Top 3 Test knocks by Indian batsmen this decade
The decade (2010-2019) saw the intertwining of two generations of Indian cricketers in Tests. While legends like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Virender Sehwag and VVS Laxman were on their way out, youngsters like Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane made their mark in no uncertain terms. Rohit Sharma and Mayank Agarwal have also joined the party of late.
The transition from old to new has also reflected in the results India have produced in the decade. While India under MS Dhoni rose to the number one ranking, that was primarily on the back of a great home run. The same side were embarrassed 4-0 in England, and later in Australia by the same margin.
The ageing warriors found the going extremely tough in away conditions. Following the humiliation Down Under, Dravid and Laxman hung up their boots. Tendulkar and Sehwag followed suit a couple of years later.
Life though has come a full circle for the Indian Test team; they end the year as the number one side in the world under Kohli. As a celebration of Indian cricket in the decade, here’s a look at the top three Test knocks by their batsmen.
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#3 Virat Kohli (141 at Adelaide, December 2014)
It was a baptism by fire for Virat Kohli on Test captaincy debut. Of course, the honour came to him by chance as regular skipper MS Dhoni was not fit for the match - the first Test of the four-match series played at Adelaide from December 9-13, 2014.
Kohli had already impressed in the first innings by notching up 115 as India posted 444. His maiden hundred as captain in his very first attempt meant India were in the game despite hundreds from David Warner, Steve Smith and skipper Michael Clarke taking Australia to 517 for 7 declared in their first innings.
However, it was in the second innings that Kohli gave the first glimpses of his tremendous quality as leader with the bat. India were chasing a highly challenging 364 to win the Test. Even as the visitors lost Shikhar Dhawan and Cheteshwar Pujara early, Kohli batted with the belief that India could achieve the target.
He found an able ally in Murali Vijay, and the duo took India to 242 for 2 - a stage from which victory was a realistic opportunity. Unfortunately for India though, Nathan Lyon trapped Vijay lbw for 99, and that opened the floodgates.
Even as wickets kept falling at the other end, Kohli did not give up. He batted on valiantly, finding key boundaries. As long as Kohli was at the crease, India’s hopes, even if slender, were alive.
However, the dreaded moment came when, on 141, Kohli was caught off Lyon. India soon crumbled to 315 all out to lose the match by 48 runs. Kohli, whose knock featured 16 fours and a six, thus began his captaincy stint on a disappointing note.
In a way though, the innings was a precursor to what India was to achieve Down Under four years later.