Neeraj Pandey feels 'privileged' after getting opportunity to make series on Border-Gavaskar Trophy
Jun 02, 2022
By Tushar Mamgain
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], June 2 : Film director Neeraj Pandey felt privileged after getting the opportunity to make the documentary series on India versus Australia Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2020-21. The trailer launch of the documentary named 'Bando Mai Tha dum' will be released on June 16 on online platforms.
"There is obviously a liking for cricket. We all have played the sport in our growing years. I don't think there is any Indian who hasn't played cricket. I love the game and to get a sort of opportunity to make such a series is a privilege," said Neeraj Pandey while speaking to ANI.
"We figured that this is the series which can be told in this format. The way the entire four-match Test series had played out during the times of pandemic in the whole world, and even the individual stories that came out in the journey, was inspiring enough for me," he added.
Coupled with a powerful script, behind-the-scenes footage, candid narratives from the winning squad like Ajinkya Rahane, Ravichandran Ashwin, Cheteshwar Pujara, Mohammad Siraj, Rishabh Pant and Hanuma Vihari, their coaches, as well as journalists who covered the series, 'Bandon Mein Tha Dum' sheds light on the trials and tribulations that the Indian cricket team had to navigate ahead of their unforgettable victory against Team Australia at their home ground of Gabba, where they hadn't lost a Test match for 32 years.
The web series focuses on how the team played extraordinarily high-quality cricket and simultaneously redefined the concept of hard work, perseverance, determination and commitment, setting the highest standards of sportsmanship while breathing new life into the fading format of Test cricket.
A lot of Indian cricketers were not available as Virat Kohli could not play any game after the Adelaide Test debacle as he was on paternity leave. Experienced pacer Ishant Sharma was injured before the start of the Test series. Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Ravichandran Ashwin and Hanuma Vihari also could not feature in the fourth and final Test in Brisbane due to injuries they suffered in the middle of the series.
On top of everything, India was 36/9 in the second innings of the first Test at Adelaide and conceded a 0-1 lead but the Ajinkya Rahane led side went on to win the Melbourne and Brisbane Tests while the Sydney Test was a hard-fought draw. India won their second Test series on Australian soil with a 2-1 win.
Talking about how 'Bandon Mein Tha Dum' came about, Neeraj Pandey in a statement shared, "Bandon Mein Tha Dum is an epic tale that outlines 'Miracles do happen and it happened in the India-Australia Test series 2020/2021 which culminated in India's stunning defeat of the world no.1 test side at their hallowed home turf of Gabba where they hadn't lost a test match for 32 years."
