What has also made this tour incredibly difficult for players is the Covid-19 restrictions and the bio-bubble environments they must adhere to. A vast majority of them have been away from home for almost five months, beginning with the IPL in the UAE.
The growing list of cricketers on the multi-injury casualty list has only compounded India’s troubles. But they have found a way to overcome those challenges and still have a chance to win the series as the fourth decisive test looms.
Former India player Sujith Somasundar, a certified mental stamina and life performance coach, credits the coaching staff for this mental toughness on the team. “I think a lot of credit goes to the people around the Indian team. They get a lot of thieves. But let’s give them the credit where it is due,” he said.
“Sometimes breakdowns happen. It happened to us in Adelaide (2nd inning where India was all out for 36). But how you deal with that is important. I think our support staff handled it very well. emotionally stick to the results. But rather, the focus should be on improving the work ethic of the players. I think that’s where head coach Ravi Shastri and his team have done a commendable job, “said Somasundar, the chief of education at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) of the Indian cricket board.
The former Karnataka cricketer thinks the new players who have stepped in haven’t looked out of reach because of the work that has gone into behind the scenes. “I think they (the coaching staff) have treated each player differently. They have treated each of them according to their potential. They have made them aware of what is possible and have tried to make them realize it,” he added.
Virat Kohli had also spoken highly of the character of the team before taking paternity leave. “We are a team that will show faith and not necessarily give up. That is a hallmark of this team,” Kohli had said.
This ‘hallmark’ is what alternate captain Ajinkya Rahane will bet on in Brisbane. “Physically we may be at a disadvantage. However, mentally they will have a lot of courage after Sydney, which was kind of a moral victory,” Somasundar said.
If India can also defy the odds in Brisbane, her mental toughness will become legend.
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