3 times India's top-order collapsed in the WTC cycle 2021-23
One of Team India's main worries on their way to the World Test Championship (WTC) final was that their top order was not firing collectively. Even in the WTC final against Australia in the first innings, India were in deep trouble at 71/4.
It took a heroic effort from Ravindra Jadeja, Ajinkya Rahane, and Shardul Thakur to somehow keep them in the game with a respectable first innings score. Unfortunately for India, this isn't the first time in this WTC cycle that such a collapse from the top order has taken place.
On that note, let's take a look at three such instances during the WTC cycle 2021–23 where the Indian top order failed to give their team a great platform:
#3 Bangladesh vs India, 2nd Test, Dhaka, 2022
In arguably one of the most thrilling Test matches played by India in the current WTC cycle, it was Bangladesh that almost pulled off an incredible win to level the series at Dhaka. After some riveting cricket, India were set a target of 145 to win.
While the target looked modest, it was never going to be an easy chase as Bangladesh had quality spinners and the runs had to be chased on a pitch that had become a rank turner.
India lost their first four wickets for just 37 runs, and it seemed like Bangladesh would run away with the win. Axar Patel provided some resistance with a crucial 34, but Bangladesh kept on chipping away with wickets at regular intervals.
Eventually, from an incredibly difficult position to come back at 74/7, Ravichandran Ashwin and Shreyas Iyer strung together a partnership that took India over the line.
#2 England vs India, 3rd Test, Headingley, 2021
India had taken a 1-0 lead in the series, and the then-skipper Virat Kohli took the rather brave decision of batting first on a pitch that had enough moisture for the opposition bowlers to make an impact.
The wicket of KL Rahul fell in the very first over, and from there, everything just went downhill for India as the veteran James Anderson and Jamie Overton picked up three wickets apiece and ran through the Indian batting.
The visitors could only score 78 runs in their first innings, a performance that all but ended their hopes of salvaging anything positive from the Test.
England posted a huge total of 432 in their first innings, and although India had a better batting effort in the second innings, they lost by an innings and 76 runs.
#1 India vs Australia, 3rd Test, Indore, 2023
India have lost just three Tests in the past 10 years at home, and one of them came against Australia in Indore. Having taken a 2-0 lead in the series, the hosts prepared a rank turner in Indore and naturally opted to bat first.
However, Australia's spin trio of Nathan Lyon, Todd Murphy, and Matthew Kuhnemann ran riot as the Indian top-order couldn't quite get to grips with the turning track. Kuhnemann took five wickets in the first innings as India's sorry-looking card read '109 all-out'.
The two teams battled it out on a pretty tough pitch to bat on, but eventually Australia had just 76 runs to chase in the final innings, which they did quite comfortably and coasted home with nine wickets in hand.
India missed out on the opportunity to seal their WTC final berth then and there with a win in Indore.