This Weekend in India couldn’t have opened on a sweeter note for Indian sports freaks, a triple triumph on Friday – one expected, one against the odds and one to complete a turnaround.
The day began with Sania Mirza’s overwhelming success story that added the 2016 Australian Open women’s doubles crown to it. More women power was added to it moments later, when the Indian cricket eves did the unthinkable – beating Australia in Australia. That perhaps egged the men on to complete a turnaround on their cricket tour Down Under.
At the end of it all, it was ‘India Rule’ in Melbourne with not one, not two but three sporting achievements in a single day.
If Sania’s win, alongside her legendary partner Martina Hingis, started Friday on an expected note – thanks to their unbeaten streak that is now 36 matches long and includes a hat-trick of Grand Slams, Indian women putting it across the mighty Aussie team was stuff unheard of before.
“For me, Australian Open is very special…it’s as close as home to me,” she said after winning the final in straight sets against the Czech pair of Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka.
“I am an Indian, so I have family everywhere,” she said with a smile indicating the presence of Indians in the crowd, including some of her family. “I have a family here as well.”
The Indian ace, who is now the unprecedented queen of tennis in India, has now six Grand Slams under her belt, with her previous win at the Australian Open coming in the mixed doubles in 2009.
Her four other Grand Slams titles have been the Wimbledon (2015) and US Open (2015) in women’s doubles and the French Open (2012) and US Open (2014) in mixed doubles.
The news of India Women putting it across Australia to take a 2-0 lead in the T20 international series was completely unexpected. Perhaps world champions Australia paid to take their guests lightly despite losing the first match of the series.
First they restricted their mighty hosts to 125 in a rain-shortened 18-overs-a-side match. And then chased down a further revised target of 66 in 10 overs with ease, which included a star performance from skipper Mithali Raj (37*).
