Just over two weeks into the new year, the cricket fans witnessed one of the best Test matches of 2021. The third Test match between Australia and India had so much drama at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Nobody really expected that ‘draw’ would be the outcome of the match.
Cricket experts like Harsha Bhogle, Glenn McGrath were pretty much convinced that either India or Australia would win the game. The hosts set up a target of 407 for the visitors. Team India ended Day 4 with 98 for the loss of 2 wickets.
Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara resumed play on the judgment but then Nathan Lyon got rid of the stand-in captain early on in the innings. Rishabh Pant faced early pressure from the Aussie bowling attack but he somehow defied the odds and touched the pinnacle of success.
Cheteshwar Pujara also gave good support to Pant and the latter played a fearless brand of cricket. The duo added a 148-run stand for the fourth wicket before the wicketkeeper-batsman was dismissed on 97 by Lyon. Soon after his departure, Pujara was also dismissed on 77.
After India lost 5 wickets, the cricket fraternity literally lost their hopes on the visitors. Aussies had plenty of time and overs to win the game but Ravichandran Ashwin and Hanuma Vihari had other ideas. The duo didn’t take any risk as they played safely.
Vihari and Ashwin showed incredible resistance in the fourth innings. Vihari scored 23 off 161 deliveries. On the other hand, Ashwin chipped in with 39 off 128 balls. The duo put up a great fight and resistance as India settled for a pulsating draw at the SCG.
BJP MP Babul criticises Vihari’s knock
While the entire nation lauded Hanuma Vihari for showing resilience at the pitch despite injury concerns, BJP MP Babul Supriyo made the headlines for criticizing Vihari for his style of batting.
Babul Supriyo came up with a shocking tweet where he claimed that Vihari has murdered cricket and also killed a chance for India to script a historic victory.
According to Supriyo, Vihari consumed too many deliveries and added that his conversion rate was so poor. BJP MP Babul also highlighted that Vihari took as many as 109 balls to score 7 runs.
“Playing 109 balls to score 7 !That is atrocious to say the least•Hanuma Bihari has not only killed any Chance for India to achieve a historic win but has also murdered Cricket.. not keeping win an option, even if remotely, is criminal. PS: I know that I know nothing about cricket,” Bablu Supriyo tweeted.
Vihari shuts down BJP MP Babul
While Vihari received praises for showing great patience and perseverance at the pitch, his batting was not appreciated by Babul Supriyo. However, Vihari wouldn’t mind that at all but he was not impressed when the BJP MP made an absolute blunder while naming the cricketer.
Meanwhile, Vihari who came across the shocking tweet had to silence Babul Supriyo once and for all with a simple correction. The middle-order batsman replied to BJP MP’s post by correcting the name. “*Hanuma Vihari.”
