‘This is a very tough Indian team’, Deep Dasgupta lauds team India for bravely dealing with mental and physical fatigues
Impressed with the grit and courage shown by team India, Dasgupta went on to mention that this is one of the ‘toughest Indian teams’ ever.
Former Indian cricketer Deep Dasgupta on Thursday lauded the Indian cricket team for showcasing a strong character in the ongoing Test series against Australia despite being affected by the injuries of its top-performers.
Pacers Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav suffered injuries in the Boxing Day Test and were ruled out. Batsman KL Rahul was the next man to join the list who hurt his wrist in the nets and had to fly back home.
Later in the Third Test, the list of wounded players grew longer as the names of Hanuma Vihari (hamstring injury), Ravindra Jadeja (dislocated thumb) and Jasprit Bumrah (abdominal strain) got added to it.
Despite being battered and bruised, the tourists didn’t lose hope and produced their best on the field. Under the leadership of stand-in captain Ajinkya Rahane, they registered a massive victory in Melbourne and went on to pull off an unbelievable draw at the Sydney cricket ground.
Impressed with the grit and courage shown by team India, Dasgupta went on to mention that this is one of the ‘toughest Indian teams’ ever.
“This is a very tough Indian team there are no two ways about it, especially the last two games. This is definitely one of the toughest Indian teams ever. But I'd say there have been tougher teams in the 60s and 70s, the conditions were different.
“We have to keep the conditions in mind, the series that is happening right now, almost 6 months of staying in the bubble and you have to factor in all of that. Toughness is not just about the sport that we see or the games that we are watching on air. This is a tough tour no doubt, mentally and physically,” Dasgupta said on Sports Today.
The tour has also taken a mental toll on the Indian players. They have been surviving in a bio-bubble since their arrival from the UAE in November last year. Dasgupta highlighted that being away from friends and family does affect a player mentally.
“The biggest challenge is the mental fatigue (playing the final Test of a series). Even normally when you're there away from home for almost 2 months, anyways it's so tiring physically yes but mentally it's tiring. And all the Indian players, except for maybe Pujara and Vihari, they've been away for almost 6 months,” Dasgupta said.
The 4-match series is currently levelled 1-1. The fourth and the final Test begins at the Gabba in Brisbane from Friday.
