After being pushed against the wall once again, the Indian team showed great resistance and fought their way back on Day 3 of the series-deciding fourth Test in Brisbane. While the players deserve all the credit for their never-die attitude, the team's support staff including head coach Ravi Shastri, are equally praise-worthy for their hard work behind the scenes to turn things things around, especially after losing so many players to injuries. After another gritty display by the Indian team on Sunday, former England skipper Michael Vaughan was convinced that head coach Ravi Shastri deserves a lot for credit for the way he managed this Indian team, despite all odds. Vaughan took to Twitter to praise Shastri for instilling a belief in the team that they could give any side a run for their money even in the absence of regular skipper Virat Kohli.
"Really enjoy the way @RaviShastriOfc manages this Indian team ... He deserves a lot of credit for making them believe they could compete once @imVkohli had gone home... !! #AUSvIND," Vaughan tweeted.
Having lost six wickets for 186 runs, India were looking at a huge first innings deficit but an inspired batting display from debutant Washington Sundar and Shardul Thakur, who was playing his second Test match, helped the visitors get close to Australia's first innings total of 369 runs.
The duo stitched together a 123-run stand -- India's highest partnership at the Gabba for the seventh wicket -- that took the side from 186/6 to 309, before Shardul was cleaned up by an in-swinging delivery from Pat Cummins.
During their record-breaking partnership, both the batsmen smashed their maiden Test half-centuries. With his 62 runs, Sundar registered the highest score by a debutant batting at number seven in Australia, while Shardul finished as the top-scorer for India with his 67 runs.
India started the series with a humiliating eight-wicket loss in Adelaide but bounced back strongly to clinch the second Test in Melbourne by the same margin. The Indian batsmen batted for 131 overs in the fourth innings to eke out a remarkable draw in Sydney -- leaving the series wide open.