IND vs AUS: Nation's Heartbreak of November 19 Turns 1, Indian Fans Shouldn’t Cry Over ODI WC Final Defeat

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India versus Australia, this is now a recurrent theme. Perhaps, for the sake of memories - the bad ones - fans will recall the loss to Australia at the ICC ODI World Cup final last year on the same date in Mumbai. But is that necessary, really?

Agreed, that loss hurt, much more than losing the ICC Test Championship final last year in England. An optimist would do well to recall how the Men in Blue beat the Aussies in the Super Eights this year in an ICC T20 World Cup match at Gros Islet (West Indies) on June 24. It was an important win, and eventually India went on to lift the trophy.

One has to be positive, no matter what. Just for the sake of a date, a bad one, to remember negative things is not good. It's like in real life for humans as well, there will be ups and downs.

Even in this, a date gone wrong or a relationship being ruined is not the be-all-and-end-all of life. There has to be a way forward for the sake of positivity.

So, the eternal optimist will not cry over what happened on November 19 in 2023 but remember this date, today, as one where India are battling the odds to come good against the Aussies in the five-Test BGT Series starting in Perth on November 22.

The doomsday predictors, experts included, have said the series will be a wipe-out for the Indians, like the loss to Black Caps recently at home. However, the Aussies media is not saying that.

To the contrary, they expect Virat Kohli to burst into form, Jasprit Bumrah let the red cherry fly and more Indian fast bowlers make it difficult for the Aussies in pacy Perth, with even Harshit Rana likely to go flat out. He is being touted for a Test debut in Perth after his exploits in the recent Ranji Trophy, the 2024 IPL and also simulation matches in Perth.

Fans must realise there has been a tectonic shift in battles between India and Australia in cricket, be it white ball or red ball. To moan and mourn an ODI final loss one year back will do no good. Indian cricket has learnt to fight repeatedly.

And that has earned them respect from one and all. The usually cocky Aussie media no longer treats India as pushovers. How India won the series Down Under in 2021 is still remembered, so the underdog tag should suit India.

Before people pounce and say Rohit Sharma is not there for the Perth Test and Shubman Gill is injured, please accept it. You don't have to play the same old song like the days of an old gramophone record.

This generation has fighters and people fear the ferocity of a Yashasvi Jaiswal when he smashes the red ball for sixes. This is the new generation. Many more will also try and do well. That's the shift in mental approach from India.

Indeed, India versus Australia is the mother and father of all battles. Forget the India versus Pakistan rivalries, they are past. If, at all, there are match-ups between these two nations, it will be only in ICC events.

Ind vs Pak bilaterals were buried long ago, RIP. If you again talk of the historic Ashes, yes, that will remain historic. What grabs eyeballs is the BGT Series and the build-up has been sensational.

An Aussie media house has already produced a 36-page supplement on the series with King Kohli and more players as the central characters. There are headlines in Hindi in it as well in the supplement, which is a clear marketing gimmick.

The number of Indians living Down Under is increasing, the student population included. And 'curry' is more popular in Australia as well.

Maybe, in the good old days, India versus Australia contests were few. Over the last 23 years plus, be it in India or Down Under, the nature of battles has changed. There is more aggro from both sides.

For those who remember sledging and Aussies wanting to get under the skin of Indians, that does not happen so easily now. Between Kohli and a Rishabh Pant, they can needle the Aussies without coming under the radar for any kind of punishment for verbal abuse. This is the DNA today of the Indian team, stand up and fight.

Overall, the Aussies are aware, India is their new home of sorts. From Ricky Ponting to many more former players, they ply their trade in India and make money. Players, coaches and support staff, India is the market for them.

It's such a big change since the inception of the IPL. Yes, the BGT Series will be hard, but trust India to fight harder. They are not meek and will show spine, hopefully. This series rates much higher than many before, remember that. India versus Australia is hot, just like the weather Down Under, in another hemisphere.