The Spirit of Cricket: India and Australia in a New Era
The rivalry between India and Australia in cricket has been legendary, marked by moments of intense competition and, at times, controversy. From provocative gestures on the field to heated arguments, the history of these two teams has been filled with memorable moments.
In 2013, Shikhar Dhawan mocked an injured Shane Watson. In 2014, David Warner was used as the official provocateur. The past left episodes of fights on the field, even after the death of Phillip Hughes.
There was a time when the rivalry between India and Australia seemed on the verge of physical blows. India’s tour of Australia in 2018-19 promised to be the most tense, but before that happened, the ball-tampering scandal in Cape Town changed the course.
That series primarily featured funny jokes, but nothing as unpleasant as what we had become accustomed to when India played against Australia. Late last year, during the World Cup, the Indian captain, Virat Kohli, asked Indian fans to stop booing Steven Smith, who had served his time and paid his dues to return to the field for the first time after his suspension expired.
So, before the start of the 2020-21 test series, we have reached a stage where some are wondering if this new respect between these teams will compromise the intensity and integrity of the tests.
On the eve of the first Test in Adelaide, which begins on Thursday, Kohli was asked what the reasons were for the improved relationships, and his answer summed up the evolution of the rivalry: these teams play a lot in the IPL together and, therefore, know each other better. All the characters in this narrative are also older, wiser, and more secure in their place in the world.
Since the Cape Town incident, Australia has acknowledged they were wrong about their behavior and have strived to find the right balance between competitiveness and exemplary behavior. That said, this has been a year in which people have reassessed their priorities in life and realized how unnecessary certain things had been.
It’s a combination of all those factors. I think this year has also made people realize that many things may not have been necessary in the past, where you hold grudges and have unnecessary tensions between teams and individuals, which is absolutely useless. You will still be professional and make sure you are positive and aggressive in your body language and the way you do things on the field.
Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli: “La apreciación por el rendimiento de alguien o la valentía y el carácter de alguien llega al final de cinco días, eso es lo que creo”Australia has acknowledged that things have changed “to some extent”. “It could be a culmination of playing together in the IPL, a lot of IPL, Australia changing their approach to some extent, and also the way things have developed this year,” he said. “Everyone is grateful for the opportunity to get back on the field. It’s not that the matches haven’t been as intense or competitive, it’s just that unnecessary things have been filtered out. I feel there’s a lot more respect between the teams. You can see that on the field, and I hope cricket continues to be competitive.”
“We must not compromise the quality of cricket. Banter is going to continue here and there all the time. That’s the highest level of cricket we play, and it’s going to be very competitive. There will be tension, there will be stress, there will be emotions flaring up from time to time. I don’t foresee anything ever becoming personal anymore. I think also we, all of us, are getting smarter, and [we have] a few more years in our careers. So we’re going to make better and smarter decisions, and make sure the quality of cricket remains.”
The dichotomy in all this is that Kohli is highly regarded in Australia because he gives back what he gets; in the words of Greg Chappell, that makes him the most Australian non-Australian. Kohli was asked if the players felt vilified for doing what they do at certain times, which is to give their all within the rules to win the match for their teams. “The media has every right and space to see things and perceive things as and how they want,” Kohli said. “For us, as cricketers, we understand that we do what is required for the team at that moment. To make sure we are moving forward as a team, whether it’s facing some chirping on the field or just being aggressive in our plans or in our body language as a team.”
“At the highest level, the quality of cricket cannot be compromised. If you’re going onto the field thinking we’ll have smiles and handshakes all day, and you know, we’re not going to be that competitive or aggressive in our body language, then I think it’s a bad idea to have it. You have to maintain the dignity of the sport, but you also have to understand that you are competing at the highest level with two quality teams facing each other.”
“And there will be times when things will get difficult and teams will face each other, but not in a disrespectful way, that’s what I meant. There’s definitely a lot more to Test cricket. The appreciation for someone’s performance or someone’s courage and character comes at the end of five days, that’s what I believe.”
“And over the five days, obviously, the crowds will try to make things as difficult as possible for us. We will try to make things as difficult as possible for the opposition, and that’s the beauty of Test cricket. You can appreciate the efforts put in by both teams at the end of five days and make sure you don’t carry anything off the field, that’s what I meant.”
“But on the field, things are going to be competitive, it’s going to be high-voltage cricket because there are quality players on both teams hungry and eager to perform for their teams and make sure they help their team win. It’s definitely going to be as competitive as it has always been for so many years between India and Australia.” In other words, tough but fair. How much more Australian can Kohli be?
