The Indian cricket team will be aiming to create history when they take on New Zealand in the final of the ICC World Test Championship that will begin in less than two weeks time.
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The Indian cricket team is currently the most dominant team in Test cricket. Their dominance has translated into magnificent performances at home as well as improved shows overseas. In the ICC World Test Championship cycle that began in 2019, India was one of the few teams to have played all their six series in the cycle. The three series at home saw them dominate thoroughly. In the three overseas series, they had some mixed fortunes.Â
Overall, in the six series, India managed to win five with only one loss. They lost only four Tests in the last two years. The only loss came against their opponents in the final which was New Zealand. Ahead of the ICC World Test Championship final in Southampton on June 18, here is a recap of India’s journey to the summit clash.
Year: 2019
Series: Away
Result: India won 2-0
Points: 120
The two-Test series against West Indies was the first for India in the ICC World Test Championship cycle. In the first match in Antigua, Ajinkya Rahane smashed 81 and Ishant Sharma took 5/43. India took a 75-run lead and they built upon it. Rahane smashed a century in the second innings. Hanuma Vihari hit 93 as West Indies got a target of 419. Jasprit Bumrah took 5/7 to bowl West Indies out for 100, giving India a big win. In the second match in Jamaica, Vihari hit a century. Bumrah created history by becoming the third Indian bowler to take a hat-trick. His 6/27 gave India a big lead. Rahane hit a fifty and disciplined Indian bowling saw them win the series 2-0 and get 120 points.
Year: 2019
Series: Home
Result: India won 3-0
Points: 120
In the first home Test in Vizag in ICC World Test Championship, Rohit Sharma and Mayank Agarwal shared a record 317-run stand for the opening wicket. Rohit hit 176 while Agarwal blasted 215. India declared on 502/7. Dean Elgar and Quinton de Kock hit centuries to restrict India’s lead to 71. R Ashwin was the chief destroyer with 7/145. Rohit hit a century again in the second innings and the knock included seven sixes. His tally of sixes in the game created a new record for India. Mohammed Shami took 5/35 and Ravindra Jadeja chipped in with 4/87 as India won the match comfortably.Â
In the Pune Test, Agarwal hit another century. But, Virat Kohli stole the show with 254, his highest Test score. India ended on 601/5 declared with Kohli smashing records at will. Ashwin and Jadeja were the key again and they got good support from Umesh Yadav and Shami. India won by an innings and had registered a big win again. In the final Test in Ranchi, Rohit hit his maiden double ton and Rahane smashed yet another century. India swept the series and established itself at the top of the table.
Year: 2019
Series: Home
Result: India won 2-0
Points: 120
In the first Test in Indore, Bangladesh was bowled out for 150. India’s pace and spin attack proved to be too hot to handle. Agarwal blasted 243 and there were fifties from Cheteshwar Pujara, Rahane and Jadeja. Shami’s 4/31 helped India to a big win as they won by an innings for the third straight time.
The series witnessed the first-ever Pink Ball Test for both India and Bangladesh in ICC World Test Championship. Ishant Sharma took 5/22 to bowl Bangladesh out for 106 in front of a packed Eden Gardens crowd. Virat Kohli hit 136 and there were fifties from Pujara and Rahane. With a lead of 241, Umesh Yadav took 5/53 while Ishant took 4/56. Rahim hit a fifty but it was not enough as India registered their fourth consecutive innings win. At that point in the cycle, India were the only undefeated team in the tournament.
Year: 2020
Series: Away
Result: India lost 0-2
Points: 0
In 2020, India’s winning streak and confidence came crashing down against New Zealand. In the first Test in Wellington, Kyle Jamieson and Tim Southee took four wickets each as India was bowled out for 165. Kane Williamson hit 89 and he got valuable support from Ross Taylor, Jamieson, and Trent Boult. New Zealand ended on 348, a lead of 183. Agarwal hit 58 but Southee and Boult combined to wreck the batting again. Southee ended with 5/61, his ninth five-wicket haul and Boult took 4/39. India managed just a lead of eight and New Zealand won by 10 wickets. This was New Zealand’s 100th win in Tests and it prolonged India’s misery in Wellington.
In the second Test in Christchurch, Prithvi Shaw, Pujara and Vihari hit fifties to help India reach 242. Jamieson was the star with his maiden five-wicket haul. Tom Latham hit fifty and Jamieson once again contributed with the bat. But, Shami’s 4/81 and Bumrah’s three wickets gave India a lead of seven runs. In the second innings, India collapsed with Boult taking 4/28 and Southee 3/36.Â
India set New Zealand a target of 132 and the Kiwis won by seven wickets thanks to fifties from Latham and Blundell. This was their first loss in the entire series.
Year: 2020
Series: Away
Result: India won 2-1
Points: 75
The tour started horribly for India. In the Pink Ball Test in Adelaide, they had held the upper hand with Kohli hitting 74. Tim Paine’s 73 got Australia close. India had a lead of 53 thanks to Ashwin’s four wickets. In the second innings, Josh Hazlewood took 5/8 and Pat Cummins finished with 4/21 as India was shot out for a record low of 36. The humiliation saw India losing the match by eight wickets. This was their third straight loss in overseas tours.
However, India began their resurgence from this low point. In the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne, Bumrah took 4/56 and Ashwin managed to take three wickets. This included Steve Smith for the third time as Australia were bowled out for 195. Rahane, who was captaining the side as Kohli was on paternity leave, hit a century and stitched a partnership of 121 with Jadeja. With a lead of 131, Australia was once again undone by Mohammed Siraj, Ashwin, Jadeja and Bumrah. India chased down 70 to level the series.
In the Sydney Test, Smith hit a century and Labuschagne chipped in with 91 as Australia ended on 338. Cummins’ 4/29 gave Australia a lead of 94 runs. Smith, Labuschagne and Cameron Green all hit fifties and Australia gave India a target of 407. Rishabh Pant blasted 97 off 118 balls and Pujara notched up a gritty 77 as India looked to chase the target down. However, when Pant missed his century, India still had to survive 42 overs. Vihari and Ashwin negotiated the tough passage bravely and India held on for a draw.
As India came into the final Test in Brisbane, injuries mounted. Kohli was absent, Umesh Yadav was out. As the Sydney Test ended, Navdeep Saini, Ashwin, Vihari and Bumrah were all ruled out. T Natarajan and Washington Sundar made their debut. Labuschagne hit a century but Australia managed 369. The inexperienced bowlers put up a good show, with Natarajan, Thakur and Sundar taking three wickets each.
India were in trouble at 186/6 but Thakur and Sundar stepped up with the bat. They shared a partnership of 123 and both hit fifties. Hazlewood took 5/57 to help Australia take a 33-run lead. Siraj took 5/73 and Thakur once again impressed with 4/61 as Australia managed just 294 in the second innings, giving India a target of 328.
Shubman Gill was in fine form as he blasted 91, with the youngster especially harsh on Mitchell Starc. Pujara once again hit a fifty and took a lot of blows on the body. But, Pant showed his class. His aggression and calmness got India close to the target. Despite losing some wickets, Pant blasted 89 and scored the winning runs. India beat Australia by three wickets and ended Australia’s 32-year dominance in Brisbane. This was the second consecutive time that India had beaten Australia in their own backyard.
This series changed the entire complexion of the World Test Championship. Australia was docked four points due to a slow over-rate in Melbourne. In the middle of the series, the ICC shifted the qualifying criteria from points won to Percentage Points (PCT). This was done as some series were cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. The four points that Australia lost proved to be crucial.
Series: Home
Year: 2021
Result: India won 3-1
Points: 90
In the first Test in Chennai, Joe Root smashed 218 and he got good support from Dom Sibley and Ben Stokes. England ended up on 578. Rishabh Pant smashed 91 and Sundar chipped in with 85 but Dom Bess took 4/76. England took a 241-run lead but they were bowled out for 178, with Ashwin taking 6/61. India needed 420 to win. Kohli hit 72 but Anderson took 3/17 and Leach managed to take 4/76 as they won by 227 runs.
For the second Test, fifty percent fans were allowed despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Rohit Sharma hit 161 and he was well supported by Rahane and Pant who hit fifties. Ashwin’s 5/43 gave India a lead of 195. Ashwin stepped up with the bat and smashed a century to help India set a target of 482. Axar Patel, making his Test debut took 5/60 and Ashwin ended with 3/53 as India thrashed England by 317 runs to level the series.
The next two games were played in Ahmedabad at the new Narendra Modi stadium. The third Test, which was the second Pink Ball Test in India, lasted just two and a half days. Zak Crawley made 53 but England were bowled out for 112, with Axar Patel taking 6/38. India managed a lead of 33 with Rohit hitting 66. Joe Root ended with figures of 5/8. England was bowled out for a miserable 81, with Axar taking 5/32 and Ashwin 4/38. Axar ended the match with 11/80 as India won the match by 10 wickets.
In the fourth Test, Axar took 4/38 as England were bowled out for 205. Pant smashed his third century in Tests. Sundar was stranded on 96. India managed a lead of 160. Axar and Ashwin took five wickets each as India won by an innings and 35 runs. India sealed their spot in the final.
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