Whole world will stand up & salute you: Shastri to Indian team

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Brisbane, Jan 20 (IANS) India coach Ravi Shastri paid tribute to the "self-belief" that his players showed in a speech speech to the team after their historic win over Australia at the Gabba in the fourth Test on Tuesday.

India beat Australia by three wickets to complete their third highest chase of all time in Tests and thus sealed a 2-1 series win.

It is their second consecutive series victory in Tests over Australia Down Under and it came despite the fact that India lost as many as six players to injury over the course of the series, including frontline fast bowlers Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, ace spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and all rounder Ravindra Jadeja. India also started the tour with a disastrous eight wicket defeat in Adelaide after being all out for a record low total of 36 after which captain Virat Kohli left for India for the birth of his first child.

"Courage, resolve, strength you guys have shown is unreal. Not for once you were down. Injuries, 36 all out, (and still) you had the self belief in you. This hasn't happened overnight but now you have got that self belief and you can see where it can take you," Shastri said in his speech, the video of which the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) uploaded on its website.

"Today, forget India, the whole world will stand up and salute you. Remember what you guys did today; you need to enjoy this moment. Don't let it go away, enjoy as much as you can. All the debutants, the support staff, everybody. You have been simply outstanding."

India fielded debutants Washington Sundar and T Natarajan in the fourth Test and included Shardul Thakur, who had only played one Test before Brisbane.

"It started in Melbourne, Sydney was fantastic it allowed us to come here level. And the fact that you pulled this off today is simply outstanding. Shubman (Gill), great work. Puji (Cheteshwar Pujara), you will be known as the ultimate warrior. Rishabh (Pant), simply outstanding. Jinks (Ajinkya Rahane), to lead the side from the position that we were in and to make them bounce back in the middle the way you had, simply superb," said Shastri.

"Last but not the least from this Test match which I would not want to forget is three debutants, and their performance in the first innings. Nattu (Natarajan), Washi (Washington Sundar) and I say Shardul because he hardly played in the first Test. That's what the broke the back of Australia -- you come back and get 330-340 on this wicket after being 180/6. Let's not forget our masseuse and our physios. Enjoy the moment, lads, enjoy it. These things don't happen every day," Shastri said.

--IANS

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