India's Ravichandran Ashwin, centre, celebrates with teammate Ajinkya Rahane, right, after dismissing Australia's Tim Paine during play on day one of the Boxing Day cricket test between India and Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Dec. 26
India coach Ravi Shastri termed the win over Australia in the second Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Tuesday as one of the greatest comebacks 'in the history of the game'.
Asked where he would place this week's MCG win which has come in the absence of regular India skipper Virat Kohli and injury to key India fast bowlers Mohammed Shami and Ishant Sharma as well as Umesh Yadav (in the second innings), the India coach said this win deserves a place in the annals of cricket history.
"I think this will go down in the annals of Indian cricket, world cricket as one of the 'Great Comebacks' in the history of the game.
"To be rolled over for 36 and three days later to get up and be ready to punch back was outstanding.
"I think the boys showed real character," Shastri said while speaking to the media after the end of the second Test match that ended in the second session on the fourth day.
"When we arrived in Melbourne.... we discussed what we had to do to get up and fight," added Shastri.
"We had a lot of positives at Adelaide. But at the end of the day, it is the result that counts. We were blown away in the second innings in one hour. When you are blown away, you are blown away, there is nothing you can do about it. But to get up and fight, which we did in this second Test, to beat a team like Australia in Australia... there is no point having one good day in Australia, you got to have five good days if you have to beat them," added Shastri.
