Forget the "turners", India can now win on "batting beauties"

Virat Kohli and his men dominated in batting wickets

India can be mighty proud of this unbeaten streak they have put together. 

Eighteen Test matches in a row without a defeat shows the strength and versatility of the side. Irrespective of where the games were played and regardless of the opposition, this young team has just played phenomenally and has dominated. The hunger and the ambition of this unit has well and truly come to the fore. 

It has been a memorable 2016 for the Indian fans. Witnessing such a year - especially with the team in transition - ought to evoke a sense of pride amongst the fans. 
Also, the year has ended with a bang for Virat Kohli. And after his team’s dominating performance over England, he must be a proud man.  

Winning when pushed to the limits

India has ended the year as the top-ranked test team. The best victories are those which are achieved when pushed to the limits. A case in point being the Chennai Test, where no one expected the dramatic turn of events on the final day. 

At the beginning of day 5, a draw looked imminent. But the manner in which the proceedings turned reflects the beauty of Test cricket and that is why I rate Test cricket as the best of all formats. 

The 4-0 thrashing of England does take away much of the pain that India has endured since it’s home defeat in 2012 at the hands of Cook and his men. It has also showed the world that this team doesn't rely on "turners" but instead, can do the job on batting beauties as well.

The Chennai Test will be remembered for England's remarkable change in fortunes - scoring 477 when batting first and then losing the game by an innings. Right through the series, the going has been tough for the tourists as India has found a match-winner in every game. It truly was a great performance from this young team, which won three games when it's skipper lost the toss. 

This can only be achieved with everyone contributing at the right time. 

Vital batting contributions for India

Karun Nair scored a mammoth 300 in the final Test of the series

One aspect that stood out for India in the series was the batting contributions. Coming back from an injury is never easy and therefore, KL Rahul's efforts were splendid. He was unlucky to have missed his double century by a mere run.

It reminds me of coaches who often say - "Never miss a single, you never know how important the run will be at the later stages of an innings.” 

Another piece of wisdom imparted by coaches goes like this - “Don’t get nervous in the 90s. Always think if you can achieve 99 and 199, then why can you not score just another run.” 

While they might seem a bit bookish, these are some thoughts that should ring in the mind of a batsman when on the field. Alas, that one run will pinch KL Rahul for a while.

Karun Nair and Parthiv Patel - men who grabbed their chances

I am certain that the emotions are yet to sink in for Karun Nair who became the second Indian to score a triple-century after Virendra Sehwag in Test cricket. Despite failing in his earlier outings, he was handed an opportunity in the Chennai Test and he certainly lived up to the expectation of his coach and captain. 

He held on to what might have been his last rope and in doing so, he took a yard out of an inch that was handed to him thanks to injuries to key players. A player that I really admire is Parthiv Patel. For grabbing the opportunity given to him by Wriddhiman Saha and rising up to the occasion to deliver the goods, he deserves a pat on his back. 

Despite keeping wickets for 157 overs, he came out to opening the innings. And the manner in which he handled the situation should be an eye opener for all budding cricketers. Every day was an opportunity for Patel and he grabbed whatever came his way.

Spinning a web

Ravindra jadeja ran through the English line-up in the final day of the last Test

As for the bowling, while Ashwin shone, Ravindra Jadeja came out with flying colours to defy all allegations against him of being "a bad wicket bowler". Jadeja was a constant thorn for the England side and played crucial roles with both ball and bat. 

Both the spinners - Ashwin and Jadeja - struck in tandem and shared 54 wickets between themselves. Both form a wonderful partnership under these playing conditions and executed their roles to nicety. 

Two Indian bowlers featuring in the top of the ICC rankings is a great moment for Indian cricket. I have never seen it before!

On the other hand, it was a nightmare for England as nothing went their way. Winning tosses, scoring over 400 runs and then losing Test matches by an inning defeat can be quite deflating.

It's never easy for a side to make a comeback when down in a Test series and the outcomes on this tour have been terrible for England. India was expected to win in home conditions but the manner in which they dominated on good Test match wickets has been heart warming. In the end, the most important aspect in the series was the performance of the youngsters.

Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin were outstanding, but the manner in which the new entrants have performed is bound to put a lot of pressure on the seniors who are on the injury list.

With these standout performances, the selectors have a great challenge in store to pick the next team as the "seniors" will make a comeback.  As the think-tank gets together, the days ahead will surely be interesting.