Harbhajan Singh, Ishant Sharma Relive Grit and Glory of Border-Gavaskar Trophy

New Delhi, December 2: Former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh and veteran pacer Ishant Sharma shared memorable moments from the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) series against Australia, emphasizing India's grit and determination during the first Test. Their reflections come ahead of the second Test, scheduled to begin on December 6.

India made a strong statement in the first Test, bouncing back from a disheartening home series whitewash against New Zealand. Despite being dismissed for a modest 150 runs in their first innings, India dominated the match, eventually defeating Australia by a staggering 295 runs at Perth’s Optus Stadium.

Adding to the momentum, India secured a convincing five-wicket victory in a warm-up match on Sunday against Australia’s Prime Ministers’ XI at Canberra's Manuka Oval. Pacer Harshit Rana’s four-wicket haul, coupled with commanding performances from Shubman Gill, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Yashasvi Jaiswal, were pivotal in sealing the win.

Reflecting on India’s resolve against a dominant Australian team, Harbhajan Singh highlighted the challenge of competing against the world’s best. “It was our job. We were playing to win against Australia. You get to know how good of a player you are when you play against a bigger team like Australia, and they were the number one team. If you want to know your capabilities, you have to play against the best,” Harbhajan said in a statement to Star Sports.

He emphasized the extra effort required to match up to Australia’s strength. “Whenever we played against Australia, we had to put in some extra effort because they were a very good team,” he added.

Ishant Sharma echoed Harbhajan's sentiments, underlining the importance of going the extra mile against a dominant opponent. “If you play against a team that is dominant in world cricket, you have to put in some extra effort. When I went there for the first time, I didn’t have any idea. I used to just bowl and focused on doing the simple things,” Ishant remarked.

The Border-Gavaskar Trophy, often regarded as one of the fiercest rivalries in cricket, continues to inspire players and fans alike. With India leading the series, the upcoming second Test in Adelaide is expected to bring more intense action and memorable moments.