When India were bowled out for an unthinkable 36 in Adelaide during the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, then-head coach Ravi Shastri delivered a message to his team that set the tone for one of the greatest comebacks in cricket history. "You can't do worse than that," he told his players in the dressing room.
"Sometimes, calmness in situations like this produces the best results," Shastold told The ICC Review.
It was this calculated approach which turned an ignominious day into a launch pad for resiliency and eventual success, for India to eventually go on to secure the series 2-1 against the odds.
The Adelaide pink-ball Test looked poised till all of a sudden India's second innings imploded in quite dramatic fashion. Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood capitalized on ideal bowling conditions by reducing the visitors to its lowest Test score - just 36 runs.
Shastri remembers that day as saying, "I had never seen so much playing and nicking in my life. If you nicked, you were out. There was no playing and missing. It was extraordinary."
The result left India humiliated, as pundits and fans wrote off their chances for the remainder of the series.
After the debacle, Shastri didn't panic. Instead, he spoke about composure. He made it clear to the team that it was all right to err but how one reacts is what makes him.
"There was no need for knee-jerk reactions," Shastri said. "We knew luck hadn't gone our way in that session. The key was to trust our processes and bounce back."
India responded in the very next Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. With captain Virat Kohli returning home on paternity leave, Ajinkya Rahane stepped up in style. Rahane's masterful century took India to a commanding win and levelled the series, thus showing the team's resilience.
The bowlers, led by Jasprit Bumrah and debutant Mohammed Siraj, delivered a clinical performance and indicated that India was determined to fight back.
Sydney: The third Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground was a true testament to India's grit and resolve. When Rishabh Pant's counterattacking 97 gave India hope, Hanuma Vihari and Ravichandran Ashwin batted through pain to secure a memorable draw.
When an injury-ravaged squad had shown that spirit and character could defy any odds.
The final Test at the Gabba, Australia’s fortress for 32 years, was the ultimate test of India’s depth and determination. Despite missing several first-choice players, India chased down 328 on the final day, thanks to Rishabh Pant’s fearless 89*.
Washington Sundar and Shardul Thakur’s all-round brilliance, combined with Siraj’s five-wicket haul, highlighted the strength of India’s bench.
For Shastri, it was the turnaround from Adelaide to Brisbane that showed how the team believed and was not rattled. Sometimes, the worst moments bring out the best in you. Adelaide taught us to focus on what we could control and not let one bad day define us," he said.
As India prepare for another pink-ball Test in Adelaide, the lessons of 36 all out remain relevant. The collapse is no longer a haunting memory but a reminder of the power of resilience and composure.
"This team knows how to respond to challenges. Adelaide was a chapter of learning, and the series that followed was the story of redemption," Shastri concluded.
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