From Sachin Tendulkar To Yuvraj Singh, 4 Cricketers Who Made It Big During Ind-Aus Series

From Sachin Tendulkar To Yuvraj Singh, 4 Cricketers Who Made It Big During Ind-Aus Series

We can tell what a player is truly made of by the way they react under extreme pressure. While many get discouraged and fall apart, there are some who live for such moments and deliver regardless of all the strain. India-Australia series is known to have such an impact on cricketers from either of the teams and throughout the famed rivalry, there are many players who elevated from being “just another player” to “oh! That guy!”

Here are four Indian cricketers who made it big during the India-Australia series: 

1. Sachin Tendulkar

India's 1991-92 tour of Australia was Sachin Tendulkar's first. A boy still in his teen years, flying with the Indian team to compete against the likes of Allan Border and Craig McDermott, had everybody excited. And even though India went on to lose the Test series 4-0, Tendulkar's knock during the third Test made the Aussies take note of this young prodigy. 

Having lost the first two Tests, India managed to draw the third Test in Sydney. While Ravi Shastri went on a tear and scored a double-ton, it was the 19-year-old master blaster's 148 that left the world stunned. But the century Tendulkar scored with wickets falling on the other end during the fifth and final match of the series is what defines his first red-ball visit Down Under.

2. Yuvraj Singh

Recently retired and already making headlines in club cricket, Yuvraj Singh was one of the most feisty cricketers who played in the blue jersey. His firepower during the U-19 World Cup 2000 got his picked by the national team's selectors for the 2000 Knockout Cup. 

The task was challenging. With no experience in international cricket at its peak, Singh was to take on ruthless bowlers like Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee and Jason Gillespie. But the young cricketer managed just fine. During the quarter-final encounter against the Australians, Singh smashed a confident 84 off 80, leading India to a match-winning 265-run total. The Prince of Indian cricket was here to stay.

3. VVS Laxman

When asked about the famous 2001 Kolkata Test Sourav Ganguly famously said, “It was God's Test match”. Looking back on the match, it was also the Test that propelled VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid to a demi-God status.

After being bundled out for 171 runs in the first innings, India were forced to follow on. Despite getting off to a decent start, India still faced the prospect of defeat. However, Laxman and Dravid batted through day 4 and stitched a 376-run stand which allowed India to set Australia a target of 384 runs. India bowled out the visitors to nab a memorable win. Laxman's 281 and Dravid's 180 are crucial milestones in India's journey to becoming world beaters. 

4. Harbhajan Singh

India were dealt a blow in the run-up to Australia's tour when Anil Kumble was ruled out of the 2001 series with an injury at home. Sourav Ganguly backed a young Harbhajan Singh to lead India's spin-bowling attack and Bhajji grabbed the opportunity with both hands.

Harbhajan claimed 13 wickets including a hat-trick in the historic win in the second Test in Kolkata and finished the series with 32 wickets. Not only was Harbhajan adjudged the Man of the Match in the final Test but was also named Man of the Series.

The India-Australia series have always been fun to watch regardless of which era you belonged to. The latest edition of the clash between the two titans begins January 14, at 1:30 pm as Aaron Finch and Co take on Virat Kohli's men at Wankhede, Mumbai.