India’s 2-1 Test series victory over Australia in 2020-21 remains one of the most significant milestones in the country’s cricket history. It wasn’t just about the win, it was about the way Ajinkya Rahane-led Team India made a glorious comeback in that series. After Virat Kohli-led India lost its first test, India’s then captain returned home for the birth of his child. Rahane took over as the captain and led the team to a brilliant victory. India won the second Test in Melbourne and then drew the third Test in Sydney. Despite the absence of some senior players, India won the series decider in Brisbane.
However, the series also witnessed Indian fast bowler Mohammed Siraj being racially abused by some of the Sydney spectators. After the third day of that Test, the Indian team management complained to the authorities about the unsavory comments that came their way. The next morning it continued and Team India complained to the umpires. The Play was suspended for ten minutes and some people were kicked off the stands.
Rahane has now revealed the full episode. “When Siraj came to me again (on the fourth day), I told the umpires (Paul Reiffel and Paul Wilson) that (they) had to take action and we would not play until then,” Rahane said in a statement. ESPNCricinfo reports on the sidelines of an event in Mumbai on Wednesday to launch a documentary on that series.
“The umpires said you can’t slow down the game and walk away if you want. We said we’re here to play and not sit in the locker room and insisted on getting the abusers off the ground. It was important to Please support our colleague given the situation he has been through. What happened in Sydney was completely wrong.”
The Cricket Australia later confirmed that some Indian players were being racially abused.
“CA confirms members of the Indian cricket team have been victims of racial abuse,” CA Integrity Chief Sean Carroll said in a statement.
“CA’s own investigation into the case remains open, with CCTV footage, ticket data and spectator interviews still being analyzed in an effort to locate those responsible. CA’s investigation concluded that the spectators filmed and/or photographed by the media at the Brewongle Stand-hal on the 86th conclusion on day four of the test did not engage in racist behavior.”
Ravichandran Ashwin, who was part of that Indian team, said on Wednesday: “I don’t think it has anything to do with a certain part of the people in a certain country. Everywhere people believe they belong to some kind of majority. And I think that racism is a tip of that, where people think that’s a way to differentiate themselves from someone.The only solution is better parenting and better awareness.
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“Yeah, it happened on that ground [SCG] and in that place [Australia] much more. But it was brave of him [Siraj] to bring it up so that at least a larger portion of the people know about it and the people sitting next to such people in the ground do better next time.
“It’s something you have to condemn. But I want to bring it up that everywhere people are differentiating people on different grounds, which is not right.”
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