Many Indian fans might have been worried about the long list of injured players in the Indian squad that toured Australia. This is arguably the biggest number of injured players, even bigger than those who were battered in the West Indies in 1976 when India lost a match it never even properly contested in the first place. Ajinkya Rahane had come forth as the Indian cricket team captain for the final three Tests in Australia because of the sheer number of absences and injuries.

However, India proved that these injuries were not indicative of cowardice as India braved the repeated bodyline onslaught from the Aussies and showed why Test cricket is so revered and unique. The famous Sydney draw has overshadowed the biggest blow Team India has ever faced, the Adelaide Test fiasco. India was looking totally lost and clueless as they slumped to a shameful 36 for 9. Indeed, that day left more bruises and scars on the image of India and made fans anxious about the country’s struggles overseas. However, if Adelaide was a disaster, Melbourne seemed to turn out as the turning point in the series. The players, the team in general, discovered their lost confidence and form and found their bearings in the absence of captain Virat Kohli. Kohli’s return to India had probably woken them up from their formless slumber and rekindled their commitment, while at the same time taking a lot of pressure off the players. However, this was not the only injury that India had to brave.

• Mohammad Shami suffered a blow to the forearm while batting during the second innings in the Adelaide Test when he was diagnosed with a fracture.
• Umesh Yadav had to walk off the field in the middle of the Melbourne test due to a calf muscle injury.
• A vicious bouncer from Mitchell Starc hit Ravindra Jadeja on his left thumb, dislocating it and forcing him to stop play. However, Jadeja won the hearts of fans as he was padded and ready to bat if the team lost another player to injury despite his broken thumb.
• Hanuma Vihari suffered a Grade 2 hamstring injury during the Melbourne Test, and yet even with the injury, he faced more than a hundred balls.
• India’s backbone pacer Jasprit Bumrah was seen speaking to paramedics during the Melbourne Test. It appeared that he had developed an abdominal strain. Despite this, he played the test but was not risked in the following Brisbane test or the Gabba Test after that.
• Rishabh Pant was injured in the elbow during the Sydney test and did not keep, being replaced by Wriddhiman Saha. However, he returned to bat in the second innings, pushing India to victory by scoring 97 off 118 balls.