Follow UsVirat Kohli announced his retirement from Test cricket just a day after a ceasefire was announced between India and Pakistan, post many instances of cross-border strikes at Pakistan Air Force (PAF) bases from the Indian armed forces under Operation Sindoor.
In a briefing today, May 12, the Indian Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) Rajiv Ghai used examples from cricket to explain India’s multi-layered counter-drone and air defence grid that thwarted the attempts made by PAF and the army to inflict damage on Indian military installations and air bases.
“This diagram reminds me of the Australian team in the 1970s when they played a Test series against England,” DGMO Ghai said while talking of India’s defence grid in the press briefing.
“This was when I was in school. This was in the 1970s. There was a series happening between Australia and England back then.”
In this, he found the space to insert the news of Kohli’s retirement and said that he is his favourite cricketer. The DGMO also cited the famous proverb “Ashes to ashes, dust to dust” while explaining the efficacy and complexity of India’s defence systems.
“Today maybe it’s apt to talk about cricket since Virat Kohli has just retired from Test cricket. Like many Indians, he is my favourite cricketer as well,” the DGMO said.
“So, in the 1970s, during the Ashes Test series between Australia and England, two Australian bowlers (Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson) destroyed the batting lineup of England, and then Australia created a proverb — “Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, if Thommo don’t get ya, then Lillee surely must”.
"So if you see the layers of our defence grid, you’ll understand what I am trying to say. Even if you crossed some layers, one of the layers of this grid system will hit you before you target our airfields or logistical system. Targetting our airfields and logistics is way too tough.”