History repeats again! India face problems ahead of Australia tour
Why do Indian cricket teams touring Australia face problems before a ball has been bowled? The latest instance involves cases of COVID-19 in Adelaide just prior to India’s tour Down Under.
Non-cricket incidents have affected Indian tourists since their first tour of Australia in 1947-48. India became independent on August 15, 1947 and Pakistan was born. This led to prominent Muslim cricketers Mushtaq Ali, Abdul Hafeez Kardar and Fazal Mahmood not joining the touring team. It may be added that Gul Mahomed and Amir Elahi did tour.
A week before the fifth and final Test started in Melbourne on February 6, 1948, a tragedy of massive proportion struck the Indian nation. Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated on January 30.
Spine-tingling series
Fast forward 30 years. Kerry Packer’s World Series Cricket was born in 1977 before Bishan Bedi brought India’s team to Australia. It was a spine-tingling series between India’s full team against Australia’s virtual second XI apart from the fast bowling legend Jeff Thomson.
The depleted Australian side was led by the never-say-die Bob Simpson. Retired a decade ago, he inspired his country to great heights. The exciting series was locked 2-2 when the final Test started in Adelaide on January 28, 1978. Set a near impossible winning target of 493, Bedi’s unrelenting Indians battled to the bitter end but lost by 47 runs. Their score of 445 remained the highest fourth innings total to lose a Test until New Zealand amassed 451 against England at Christchurch in 2001-02, losing by 98 runs.
