Indian cricket in 2014 - A Review

It’s that time of the year when the clichéd New Year resolutions are elaborately being planned out, albeit in a fruitless cause, with the hope that the unfulfilled promises of the departing year find a new meaning in 2015.2014 will always be remembered by the Indians for the mercurial emergence of the dynamic Narendra Modi as he “orange-washed” the country in the Lok Sabha elections. The successful launch of India’s first Mars orbiter Mangalyaan and the conferring of the Nobel Peace Prize on K. Satyarthi for his struggles against children labour turned out to be the highlights of the year. While the nation exulted in these historic feats, a sense of void and helplessness seemed to have crept into the hearts of cricket fanatics. The year will be best defined as a year of missed chances for MS Dhoni’s boys with on-field successes being few and far between. 

#1 The Indian team in numbers

In the 10 Test matches played, the Indian team could salvage only 1 win and 3 draws, losing 6 games – 3 against England, 2 against Australia in the ongoing series and a loss at the hands of the Kiwis earlier in the year.

While the performance in the longer format was disappointing, to say the least, the LOI shows did manage to offer some respite. Out of the 27 ODIs played, the team emerged victorious on 14 occasions, losing 9, with 3 games being called off. One against New Zealand ended in an enthralling tie. The team failed to reach the finals of the Asia Cup, losing to Sri Lanka and arch-rivals Pakistan in the group stages.

MS Dhoni’s men were unbeaten in the T20 World Cup, held in Bangladesh, in the run up to the finals, but eventually had to settle for the second spot as a result of a loss against Sri Lanka in the summit clash.