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India Today
31-07-2025
- Entertainment
- India Today
Don't rile up India! When teams learned it the hard way after going at Indian team
In sports, a bit of banter and riling up is all part of the game. We often see teams trying to rile up their opponents with a bit of psychological warfare to rattle the players and make them commit a mistake. Sometimes, these players can cross the line with some expletives involved — and all of it adds to the spice in the this isn't just limited to the field; we often see it extend beyond it as well. Despite all this warfare, there are times when it falls flat and doesn't have the desired effect. The opponents may just take it all in — and then come after you and secure the win. In the Indian cricket team's case, there have been countless instances when they have faced the music and riling up from their opponents and given it back. Sometimes they do it in the same game, or sometimes in the next why we are looking into this topic is because of what has happened in the ongoing Test series between India and England. While the first two matches didn't have a lot of drama, things started to heat up from Day 3 of the Lord's Test as the Indian team had a go at their hosts for time-wasting. The Manchester Test then saw the Indian team reject the handshake offer from Ben Stokes — and just when we thought things couldn't get any spicier, Gautam Gambhir decided to enter the fray. The Indian coach had some choice words for Oval pitch curator Lee Fortis, as he shouted at the Indian support staff and asked everyone to stay away from the pitch. R Ashwin had an interesting take on the matter and said that this has handed an advantage to the Indian team.'After all that, when I saw the video of that fight today, I am thinking, 'Boss, what are you guys doing?' This is not how you want to play against this Indian team. I have always seen that when adversity strikes the Indian team, however it may be, someone will rise up. When things are not going right, or when we are pushed against the wall, the Indian team is a different kettle of fish; it becomes a different beast.'The former spinner also pointed to various instances in the past when opponents have tried to rile up India — and how they have responded strongly, as the team gets galvanised.'When such an incident occurs, those sleeping beasts, the individually brilliant players, will come together. I have seen that many times. You look at any kind of adversity. When that Monkeygate incident happened, you saw how we played in the next Test. Look at what happened at the Gabba, look at what happened at the Lord's, where Virat said, '60 overs of hell'. It galvanizes the team,' said let's take a look at some of these Gavaskar walked out and India hit back at AustraliaThe stage was the 1981 Melbourne Test as India and Australia were going at it. Sunil Gavaskar and Chetan Chauhan were opening the batting, and the former was the captain of the side. Gavaskar was controversially given out leg before wicket as Dennis Lillee celebrated. Gavaskar was furious, as the ball had hit the bat before crashing onto the pads, and the Indian captain decided to stand his ground. He then had an animated chat with Lillee before deciding to walk off the field, telling his opening partner Chauhan to return with him to the Indian manager Shahid Durrani intervened and asked Chauhan to continue in order to avoid a potential forfeit. Gavaskar was back in the pavilion, but the Indian team was ready to avenge their skipper. Kapil Dev stepped up with the ball and claimed five wickets in the second innings to help India win the match by 59 conquer Perth after Sydney horrorThe Sydney Test during the 2007-08 Border-Gavaskar Trophy is infamous for many reasons if you're an Indian cricket team fan. First, it was the match where the Monkeygate scandal happened, with Harbhajan Singh coming under the scanner for his supposed racial abuse of Andrew this, as the match headed for a thrilling finish, some horrible decisions left everyone shocked. This was the match where Ricky Ponting claimed he took the catch of Sourav Ganguly cleanly, but replays showed that there was more than met the the match was done, India even planned to leave the series mid-way and head home. Such was the tension. However, they responded in the very next match was played in Perth and the rivalry between the sides was at an all-time high. A young Ishant Sharma proved to be a nightmare for Australian skipper Ponting as India outclassed the Aussies and claimed a famous 72-run Harbhajan decided to take Pakistan and Shoaib Akhtar onThe stage was the Asia Cup 2010, and we had India going up against arch-rivals Pakistan. The men in green posted a target of 267 for India to chase, and after a shaky start, India were stabilised by Gambhir and MS Dhoni's came the first boiling point, when Gambhir and Kamran Akmal went at it and had to be separated by the umpires and players. Soon, India found themselves struggling, with Harbhajan and Suresh Raina having to put on a rescue off-spinner showed he was no slouch with the bat and took on Shoaib Akhtar, hitting him for a six. The Pakistan pacer didn't take it too kindly and had some things to tell the spinner. How did Harbhajan respond? He got himself ready for the final over and hit Mohammad Amir for a six, as India sealed the win with one ball celebrated in front of Akhtar — and the Pakistan pacer decided to let it hell at Lord's'For 60 overs, they should feel hell out there.'This was the famous line from then-captain Virat Kohli as India aimed for the win at Lord's. Over the course of the match, England made sure to rile up the Indian team across both innings, and the visitors gave it back as well. They refused to back down from the fight as England needed to chase 272 on the final day to Indian bowlers were right on the money as they destroyed the England batting order and left them reeling at 90 for seven. Jos Buttler and Ollie Robinson were looking to battle on, but Bumrah and Siraj had other ideas — the latter sealing the win by cleaning up James end Australian dominance at GabbaThe 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy series was a tale of India's resurgence, despite a heavy defeat in the first match. They looked dead and buried, and with Kohli out of the series, the Indian team had a mountain to climb. And that's what they won the second Test in Melbourne, and then Hanuma Vihari and R Ashwin battled hard to salvage a draw. But during the course of the final day, then-Australia captain Tim Paine decided to sledge Ashwin and kept telling him how eager he was to get the spinner to Gabba — a fortress for Indian team were riled up, and they made Paine eat his words as the young and inexperienced side served up the heat to the Aussies. Chasing 328 runs to win, India went about the chase brilliantly as Shubman Gill scored 91 and the fearless Rishabh Pant decided to take control of the a sweet boundary down the ground, Pant sent the Indian fans into raptures as fortress Gabba was breached — and India won the series and again, attempts to provoke India have backfired, only serving to awaken a team that thrives under pressure. Whether it's on English turf or Australian soil, history shows: don't rile up India — you might not like what comes next.- EndsTune InMust Watch
RTÉ News
25-07-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Lions call on former captain Martin Johnson for second Test inspiration
If anyone can give this British and Irish Lions squad a sense of what to expect on Saturday, it's Martin Johnson. The former England head coach and captain was skipper when the Lions came to Melbourne in 2001 off the back of an impressive first Test win, only for the Wallabies to emphatically level the series. Four years earlier, Johnson was also captain of the great 1997 side, who clinched the series with a game to spare against the Springboks at Kings Park in Durban. And as the Lions look to make their own piece of history at the Melbourne Cricket Ground tomorrow, it was appropriate for the former captain to come in and pass on some words of wisdom. Johnson presented the squad with their jerseys ahead of Saturday's MCG Test, and spoke to the squad about what to expect, as someone who has been through both the highs and lows of Lions' tours. "The room was completely quiet for the whole time he was there and spoke. There were guys just staring up at him," scrum coach John Fogarty (below) said of Johnson's presentation. "He talked a bit about the Lions series they won [1997] and the Lions series they lost [2001] and the difference in either. "He spoke about how in the biggest games the fundamentals are incredibly important. There's going to be errors but not compounding errors on errors is a huge part of winning big games. It was really cool. "Maro [Itoje] asked him a question or two and then he handed out the jerseys. It has been such a privilege this whole journey to have someone like him come in and talk to the lads was another privilege. It's cool. Some of the current squad Henry Pollock, Fin Smith and Jamie Osborne weren't even born when Johnson captained the Lions on that 2001 tour, while many others were yet to even be walking or talking 24 years ago. However, Fogarty said the significance of having Johnson in camp wasn't lost on the younger crop. "They knew who he was for sure. "There was a bit of contemplation and reflection after he talked, which is a good thing. It is what you want. You don't just want to turn around and get your dinner. "There was a bit of thinking and there were conversations, but it was a quiet room because they wanted to listen to a guy they see as an icon. It was pretty cool. "He said it is the smallest of margins in the biggest of games [that matter]. "The error bit, what he is talking about there is being able to get back to neutral and talking about being in the moment. All that stuff is difficult when you're playing in front of 95,000 people in a stadium as iconic as this." While Johnson's game for the Lions in Melbourne in 2001, and the 2013 Melbourne Test, were both across town at the Docklands – now Marvel – Stadium, tomorrow's game will be played in a much grander setting, where an estimated 90,000 supporters will be packed into the famous Melbourne Cricket Ground. The MCG was looking spectacular on Friday afternoon as Fogarty spoke to the media pitchside, less than 24 hours after an AFL game on the same pitch between Hawthorn and Carlton. And the Lions assistant was blown away by the size and history of the venue. "What a stage, what a game it's going to be. "I have never watched cricket, never seen the game, we didn't play it when we were kids so I hadn't got a clue [about the MCG]. "Andy [Farrell] has been telling us: 'Wait until you see this'. When he got back from doing a recce he was 'Oh my God, this stadium, that stadium' but nothing landed until we walked out. "My brother Denis is over and he came to the game last night and was telling me it was going to be some stadium to play in, it is an amazing place. "I remember the first time I walked out to Croke Park when I was a kid and I was 'Oh God, look at this' so when we walked out you could see a lot of us looking around and going 'Jesus, this is bigger than anything we have been in before'. "Certainly for me it is bigger than anything I have been in before, it is an unbelievable privilege to be here, I know have said it a couple of times but I mean it. I feel unbelievably lucky, and the players are the same, to be able to do this stuff. It is not normal." There may be temptation to approach the game from a cold perspective, but Fogarty wants the players to embrace the occasion of playing a Lions Test in one of the world's most famous sporting venues. "You've got to lean in a little bit, don't you? "The boys are going to be building to 8pm, so we need to simmer away tomorrow so that we're at the right level when we arrive here and then we can hit the ground running and do things properly. "We're expecting an absolute battle, a war. But when you come here it makes it a bit more special because you understand what it's going to be like a little bit. "All the little things will matter tomorrow." Meanwhile, the Lions have confirmed that Ewan Ashman, Gregor Brown, Rory Sutherland and Darcy Graham have returned home after they were drafted in on a temporary basis to help with Tuesday's fixture against the First Nations and Pasifika XV. Irish pair Thomas Clarkson and Jamie Osborne remain with the squad.
ABC News
22-07-2025
- Sport
- ABC News
Live updates: First Nations Pasifika XV vs British and Irish Lions at Docklands stadium
The British and Irish Lions start their Melbourne Test week by taking on a First Nations Pasifika XV featuring Kurtley Beale and Taniela Tupou. Follow all the action from Docklands stadium in our live blog.
Perth Now
20-07-2025
- Sport
- Perth Now
How 'stars aligned' for the Wallaby that got away
Sione Tuipulotu didn't think he deserved to be a Wallaby when he left Melbourne six years ago but that hasn't stopped the British and Irish Lions star carrying a chip on his shoulder. So the Scottish captain, Lions centre and try-scorer on his historic night in Brisbane's 27-19 win on Saturday can appreciate the theatre ahead of his Victorian return this week. The fringe Melbourne Rebels talent, now the first Australian to play for the Lions in a Test for 115 years, can help clinch a series in his hometown. "It is kind of crazy," the 28-year-old said of the full-circle moment. "To go back to Melbourne this week and hopefully play in front of my family ... the stars have aligned for me." The Australian under-20s representative managed just a handful of games at the Rebels before an off-season move to Japan led to a new deal with Glasgow Warriors. Something clicked and, qualifying through his Scottish grandmother, he made his Test debut in 2021. Younger brother Mosese, a flag bearer at the Melbourne Test 12 years ago, shifted from the NSW Waratahs to Edinburgh and has since played for Scotland A. Also at the Waratahs, 21-year-old hooker Ottavio has represented Australia at a junior level and is on both Test nations' radars. "If you asked me when I first moved from Melbourne I'd say it is personal and I think there is still a chip on my shoulder," Tuipulotu said. "That is what has got me to this point, having that chip on my shoulder. But in terms of being bitter about Australian rugby, not at all. "I always say that I wasn't good enough to play for the Wallabies when I was in Melbourne. "It wasn't a selector problem. I wasn't good enough. "I owe everything to Scottish rugby because they made me the player I am today and now I get the chance to go back to Melbourne and play in my home city and hopefully close out a Test series." Tuipulotu won his much-hyped battle with Australian opposite Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, scoring the first try thanks to a delightful, long cut-out pass from Scottish flyhalf and Lions roommate Finn Russell. "Being around him made me not overreact to the occasion," he said of their connection. "It felt like we were playing a Scotland game together ... he threw a pretty similar pass a couple of years back against England. "When he was throwing it I thought about that." The Lions led 1-0 after Brisbane wins in their last two tours, winning 2-1 on their last visit and losing 2-1 in 2001 after both went to deciders. "All the attention is going to shift to how we can play better in this next game," Tuipulotu said. The Wallabies won the second half and the Lions only managed three points after their third try in the 42nd minute to breath life into a series that, early in the first half, looked ominously one-sided. "We left a lot of points out there in the first half and the game should have been done in 30 or 40 minutes. "I am sure (the Wallabies' fightback) will give them a lot of belief." Rob Valetini and Will Skelton will both be available after calf niggles kept them sidelined in Brisbane, while the likes of hooker Billy Pollard and scrumhalf Tate McDermott shone when injected off the bench. "I grew up with Rob Valenti and I know what he brings to the team, and guys like Will Skelton," the Scot said. "The good thing for us is that it was nowhere near our best performance and we still have a lot to work on. "We expect them to be desperate, but no more desperate than us because we are trying to close out a series."
India Gazette
24-06-2025
- Sport
- India Gazette
VVS Laxman pays condolences to former India spinner Dilip Doshi, who passed away at 77
New Delhi [India] June 24 (ANI): Former Indian cricketer VVS Laxman pays condolences to former India left-arm spinner Dilip Doshi, who passed away on Monday in London, aged 77. Doshi passed away due to heart issues in London, where he had lived for several decades. With a classical left-armer's action, Doshi scalped 114 Test wickets in 33 appearances, including six five-wicket hauls. VVS Laxman posted on his X handle, 'Really sad to hear about the passing of Dilip Doshi Sir. Always enjoyed talking about the game with him. Heartfelt condolences to Nayan and his entire family. May his soul rest in peace.' Former Indian veteran spinner Harbhajan Singh posted on his X handle, ' RIP Dilip Doshi sir. Condolences to the family.' Former Indian wicketkeeper/batter Parthiv Patel also posted on his X handle, 'I'm heartbroken and still in shock about Dilip uncle... he was truly special. Nayan, thinking of you all with love and strength.' In a post on X, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) condoled Doshi's demise, stating, 'The BCCI mourns the sad demise of former India spinner, Dilip Doshi, who has unfortunately passed away in London. May his soul rest in peace.' Doshi left his mark in the ODIs and finished with 22 wickets in 15 ODIs while maintaining an economy of 3.96. Doshi represented Saurashtra, Bengal, Warwickshire and Nottinghamshire in first-class cricket and picked up 898 wickets in 238 appearances at 26.58. Doshi followed in the footsteps of the famous spin quartet of the 1970s and made his debut at the age of 32. At Nottinghamshire, the West Indies legend Garfield Sobers heavily influenced the left-arm spinner. He made a silent exit from international cricket in the 1980s and gave a compelling account of his cricketing days in his autobiography Spin Punch. Among his accomplished feats, Doshi played an immaculate role with his five-wicket haul in the Melbourne Test of 1981, which helped India orchestrate a memorable victory. (ANI)
