Just like a wicket-keeper is bound to take a catch easily at any point of time in the day, most things we believe in life happens because it’s written to take place. We don’t say thanks for the obvious incidents in life. India winning a Test series at home, has reached to the wish mar.
The sun is rising, the air is flowing, we are breathing something fresh, the sun goes down, the shadows go big, and it becomes dark and then the cycle keeps on rolling. Oh, It was bound to happen, so it happens.
Free flowing life at granted and similarity to beat India at home
But there are so many obstacles this roller-coaster flowing life needs to tackle. Quite often, they raise their voice for anything down, but never for something equal. How many times in life till date you have woken up in the morning and thanks the God for such a lovely charming life? – Hardly one or two days or may be not a single one!!
Every day is a testimony to God’s work in your life, and people must take time everyday to express gratitude for that life and promote a sense of joy in everything they become part of. It may feel that the same writer who was living in a different vibing zone a few days ago, has turned out to be a holy person suddenly. Well, I am not such a Holy person, but, the real thing is we don’t quite enjoy something crystal clear in this life.
Now when the thought of beating India at home in a Test series arrives, one would feel climbing up to the Mount Everest would be easier. But because it has been the trend, we often do the mistake of neglecting how brilliant the team over the years has been at home against multiple plannings of various countries.
Remember Chennai? Delhi? Bangalore? Close to beat India but!
The story isn’t like how few of the other subcontinents are doing the job, but the plot is about how India is doing their business.
First we move to Delhi. The year was the south end of 2015. The opposition was South Africa, a strong South Africa who were at the top of their game across formats. By the time the last game of a long tour was held at the Kotla (Now named Arun Jaitley Stadium) in Delhi, South Africa had pocketed the T20I and ODI series, and was down by a 1-0 margin in the last of the third Test.
Chasing 480, South Africa almost shut down their laptop after losing Dean Elgar after four overs. Then came a mammoth stand close of 39 overs, and the runs? Yeah an elephant of 44 runs. Then came another huge partnership of almost 43 overs, and that gave them 27 runs. Whether it was a full toss, or a half volley, everything was either left or blocked. Even a single was cheered with the same sound of a boundary.
India wasn’t losing, but then captain Virat Kohli was never going to be happy with a boring draw. And then came an inspiring reverse swing bowling of Umesh Yadav, who had some terrifying figures of 3/9 in 21 overs, with 16 maidens. Yes, You read it right. SA batted 1 ball over than 143 overs for a 0.99 run rate.
Let’s move to Chennai. Year 2016. England was trailing by 282 runs after posting 477 in their first innings. But at 103/0 going into the fifth day, the visitors could surely think of a nice drawn result, if not a victory. But playing out 90 overs on Day 5 against Ashwin-Jadeja would be like facing bullets from a blind person standing in 15 cm distance. England slipped to 167/4 in 40 overs. It still could be done, but then Jadeja and his seven-wicket haul blew them for 207, and India won by an innings and 75 runs.
With a few hours of drive, we move to Bangalore. Australia was there in 2017- The only team that came close to beat India since the 2012 series. The best chance for any touring side to win a series would be by gaining victory on the first game of the series. Australia did the same in Pune. And amidst all the drama, they had a healthy 87 runs lead. But chasing 187, they went down and so badly that the difference of both the sides marched on to 75 runs.
There was Ashwin-Jadeja duo, now there is Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav for India at home
India have been unbeaten in a home Test series for around 11 years, since 2013, winning 37 Tests at a percentage of almost 82, apart from their six drawn results and three defeats. In a comparison with Australia’s golden period of 1998-2007, they had 47 Test victories, three loses and nine draws at a percentage of 79.66.
17 homes series victory for India in the period is way better than Australia’s 10 wins in two different scenarios, one in the period of 1994-2000 and one in 2004-2008. Since the beginning of the year 2012, Ashwin has taken 332 wickets in 109 Test innings at an average of 21.2 with 25 five wicket hauls and a strike rate of 46.6. His partner, Jadeja has curved his way to 211 wickets with 11 five wicket hauls at an average of 20.9.
If you think it’s such a great record to have with the ball, then their batting coming at number six or seven will make one bemused. In 64 Test innings, Ashwin has managed 1703 runs at an average of 26.6 with eight fifties and two centuries. Jadeja, on the other hand, Jadeja has notched up 1809 Test runs in 59 innings at an average of over 4 with 12 half centuries and three hundreds.
Both have taken more than 500 wickets in this format at an average of around 21. If that wasn’t enough to put nightmares in the opponent touring sides, then the India have offered one or two more players to partner them. In the past, there was Jayant Yadav, now they have got the right person in Axar Patel, with 45 scalps in 21 innings at an average of 17.2. With the bat, he has 505 runs in 16 innings at an average of 42.1. And now India have got another charming person in the side, it’s Kuldeep Yadav.
It’s quite amazing how these all-rounders help to free up an extra bowling option for India. And it has reached to a position that some of the countries have started to make pace graveyards for them, just to spice up the contests keeping the spinners apart from each other.
Conquering Bazball perhaps keep India ahead of times in the format
When they lost the first Test in Hyderabad, India was under all sort of pressure and specially with the craze of Bazball. But they slipped their moments in the game, and not putting England out of the contest with the bat in hand during the first innings was their biggest mistake. That came back to haunt them badly.
Meaningful Test cricket, short ODIs and only T20 leagues- The Future World stays crystal clear
At Vizag, India found two of their veteran players- KL Rahul and Jadeja getting missed out with injury, But it was the turn of young Yashasvi Jaiswal who colored his beginning of career with brightening colors. And then they were powered to victory by Jasprit Bumrah brilliance.
When they reached Rajkot, India was again struggling at points, but captain Rohit Sharma and recovered Jadeja pulled them back from the mud. The biggest news came from the hosts is the return of Ashwin back to home due to a medical emergency and still the way India managed to plug their way back against England’s free-minded strategy clawed their way back to victory.
At Ranchi, India just made the world and specially England experienced why it’s impossible to beat India at home. From 177/7, they pushed their way to 307, and those 130-odd runs gave them time to breathe and plans to find victory. Then came their second innings bowling. And specially chasing 192, at 120/5, they were pumping hard, but two youngsters in Dhruv Jurel and Shubman Gill help their nerve to write another glorious chapter in India’s unbeaten series timeline.
India are due to face New Zealand and Bangladesh at home towards the end of this year, and if everything goes well, then it will be their 12-stright years of ruling at home in this Tests. But how can you beat them? Well, the article ends here, because the writer too doesn’t have any answer! But all the best if you are trying to find any!!
Author: That mAd wrIter
Someone who loves how Steve Smith from being Australia's future Shane Warne has become present Don Bradman, gets inspired by Anderson's longevity, gets awed with Kohli's drive and Southee's bowling action. Never gets excited with stats and records, and believes in instincts, and always questions spinners bowling with the new ball.
