View: 2021, The Best Year in Indian Test Cricket History

Not only have India won at the Gabba, Lord’s, Oval and Centurion and drawn in Sydney against all odds, the manner in which the Indians have approached the game makes this team a very special one.

In sports, it is always about perception and the perception is this Indian team is capable of beating any side in the world in their backyard. They have breached fortress Gabba and fortress Centurion and can easily claim to be the best traveling team at the moment.

If there is one common thread in all these victories it is their ability to come back from adverse situations. While many had written the team off post the 36 all out in Adelaide, Ajinkya Rahane led them to a memorable turnaround in Melbourne. Just when some felt Melbourne was a flash in the pan, Ashwin and Hanuma Vihari stepped up, braving pain, in Sydney and then Rishabh Pant played the innings of a lifetime at the Gabba.

Mohammed Siraj and Shardul Thakur had come off age in Australia in January 2021 and we were starting to see a very different Indian team bloom in front of our eyes. England’s Ashes capitulation down under is further testament to how difficult winning in Australia is, and to note that this team has done it twice in a row will forever rank as one of the best achievements in India’s cricket history.

If performance in Australia was a wake-up call for the cricket world, England in August-September was one of the best India have ever played. Coming back from the pain of the WTC final defeat, India dominated England in England. The last few hours at Lord’s, for example, will always be remembered for the intensity shown. To bowl England out in under 60 overs at the mecca of English cricket was considered inconceivable. Virat Kohli and boys accomplished the task with some overs still in the tank.

If England managed to level it in Leeds, India yet again staged a spectacular turnaround at the Oval making it 2-1. With pacers and spinners all picking up wickets at an average of under 30, it is no surprise that opponents are scared to face up to this Indian team. Indian bowlers claimed 252 wickets in 2021 at an average of 24, a statistic that will always be a medal round the neck of skipper Kohli and his team.

Can India continue this dominance in 2022? Can this team go on and win an ICC trophy and cross the final hurdle that is gradually turning into a national hysteria of sorts? Can they dominate world cricket in a manner no team has done in the recent past?

While there are no concrete answers to these questions just yet, we can certainly say that there are reasons to be hopeful. With a bench strength second to none and workload management and sports science the mantra guiding the team, India are no longer dependant on individual prowess. India have never had four fast bowlers who can all pick wickets at regular intervals. With no release for the batters, it is natural that opponents are making mistakes against this bowling unit, which is now a subject of discussion across the cricket world. Frankly, India have all the bases covered and that’s why 2021 is the best-ever year in Indian men’s Test cricket history.