Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman mentioned Indian cricket team’s ‘spectacular success’ during their recent tour of Australia where they return home with a 2-1 series win. Under Ajinkya Rahane, the tourists overcame several roadblocks including injury to their first-choice players as the tour progressed to win a Test series on Australian soil for a second successive occasion.
“I can’t help but recall the joy that we as a cricket-loving nation felt after the Team India’s recent spectacular success in Australia,” Sitharaman said while presenting the Budget 2020-21 in the Parliament on Monday (February 1). “It has reminded us of all the qualities that we as people, particularly our youth, epitomise of having abundant promise and the unsuppressed thirst to perform and to succeed.”
India’s performance drew widespread praise from the cricketing world with Rahane being lauded for his attitude, poise and captaincy. Beyond the world of cricket, the praises have continued to pour in with the likes of Prime Minister Narendra Modi recalling the performance during his Mann Ki Baat programme.
“This month, we got good news from the cricket pitch. After initial hiccups, the Indian team bounced back strongly and won the Test series in Australia. Our team’s hard work and teamwork was inspiring,” Modi said on Sunday.
The BCCI responded to Modi’s appreciation. “Thank you Shri Narendra Modi for your appreciation and words of encouragement. Team India will do everything possible to keep the tricolour flying high,” it said in a tweet.
The Indian cricket team is now gearing up for the upcoming four-match Test series against England at home starting February 5. The first two Tests will be played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium while Ahmedabad’s Sardar Patel Stadium will play host for the remaining two.
