White glow: On India’s dominance in Test cricket

At the conclusion of the Test series against Sri Lanka, India’s dominance in home cricket was reiterated. If the earlier T20I was won 3-0, the longer format proved to be no different as the hosts won 2-0 with wins in both the Tests being recorded in three days each. These emphatic victories emphasized the vast gap in quality between the rivals divided by the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean. India last failed a home Test series during 2012 when Alastair Cook’s England won 2-1. For nearly a decade thereafter, India proved to be a tough opponent in their backyard, maximizing home advantage and thriving on an array of diverse stars who could reverse-swing batting, spin and bowl on dry pitches under harsh sunlight. Were. This blueprint was clear over the past fortnight. Positive results may indicate a smooth leadership change from Virat Kohli to Rohit Sharma, but before the series, the incumbent had its share of headaches. In the middle order, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane made room for Hanuma Vihari and Shreyas Iyer, while an injured opener KL Rahul was dropped. The batting needed reassurance while the losing streak continued in South Africa. Those concerns were slowly eroded as Vihari and Shreyas revealed their mettle, despite poor yields from Rohit and Kohli.

Shreyas was brilliant at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, making his mark on a frictionless surface. The pitch might not have been like a mine on which Sunil Gavaskar scored a scintillating 96 in his last Test innings during the game against Pakistan in 1987, and yet it was a strip that never let the batsmen settle . Shreyas’ 92 and 67 were straight from the top drawer, while Ravindra Jadeja’s star turn in the first Test in Mohali, as reflected in his unbeaten 175 and nine-wicket hauls, opened India’s campaign. Rishabh Pant’s cameo and the wickets of Jasprit Bumrah and R Ashwin combined to disappoint Sri Lanka, even though their captain Dimuth Karunaratne hit a ton in Bengaluru. Importantly, India gained valuable points and moved up to the fourth position in the ICC Test Championship table for the 2021-23 cycle. After losing the final to New Zealand during the last edition, Rohit is fully aware of the challenges even if India can breathe easy this year, especially with a large part of their Tests at home ahead of the Bangladesh tour. There is also a lone Test to be tackled in England, a remnant of last year’s tour. While the players will soon feature in the imminent Indian Premier League, their Test whites have acquired a new shine.