Indian pace bowler Shardul Thakur slammed Australia’s ‘horrible’ treatment during the final Test at Brisbane during the 2020-21 tour. He shared how the team members had no housekeeping for four to five days and had to do it all by themselves. However, there was already growing tension between the team after pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj faced racial abuse in the previous Test at Sydney as well. The series was equalled at 1-1 with the Border Gavaskar Trophy on the line entering the Brisbane Test as well. At the event hosted by IISM, Thakur shared the horrific experience Team India had to face during the series finale at the Gabba as well.

He said, “The way they treated us was very horrible. For 4 or 5 days there won’t be any housekeeping service in the hotel. So if you want to change your bed sheets, you would have to walk up the stairs for four or five floors, get the bed sheets when you are tired, come and change it and do your own things.”

Notably, the on-field crowd abuse didn’t stop in Sydney and it continued to Brisbane as Siraj and off-spinner Washington Sundar were reportedly abused on Day 1 as well.

“Going from Sydney to Brisbane, we also heard the lady governor of Queensland saying if the Indians don’t want to come here, don’t come, we don’t want to host them. There were a lot of negative things being said about us to put us under pressure,” said Thakur.

However, Team India overcame the off-field and on-field odds by stunning the Australians with a three-wicket win in the Gabba Test.
Dealing with several injuries during the series India played two debutants in T Natarajan and Washington Sundar. On the other hand, the rest of the attack with Thakur, Siraj, and Navdeep Saini also had minimal Test experience as well. Moreover, their regular skipper Virat Kohli didn’t play after the first Test and Ajinkya Rahane led the team. Yet, Indian players stepped up and sealed the deal.