujara’s valiant vigil also came to an end with Josh Hazlewood going past his defense in the 89th over with a nearly unplayable delivery.

India, Australia
Hanuma Vihari and Ravichandran Ashwin [Image Credts: Twitter]
Hanuma Vihari [23* off 161 balls] pulled his hamstring but that did not stop him from battling it out for his team along with Ravichandran Ashwin [39* off 128 balls] went on to survive more than 3 hours, battling for more than 40 overs as India eked out a draw for the ages at the SCG.

Here’s how Twitter reacted:

 

 

 

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Yash Mittal

Just a student of this beautiful game called cricket. Writer. Storyteller.

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