Seven-year-old boy to co-captain Australia during third Test against India
A seven-year-old leg-spinner will be given the opportunity by the Australian team to fulfill his lifelong dream of captaining the country's cricketing side when the hosts take on India at the Boxing Day Test at Melbourne. Born in Adelaide, Archie Schiller suffers from a rare heart disorder and has already had three open-heart surgeries performed on him. Read on for further details.
Archie's wish has been fulfilled through Make-A-Wish Australia
Make-A-Wish is a foundation which helps fulfill the dreams of children who wish to meet their dream celebrity. Through the organization, Australian coach Justin Langer managed to get in contact with Archie's family and gave him the news that he had been made part of the 14-man Test squad for the match that commences on December 26.
Nathan Lyon is Archie's favorite cricketer in the Australian squad
Archie is a leg-spinner just like his hero, Nathan "Gary the Goat" Lyon, and has reportedly told Langer with confidence that he can get Indian skipper Virat Kohli out. Archie realizes that a spot in the squad does not guarantee him a place in the starting XI, but remains unfazed as ever and is excited to don the legendary "Baggy Green" of Australia.
Archie shows great maturity in dealing with his condition
Archie, his parents say, deals with his condition in a very matured manner, as he once came back from school to tell them that he sat and read a book because he could not find his friends and did not have enough energy to run after them. Archie said, "I miss a bit of school too - it makes friendships a bit hard."
How has the Test series panned out so far?
The Test series has been gripping and full of action, with both sides showing their grit and determination in both matches so far. While India managed to win the first match at Adelaide, Australia grabbed victory in the second Test at Perth. The Boxing Day Test thus will become very important in determining the winner of the series.
