Australia vs India 2018-19: 5 things we learnt from the Test series
For the first time in the history of Test cricket, India have won a Test series in Australia. Virat Kohli and his team created history as they beat the Tim Paine-led side 2-1 in the four-match series.
After winning the first Test in Adelaide, India lost the game in Perth as the Aussies bounced back well to register their first Test win after the ball-tampering scandal which broke out in late March 2018. However, India won the Boxing Day Test at the MCG to take an inaccessible 2-1 lead and also retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
With the New Year’s Test at the SCG, they had a chance to create history and become the first ever Asian side to win a Test series in Australia. They dominated the match but rain played spoilsport as the game ended in a draw. However, India still won the series 2-1 and created history in the process.
There were quite a few moments in the series which could’ve gone either way. There were a lot of factors which contributed to India’s win and Australia’s loss. Here’s a look at five things we learnt from the series.
#5 Cheteshwar Pujara proves his worth
Before India landed in Australia for the Test series, the batsmen were under some pressure. They had failed in South Africa and England, and despite the good show of the bowlers, India couldn’t win more than one Test on each of the tours.
Virat Kohli was the lone batsman who showed character and shouldered the responsibility of the batting line-up as he finished as the highest run-getter in both series.
However, Cheteshwar Pujara stepped up in Australia and batted big. He amassed 521 runs at a stunning average of 74.43 and also struck three magnificent tons.
He kept batting and the Aussie bowlers simply couldn’t get past him. He stood there like a wall (or a rock) for India and he also faced a staggering 1258 deliveries in the series, which is the most by an Indian player in a Test series in Australia.
With all the limelight on Kohli ahead of the series, Pujara stole the show with his stupendous batting effort. He won the player of the series award as India completed a 2-1 series win.