Looking for an I-Day victory
Everybody seems excited and hopeful about an Indian Test win on Independence Day
At the end of the first day’s play at Lord’s in London, Team India was in a strong position at 276/3. After the match, one of the journalists at the event pointed out how it would be even more special if India won the match at Lord’s on India’s Independence
Day. And Rohit Sharma couldn’t help but reply with a salute and a smile, saying, “Will be great to win a Test on Independence Day.”
To that, we say, Amen, because, well, India has never won an international match on this day. The nearest they came to winning a match on that day was two years ago in the West Indies. India and the West Indies were face to face for the three-ODI series in August 2019.
The last match of the series was played on 14th August though it ended on the morning of 15th August; time-zone-wise, India is 9 hours and 30 minutes ahead of Trinidad and Tobago. India not only won that match on this day, but also captured the three-match ODI series 2–0. On its part, the Indian cricket team dedicated the match as a big gift to the country on its Independence Day.
“We even had a small flag-hoisting ceremony at 11 am on 15th August before we left for Antigua,” recalls Sunil Subramanium, the then manager for the team, adding that they usually don’t have major victory celebrations. “But we don’t miss the flag hosting celebrations on this day. And during my tenure alone, we celebrated 15th August once in Kandy in 2017 and then London in 2018.”
Incidentally, India’s present Lord’s team is staying in St. James’ Court, the same hotel in which the Indian cricket team had done a flag hoisting in 2018.
On 15th August this year, which falls on Sunday, it will be the 4th day of the current Test match. As per protocol, the flag hoisting must be done by 11 am. It will be interesting, nevertheless, to see if the BCCI president Sourav Ganguly, who’s now in England, will announce the flag hoisting before Kohli’s men reach the ground two hours before the 11 am start of the match.
INDIA HAS NEVER WON AN INTERNATIONAL MATCH ON THIS DAY. THE NEAREST THEY CAME TO WINNING A MATCH ON THAT DAY WAS TWO YEARS AGO IN THE WEST INDIES. INDIA AND THE WEST INDIES WERE FACE TO FACE FOR THE THREEODI SERIES IN AUGUST 2019.