Team India's "spectacular success in Australia" found a mention in Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Budget 2021 speech on Monday. Lauding India's outstanding performance in the recent Australia series, Nirmala Sitharaman said, "I can't help but recall the joy that we as a cricket-loving nation felt after the team India's recent spectacular success in Australia." "It has reminded us of all the qualities that we as people, particularly our youth, epitomise having abundant promise and the unsuppressed first to perform and to succeed," Nirmala Sitharaman said.
Before mentioning the Indian team's historic victory, Nirmala Sitharam recalled Rabindranath Tagore's words: "Faith is the bird that feels the light and sings when the dawn is still dark." Nirmala Sitharaman is presenting one of the most-awaited Budgets of the country on Monday as the Covid-hit nation awaits economic relief and recovery from the pandemic that has brought down GDP growth to 4 per cent, the lowest in 11 years. Nirmala Sitharaman, who had in her first budget in 2019 replaced leather briefcase that had been for decades used for carrying budget documents with a traditional red cloth 'bahi-khata', had earlier this month stated that the budget for the fiscal year beginning April will be "like never before".
On Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also praised the Indian cricket team, saying that the team's hard work and teamwork which was on full display in Australia is inspiring. "This month, we got good news from the cricket pitch. After initial hiccups, the Indian team bounced back strongly and won the Test series in Australia. Our team's hard work and teamwork was inspiring," Modi said during his monthly 'Mann Ki Baat' programme.The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), on their part, expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister for his appreciation and tweeted: "Thank you Shri Narendra Modi for your appreciation and words of encouragement. Team India will do everything possible to keep the tricolour flying high."India will next face England in a four-Test series beginning Friday in Chennai.
