Much like father’s day, mother’s day, or valentine’s day, friendship day is celebrated to dedicate one of the most profound bonds a person has with, i.e., a friend.
A close friend knows the person in and out, possessing even the darkest secrets which family members aren’t aware of. Therefore, 30th July is dedicated to commemorate the close friend in one’s life.
The game of cricket is a popular team sport, where camaraderie between players and staff don an integral role, especially during the lows.
With the gruelling tour schedules in modern-day cricket, players often spend most of the time in a calendar year with teammates.
The team-spirit plays a huge role when the side is on long overseas tours, with results not going their way. This is where the character of the team is tested.
On Friendship’s day, ICC decided to share a snippet from the England-Australia group-stage fixture of the 2019 ODI World Cup, held at Lord’s.
In the video, England all-rounder Chris Woakes attempted a mighty heave towards cow corner. The ball only managed to reach Glenn Maxwell placed at deep mid-wicket.
However, Maxwell soon realised that the momentum was going to take him across the fence. Subsequently, in came the relay throw to captain Aaron Finch, who came as a backup from long-on.
Tag the friend who's always got your back 🙌 #FriendshipDaypic.twitter.com/vZdb87DeSi
— ICC (@ICC) July 30, 2020
A couple of decades back, such a catch would have been treated as a wonder. Moreover, top teams, with the influx of T20 cricket, practice the relay throw in their training drills, depicting how the game has changed leaps and bounds.
Coming back to the match, Australia dominated the game and won the game by a 64-run margin. Finch set the tone early for his side with a century.
Australia posted 285 with the bat and bundled out the hosts for just 221. Finch also walked away with the ‘Player of the Match’ award.