Test cricket's top 10 dead rubber victories

Cricket is a game played to win and every match is as important. Yes, victory in the context of a series is what ultimately matters, yet there is a reason why all the matches of a series are played. It is because somewhere, the losing team must be given a chance to regain some lost confidence and pride.

Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. And sometimes dead rubbers can provide a lot of joy and entertainment. For me, the most crucial consolation victories have either or all of these 4 elements - Changing the fate of a side in the future, records broken, special and larger than life moments and them being massive upsets.

Here are the top 10 dead rubber victories in Test cricket since the year 2000 (in no particular order as such)

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#1 India beat South Africa by 63 runs - Johannesburg, 2018

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The most recent of such wins.

Having lost the first two Tests and the series with it, Virat Kohli and co. came into the third and final Test at Johannesburg under severe pressure. The World No.1 side faced its toughest challenge of the tour on a pitch completely 'unIndian', with unpredictable and at times, dangerous bounce.

Yet the side seemed to go with a nothing to lose attitude, which was shown by Kohli winning the toss and batting first. The captain himself, along with the pace battery of Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, ensured that India pulled off a 63-run win in a low-scoring game.

It was admirable to see the Indian batsmen stick it out in unfavourable conditions, reminding many of India's win in Leeds in 2002.

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