Opinion
India has been the strongest Test team at home this past decade.
While they have been competitive away, they’ve struggled to latch onto crucial moments to win Tests away from the subcontinent. Here are my top five Test knocks by Indian batsmen in the past decade.
Cheteshwar Pujara – 123 versus Australia – Adelaide, 2018
India went into the first Test against Australia as slight favourites. Their bowling was good enough to deliver, but their batsmen needed to step up as Virat Kohli was the lone wolf standing in the tours of England and South Africa.
Cheteshwar Pujara walked in during the third over after KL Rahul forgot that driving outside off against the swinging ball means you’re most likely caught in the slips. From 1-3, India went to 4-41 before lunch. Despite seeing all the damage from the other end, Pujara remained calm and composed. He never slogged his way out of trouble and stuck to his principles.
After the dismissal of Rishabh Pant, Pujara started to show more intent as he reached his half-century off 153 balls. Ravi Ashwin and Ishant Sharma dug in with the Indian number three but Sharma’s dismissal gave Australia a ray of hope of bowling out India on Day 1. Realising that he was running out of partners, Pujara went all guns blazing, reaching his 16th Test century in the process. He continued to bat very aggressively until Pat Cummins ran him out on 123.
Pujara has divided fans across India. Some think he bats too slowly, while some say India needs a player like him in their top six. He showed tremendous grit and determination. He accelerated when it was required for the team and his strike rate ended up at 50 after lurking in the 20s for nearly half of his innings. India would go on to win the Test in Adelaide while Pujara tormented the Aussie bowlers for the rest of the series.
(AP Photo/James Elsby)
Murali Vijay – 144 versus Australia – Brisbane, 2014
This was one of my favourite innings I’ve seen by an opener at the Gabba. Having won the toss, India chose to bat first on a good batting wicket. Openers Murali Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan walked out as the pair were tasked with surviving the first hour.
Despite a few streaky edges, Vijay got into his groove quite early into his innings. Whether it was the outright quicks in Mitch Johnson and Mitch Starc steaming in at 145-plus or the accurate Josh Hazlewood on debut, he played some of the most elegant drives I’ve seen by an Indian batsman at the Gabba.
On 41, Josh Hazlewood dished up a half volley and Vijay slapped him over cover for four to show his authority. He formed a decent opening stand with Shikhar Dhawan (24) before putting on 124 for the fourth wicket with Ajinkya Rahane (81) as he reached his fifth Test century off 175 balls. Vijay continued to drive the Aussie bowlers before he was caught behind charging down to Nathan Lyon for 144. Brad Haddin stumped him to ensure he was out regardless.
Vijay’s knock was a driving masterclass – 77 of his runs were scored between point and cover. What I liked about his innings is that whenever he edged one to the slips or defended a bouncer, he played it with soft hands to ensure he wasn’t dismissed. He was my favourite Indian Test batsman before Kohli came on to the scene.
Vijay was at his peak between 2013 and 2017 before he unnecessarily started batting as if he was playing T20 cricket. He was brilliant in that tour of Australia, scoring 482 runs at 60.25 with four half-centuries and one century. Despite Vijay’s ton, India would lose by four wickets due to some below-average bowling in the Australian first innings and a 40-minute collapse with the bat in their second innings.
Ajinkya Rahane – 103 versus England – London, 2014
Having drawn the first Test against England in Nottingham on a flat wicket, there were no surprises to see a green top dished up at Lord’s for the second Test. Electing to field first, England had India slightly on the ropes at 3-86 as Rahane walked in for his seventh Test match.
Rahane was cautious against the English seamers, particularly Stuart Broad and Jimmy Anderson. He continued to bat solidly but kept on losing partners as India slumped to 7-143. Having defended resolutely for 83 balls, Rahane finally got a half volley to kick start his innings.
He formed a 92-run stand with Bhuvneshwar Kumar (36) before the Indian seamer was dismissed. With only Mohammed Shami and Ishant Sharma left in the sheds, Rahane had no choice but to score quick runs. On 82, he effortlessly hit Jimmy Anderson down the ground for a six, showing how much control he had on a bowler’s paradise.
On 99, he punched Anderson through the off side as he reached his second Test century and became the ninth Indian batsman to get their name on the Lord’s honours board. Anderson had the last laugh as Rahane was caught and bowled for 103.
Subcontinental batsmen are critiqued on how they perform in South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia. In his first tour of all those nations, Rahane scored hundreds in all but South Africa. But he came agonisingly close as he was dismissed for 96 in Durban 2013. Rahane’s innings at Lord’s bailed India out of trouble and gave the bowlers something to bowl at. India would end up winning by 95 runs and Rahane played a crucial role in the victory for India.
Virat Kohli – 141 versus Australia – Adelaide, 2014
Australia had dominated for four days of this Test match and set India 364 for victory. With approximately 98 overs of play on Day 5, India seemed to be playing for the draw as they were 2-57 in the 20th over. In came the skipper and big fish Virat Kohli.
From the beginning, Kohli looked to put Australia on the back foot. His mindset and body language was positive from the get-go and that had a positive effect on his batting partner Murali Vijay (99). The pair put on 185 for the third wicket as Kohli reached his eighth century off just 135 balls.
Vijay’s dismissal saw India losing a clump of wickets, but Kohli kept on motoring. On 141, Nathan Lyon bowled a long hop to Kohli. The Indian skipper middled it and timed it so well that it went to the hands of Mitch Marsh at deep midwicket. It was such a cruel way to end a great innings. That ball should’ve been smashed into the Torrens River yet luck was on Nathan Lyon’s side. Kohli’s dismissal gave Australia control of the Test as they won by 48 runs in a thriller of a game.
Kohli played all around the wicket and swept so well against Lyon on a turning Adelaide wicket. After a terrible tour of England, he was surprisingly given the captaincy after MS Dhoni missed the Adelaide Test due to injury. And boy did he step up with the responsibility, scoring twin tons in the Test. The mindset of playing for a win nearly paid off and that knock made me realise that Kohli would be the captain India needed to move forward in Test cricket.
Virat Kohli – 149 versus England – Birmingham, 2018
There was a lot of talk about how Virat Kohli would perform in English conditions after his first tour was woeful. In reply to England’s 287, India started well with a 50-run opening stand but lost two wickets in three balls as the Indian skipper walked out at number four.
Kohli was very watchful and cautious at first. Having lost Shikhar Dhawan soon after he came in, he didn’t want to be the next man out. On 17, he was dropped by Jonny Bairstow. Kohli made them pay slowly as he reached his 50 off 100 balls. But he was running out of partners as India were in deep trouble at 8-182. He finally got some support from his lower order as Ishant Sharma dug in with Kohli. Adil Rashid trapped Sharma leg before as Kohli was on 97 and had Umesh Yadav left with him.
He cut Ben Stokes past point to reach his 22nd Test hundred and let out a massive roar. But he knew the job was far from done. After reaching his hundred, Kohli was a different batsman altogether. Joe Root set very defensive fields yet Kohli was still finding the gaps and boundaries as Umesh Yadav hung around to allow Kohli to chip away closer to England’s first-innings total. Adil Rashid finally dismissed Kohli for 149 as he cut one not short enough straight to gully.
In his last tour of England in 2014, Kohli scored 134 runs in ten innings. He scored 149 in one innings. Sure, he may have been dropped three times, but good players generate their luck.
I remember watching every ball of Kohli’s innings and it was a school night. I promised myself that I’d go to bed once Kohli was dismissed. Thankfully I didn’t as I witnessed the best Test innings by Kohli as he proved all the doubters wrong about his weakness against the Dukes ball.
In that tour of England in 2018, Kohli scored 593 runs at 59.3 with three half-centuries and two centuries. Despite Kohli’s heroics, Sam Curran scored a crucial 63 in England’s second innings as India lost a thriller in Birmingham by 31 runs.
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