Hockey India shortlists 28 players for Coaching Camp
The team returns to camp after playing a five-match Test series in Australia.
India on Sunday drubbed Australia by 7 wickets in the third and final ODI at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, thus clinching the three-match series 2-1.
Former Australia pacer Shoaib Akhtar praised India’s performance saying that the Men in Blue “bullied and hammered” the guests.
“In Chinnaswamy, basically India bullied and hammered Australia; it was like playing with boys,” said Akhtar on his YouTube channel as quoted by IANS.
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Virat Kohli and boys lost the first match in Mumbai by 10 wickets, but they bounced back in the remaining two matches in Rajkot and Bengaluru to clinch the three-match series 2-1. India had won the second ODI by 36 runs.
“It was a battle of pride. This is a new Indian team, not like my playing days. To win the series after losing the 1st match so comprehensively was quite difficult,” Akhtar said.
Meanwhile, the Rawalpindi Express also heaped praises on India skipper Virat Kohli, who was declared the Player of the Series for scoring 183 runs in 3 matches.
“Virat Kohli is an exceptional leader. He is very tough mentally. He knows how to mount comebacks. His boys know it as well. He doesn’t give up after setbacks,” said Akhtar.
“Then if you have talents like Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul, then you know that if you have got the opposition out for less than 300, that too in Bengaluru, then you forget about stopping that chase,” he added.
The Men in Blue will now travel to New Zealand for five T20Is, three ODIs and two Tests starting January 24.
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