Former India player turned veteran commentator Aakash Chopra has recalled an instance when he was not neutral as a cricket broadcaster. Chopra, however, represented India in 10 Test matches, scoring 437 runs at an average of 23.00. He played a key role as Virender Sehwag’s opening partner during India’s 2003-04 tour of Australia as well.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra remembered an occasion when he broke the norm as a broadcaster, saying: “As a broadcaster, all of us are asked to be neutral, that it is not us and them, it is always India versus Australia or India versus England. You should never say that it is a fight between us and them. But it happened once when I hugged the flag. I realized that our Indian team was 16 against the entire country.”
READ HERE: Gary Kirsten all set to work with Hardik Pandya
Aakash Chopra stated that almost the entire Australian nation was targeting them. he revealed: “I was in Australia and for the first time I realized that the guys in front of you are getting together against you, they are making a mountain out of a molehill – all former cricketers, media, everybody is getting together and going against Team India.”
However, Aakash Chopra has also added that he was happy when Team India defeated the Aussies in the now-famous 2018-19 Test series. Notably, India defeated Australia 2-1 in the aforementioned Test series. It was the very first Test series win for India on Australian soil and they did the same in their last trip Down Under in 2020-21 as well.
READ HERE: India will struggle if Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma don’t score, says Mohammad Hafeez
“It was the 2018-19 tour, I was the only Indian broadcaster there and I said ‘let me leave the neutral stand and let’s wave the Indian flag.’ We won there and I enjoyed it a lot that I was just going all out. I was a cheerleader for the first time in my life as a broadcaster. I couldn’t stand that, if they are 16, I also wanted to become the 17th, I wanted to be a part of that group and that’s what it means. Playing for India is absolutely everything,” Aakash Chopra concluded.
