Why cricket fans can’t get enough of video showing Aussies wearing turbans during the Boxing Day Test against India at the MCG
- Tight play was full of controversy on the field
- Some fans made accusations of cheating against Aussies
With Indian fans accusing the home side of cheating and Australian fans launching a chant accusing one of the tourists’ biggest stars of being a ‘w**ker’, you might think the Boxing Day Test was full of culture clashes — but a new video proves that’s far from the truth.
Cricket diehards have reacted with glee to a clip showing Australian spectators wearing turbans at the MCG, with many hailing it as a welcome antidote to the focus on the harsher aspects of the two countries’ cricket rivalry.
The clip – which was posted to TikTok after Australia’s Test victory – shows a group of Australian fans enjoying a few drinks while wearing pink turbans.
However, they don’t wear the headgear in a misguided attempt to ridicule opposition spectators.
The beginning of the video shows another fan having his turban arranged for him in a tent outside the MCG, as part of a charity group initiative.
Turbans 4 Australia has been helping Aussies in need since 2015 and has notably worked tirelessly to cook and deliver thousands of meals to victims of bushfires and floods in recent years.
Pictured: One of many Aussie fans who benefited from an initiative by a Sikh charity group who volunteered to tie turbans for spectators at the MCG’s Boxing Day Test
A video of Australian fans wearing headgear during the match (pictured) has been praised for showing a friendlier side to the cricket rivalry with India
The Turbans 4 Australia group behind the initiative has been helping Aussies in need since the organization was founded in 2015
The organization has also come to the aid of the homeless and those suffering from the effects of domestic violence, with the aim of promoting multiculturalism and religious tolerance.
Sikhs take their name from their term of ‘disciple’ or ‘student’ and wear turbans as part of their faith.
Cricket Australia promoted the Turbans 4 Australia tent on social media in the lead up to the Test and it appears many fans have taken up the offer.
The on-field action was hugely controversial at times, with Australian fans starting to sing about Virat Kohli after he smashed his shoulder into Sam Konstas, and their Indian counterparts trolling Pat Cummins and his men after Yashasvi Jaiswal was given out by the video referee. .
But viewers of the video praised the way it showed a kinder, gentler side of how the two cultures came together at the MCG.
The clip was captioned: ‘While the media fuels the rivalry, this is what’s really happening outside the MCG: Australians enjoying Indian food, music and atmosphere.’
Commenters on the video were impressed by its positive view of the mix of cultures
Controversial moments on the field during the Test saw Australian and Indian fans interact good-naturedly as Pat Cummins’ men won a classic match
These sentiments were echoed in the comments section.
“Finally something beautiful between both cultures,” someone wrote.
‘I really like this, this is actually very beautiful. I hate cricket but I can get behind this,” another added.
“It’s like Aus & NZ in all sports, we may hate them during the game but we’ll root for them every other day of the week,” a third wrote.
‘Nice. This is what the world should look like,” another commented.
The same fans would have been heartened by the scenes involving the Indian and Australian teams as they gathered at Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s Sydney residence, Kirribilli House, on New Year’s Day.
Although their rivalry on the field was intense, both sides were able to mingle happily on the banks of the harbor as they played a light-hearted game of cricket.
Even the clash between Kohli and Konstas was forgotten as the former Indian skipper happily posed for pictures with the 19-year-old’s brothers, who were also able to snap a photo with the world’s best bowler, Jasprit Bumrah.