THE BATON HAS BEEN PASSED

 

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Venue- M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru [August 31- September 04, 2012].

In the monsoon of 2012, the New Zealand cricket team toured India to play 2 tests and 2 T20 internationals. Unfortunately, Indian stalwarts like Laxman and Dravid announced their retirement from international cricket. Hence, Team India was truly in a transition stage now. The question was who could possibly replace them? Thus, it was too big a responsibility upon their successors.

Cheteshwar Pujara proved his mettle in the first test wherein he played a magnificent knock of 159 that helped India in setting up a huge first innings total. Post this, Ashwin played his part with the ball as he bamboozled the Kiwi batting line-up with his spin. The spinner from Tamil Nadu ended up picking 12 wickets in the first test as the hosts defeated the Kiwis by an innings and 115 runs.

The action now shifted from Hyderabad to Bangalore, which was decided as the venue of the final test. In a must-win game, New Zealand Captain Ross Taylor won the toss and decided to bat first. Moreover, Captain Taylor led from the front, as he scored a magnificent 113 in a crunch situation. Apart from Taylor, Guptill and Kruger van Wyk scored gritty half-centuries with the bat as the Black Caps ended up scoring 365 in their first innings. For hosts, Pragyan Ojha was the leading wicket taker, as he picked up 5 crucial wickets for his side.

In response, India got off to a shaky start as we were reduced to 80/4. However, this is when young Virat Kohli took control of the game. Kohli, who was taking strides in international cricket, scored a brilliant 103, which brought his side back to the game. In an innings which lasted for around 5 hours, he hit 14 boundaries and one six. Due to his valuable contribution with the bat, the hosts ended up scoring 353 in their first innings, just 12 runs short of the Kiwi total. The match was now on a knife-edge.

 Ravichandran Ashwin led from the front in the second innings as he picked up 5 crucial wickets which helped the Indians in bowling out the Kiwis for just 248 in their second innings. However, a target of 261 was a tricky total, and at one stage we were really struggling at a score of 166/5. Captain MS Dhoni joined Kohli in between, as we were still 95 runs short of the target. One more wicket, and our tail would have started.

But, this is when the captain and the promising youngster took responsibility on their shoulders. The duo stitched an unbeaten partnership of 96 runs as we whitewashed the Kiwis in the Test Series. Virat Kohli was awarded the Man of the Match award for his hundred in the first innings and fifty in the second innings. Ravichandran Ashwin, on the other hand, was awarded the Man of the Series Award for his 18 wickets in two test matches.

These were truly great signs for India Cricket, as the baton has been successfully passed from the seniors to the youngsters.

To watch the Highlights of the Second Test, Click Here.

THE DAY CRICKET PEAKED

 

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Venue- Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai [November 15, 2023].

Hosts India were facing New Zealand in the semi-finals of the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup. In the round-robin game in Dharamshala, Indians did secure a hard-fought win. However, it was the knockout stage, and it didn't matter what you had done in the previous encounters. One defeat and you are out of the tournament. Unfortunately, in the past 4 years there have been around 3 occasions wherein the Kiwi got the better of the Indians in a must-win game. Who can ever forget the 2019 World Cup semi-final wherein the underdogs got the better of the tournament favorites. Moreover, the defeat in Manchester not just broke the hopes of a World Cup final at Lords, but it also turned out to be the last international game of the great MS Dhoni, who didn't play any international cricket post this and announced retirement a year later. Hence, when these two sides met again in the World Cup semi-final in Mumbai, there was revenge in the air.

 In a must-win game, Indian Captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and elected to bat first. The pitch looked like a batting paradise, and when the duo of Rohit and Gill came out to bat, fireworks started in no time. Rohit Sharma scored a quickfire 47 off 29 deliveries and got India off to a flier. It was quite unfortunate that he failed to convert his good start to a big score, as he was caught off Williamson when he was trying to hit the fifth six of his innings.

The scorecard read 71/1 when Kohli joined Gill in the middle. In the initial stage, Kohli did struggle in front of the Kiwi bowlers. There was an LBW appeal which did turn in Kohli's way. However, soon Kohli found his rhythm, and runs started coming from Kohli's bat. At the other end, Gill too was batting wonderfully. Unfortunately, he sustained an injury due to which he left the ground and came in the very end, or else he could have got a wonderful World Cup ton.

 However, the man who got all the attention was Virat Kohli, who surpassed the great Sachin Tendulkar as he scored his 50th ODI hundred. There was a huge cheer all around the ground when he completed the double to get to his 100. Apart from Virat, Iyer too scored a magnificent century as Indians ended up scoring 397 runs in 50 overs for the loss of 4 wickets. It was absolute carnage by the Indian batters.

398 was never going to be an easy target, and when Shami dismissed both the openers cheaply, it appeared that the match would end in no time. But, this is cricket, where anything can happen any moment. The match is not over till the last ball is bowled. Captain Williamson and Daryl Mitchell stitched a massive partnership of 181 runs in just 148 deliveries and brought the Kiwis back into the game.

Fortunately, Shami picked two quick wickets in between and brought the Indians back into the game. But this didn't slow down the Kiwi run rate as Mitchell continued with the slaughter. It seemed that he was possessed, and he will not stop unless he wins it for the Kiwis. However, Mohammad Shami bowled the spell of his life, which not only saw the end of Mitchell but also of the Kiwis.

Shami ended up picking 7 wickets in the match as Kiwis were bundled out for 327 in 48.5 overs, thus handing the hosts a 70-run win. The Revenge has truly been taken. However, one cannot deny the fact that what we saw that day in Wankhede was an all-time classic. It was surely a day when cricket peaked.

To watch the Highlights of the 2023 World Cup Semi Final -1, Click Here.

 

EXPLOSIVE HEAD

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Venue- Adelaide Oval, Adelaide [December 6-8, 2024].

The pink ball test is one of the bravest moves of modern times to keep test cricket alive. Barring England, every country was struggling to attract crowds for a five-day test match. As a result, numerous cricketing boards have decided to organize day-night test matches so that we can get the audience back into the stadium. The most amazing part of a day-night test match is that instead of the traditional red cherry, the day-night test is played with a pink ball, which is bowler-friendly. As a result, if anyone scores a ton in a pink ball test, the same is remembered for a long time.

Travis Head played one such knock in one of the toughest situations. India toured Australia in the summer of 2024-25 to defend the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Moreover, they won the first test comfortably, which pushed Australia to the walls. The press was screaming like anything, and one more defeat would have meant game over for the Aussies. 

Indian Captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and elected to bat first. The decision turned out to be a disastrous one, as opener Yashasvi Jaiswal was dismissed on the first ball of the match. KL Rahul and Shubman Gill stitched a partnership of 69 runs for the second wicket, which did bring visitors back into the game. However, post Rahul's dismissal, the Aussies kept on chipping wickets at regular intervals as Indians were bowled out for just 180 runs in their first innings. Mitchell Starc picked up 6 wickets as no Indian batsman managed to get past the 50-run mark.

Interestingly, even the Aussies were struggling to bat, as they too were reeling at 103/3 when Travis Head joined Marnus Labuschagne in between. The game was on a knife-edge. This is when local lad Head played one of the most destructive knocks one has ever seen. Travis Head scored a quickfire 140 off just 141 deliveries and broke the spine of the Indian bowling attack. Whoever came to bowl met with the same fate. In an innings which lasted for around 3 hours, he smashed 17 boundaries and 4 massive sixes. It was power hitting of the top order. The hosts were eventually bowled out for 337 runs, as they managed to get a big 157-run lead in the first innings. Though Bumrah and Siraj did take 4 wickets each, the Aussies were successful in getting a match-winning first-innings score.

In response the Indians were bowled out for just 175 in their second innings. Captain Pat Cummins picked up 5 wickets as the Aussies needed just 19 runs to win the match. The hosts won the match by 10 wickets and thus levelled the series 1-1. However, the same could not have been possible without the explosive innings of Travis Head, which turned out to be the sole difference between the two equally balanced sides. 

To watch the Innings of Travis Head, Click Here.

To watch the Spell of Mitchell Starc, Click Here.

To watch the Spell of Pat Cummins, Click Here.  

THE WARM-UP

 

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Venue- Trent Bridge, Nottingham [May 22-24, 2025].

In the summer of 2025, Zimbabwe toured England to play a one-off test match. Interestingly, this was the first test outing between the two sides since 2003. Moreover, the Zimbabwe Cricket Team received a touring fee from the English Cricket Board, which was praiseworthy, as this would help them in maintaining their finances.

The test match was an important one for England because for them it served as a warm-up match before the big Indian series. On a dry wicket, Zimbabwe Captain Ervine won the toss and elected to field first. The decision turned out to be a disastrous one, as the English top demolished the Zimbabwe bowling attack. Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope all got their hundreds as England declared at a massive total of 565/6. Moreover, it was not just a huge total posted by the hosts, but the same happened in very quick time. The English scored 565 runs in just 96.3 overs, which gave their bowlers time to dismiss the Zimbabwean batting line-up twice.

The Visitors did give a fightback, but it wasn't enough, as the English wrapped up the game by an innings and 45 runs. Shoaib Bashir was awarded the man of the match award for his exceptional bowling, as he took 9 wickets in the game. The English looked confident for the challenging summer ahead.  

To watch the explosive English Batting, Click Here. 

THE LOST STAR

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Venue- Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chittagong [December 10, 2022].

Virat Kohli is a superstar of the game. Whenever he scores a hundred, everything else gets overshadowed. However, there was one such game wherein Virat scored a century, and there was someone else who got all the attention. Who was he? He was Ishan Kishan.

In the third ODI against Bangladesh in Chittagong (2022), Ishan Kishan scored a massive 210 off just 131 deliveries. Interestingly, it was his maiden ODI ton, which also became the quickest double ton in the history of ODI cricket. It was unfortunate that Ishan was dismissed in the 36th over, or else there would have been a possibility of seeing the first triple hundred in ODI cricket. Apart from Kishan, Kohli too scored a magnificent 113 as the Indian batsmen made a mess of the Bangladeshi bowling lineup. Kohli, who has not hit an ODI hundred since August 2019, found his mojo back as he hit his 44th ODI ton. It was an instance of classic ODI batsmanship by Kohli, but he his innings got eclipsed by the performance of our own pocket dynamo, Ishan Kishan. Ishan was truly possessed that day.

Despite the disappointment of Ishan Kishan not getting 300, everyone felt that we have got a new power hitter who would rule international cricket in the coming decades. The shots he played that day impressed everyone. Not only did he find gaps in the ground, but also he was not shy to hit the ball out of the park.

 2023 also saw Ishan make his Test debut, and he also made it to the 2023 World Cup squad. Everything looked perfect. However, his indiscipline and indifference with BCCI didn't go well with the board, as he was dropped from the team. Initially it appeared that it was just the England series from which he has been dropped, and he will be back in the next series. Unfortunately, since November 2023, he has been nowhere near the squad. Moreover, looking into the current situation, it appears impossible for a comeback in the Indian jersey. It will be quite sad if we don't see Ishan again in the Indian Cricket Team. After all, not only is he a talented cricketer, but he is also the one who eclipsed Kohli even when he scored a hundred. Something which has never happened before. 

To watch that monumental innings of Ishan Kishan, Click Here. 

To watch the innings of Virat Kohli, Click Here. 

THE REDEMPTION OF RO-KO

 

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Venue- Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney [October 25, 2025].

Last 2 years have been nothing short of a roller coaster for Indian cricket. After winning the T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the USA, Indian coach Rahul Dravid stepped down from his position, whereas Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja also bid farewell to the shortest format of the game. However, the troika decided to continue playing in the remaining two formats.

In July 2024, Gautam Gambhir was appointed as the new head coach of Team India. Credit for the same goes to KKR for their IPL title win in May 2024. Fireworks were expected; after all, there have been instances of ego clashes between Gambhir and fellow cricketers of the squad.

The first 15 months under Gautam Gambhir had been truly a topsy-turvy ride. Indians lifted another ICC Trophy as they beat New Zealand in the finals of the ICC Champions Trophy, 2025. However, there were also moments of low as we suffered a first home test series defeat in 12 years. Moreover, it was not just a defeat; it was a drubbing, as we were whitewashed 3-0 by the Kiwis in our own backyard. Moreover, we also suffered a 3-1 defeat in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, which ended our hopes of playing in the WTC Finals at Lords.

However, the thing that shook the entire cricketing fraternity was the retirement of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli from Test cricket. Apart from them, even Pujara and Ashwin bid farewell to red-ball cricket. Hence, it can be said that Team India is moving into the transition stage now.

Interestingly, the young squad led by Shubhman Gill levelled a 5-match test series 2-2 in England and was also able to retain the Asia Cup Trophy. As a result, questions are being asked now about whether Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli will continue to play ODI Cricket or whether we have seen the end of them. Moreover, will the iconic Ro-Ko make it to the 2027 World Cup, which is scheduled to take place in South Africa?

The debate got even more heated when Shubman Gill replaced Rohit Sharma as the ODI captain. There were rumors that the tour Down Under could be their last. To make matters worse, Rohit scored just 8 runs in the first ODI at Perth, whereas Kohli was caught on 0.

In the second ODI, Rohit scored a gritty 73, which did give hope to his fans. But it was not the style for which Rohit Sharma is known. It was evident that Rohit was fighting hard to maintain his position in the team. However, things didn't go as planned for Kohli, who was dismissed for another duck. It seemed that the duo were no longer their older versions who dominated bowlers for fun.

It was a do-or-die game for Rohit and Kohli in Sydney, and boy, the way they performed was truly unbelievable. Rohit Sharma scored a magnificent 121* off 125 deliveries as Indians chased down 237 in just 38.3 overs. Apart from Rohit, Kohli too scored an incredible 74*, as the Indians won the 3rd ODI by 9 wickets and were thus successful in avoiding a whitewash.

However, something that truly impressed everyone was the style with which the duo played. It was an instance of classic ODI batsmanship. Not only did they hit bad balls for boundaries, but they were also rotating strikes so easily, which never let the required run rate go up. It was vintage Ro-Ko Partnership. Something that we first saw in Jaipur in 2013.

Even though it was the Aussie who won the ODI Series 2-1, it's the Indians who are happier than the Kangaroos. After all, Kohli got his mojo back, whereas Rohit Sharma was awarded both player of the match and player of the series. Interestingly, SCG saw the end of Virat Kohli in Test Cricket, and it was SCG wherein Rohit Sharma decided to sit out of the Indian test squad. However, a year later SCG saw their rise. Moreover, the dream and hope of seeing Ro-Ko play in the 2027 World Cup is very much alive.

Lastly, in SCG we saw Virat and Rohit for one last time play on the Australian soil, as it is almost certain that we will not see them play again in Australia. Thus, it has been truly a perfect farewell from Down Under.

To watch the Innings of Rohit Sharma, Click Here.

To watch the Innings of Virat Kohli, Click Here. 

NERVES OF STEEL

 

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Venue- Hagley Oval, Christchurch [March 8-11, 2024].

In the summer of 2024, the Australian cricket team toured New Zealand to play 3 T20 Internationals and 2 Test Matches. To everyone's surprise the Aussies won the T20 Series 3-0 and were also leading the test series 1-0 before both the teams reached Christchurch for the final test. 

For the first time in the series, Australian Captain Pat Cummins won the toss and decided to field first on what looked like a spicy wicket. The decision turned out to be a good one, as the duo of Hazlewood and Starc blew the Kiwis' batting line-up. Hazlewood picked up 5, whereas Starc picked up 3, as the hosts were bowled out for just 162 in their first innings.

In response, the visitors posted a decent total of 256. Marnus Labuschagne was the leading run-getter for the Aussies, as he scored a gritty 90 off 147 deliveries. Moreover, it is pertinent to note that no other Australian batsman was able to cross the 50-run mark. Thus, this inning becomes even more special. 

The Kiwis were 94 runs behind the Aussie total. Looking into the conditions, the lead appeared huge. However, the Kiwis in the second innings batted sensibly and took the attack to the Aussies. Despite losing the first wicket with just 6 runs on board, the top order showed fight and resistance. Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson, Tom Latham and Daryl Mitchell scored half-centuries as the Kiwis reached a respectable score of 372 in their second innings. The Aussies thus required 279 runs to win the match and series.

The chase was not going to be an easy one, and early wickets in the top made the chase even tougher. The Australian scorecard read 80/5 when Alex Carey joined Mitchell Marsh in between. The game was on a knife-edge. One more wicket and the Kiwis would have steamrolled the Aussie tail. This is when Marsh and Carey stitched an important partnership of 140 runs and brought visitors back into the game. However, 2 quick wickets in between brought the game back in balance. But this is when Cummins played a captain's knock and took his team to victory. Pat scored an unbeaten 32 in the most pressure-filled situation. He, along with Carey, shared an unbeaten partnership of 61 runs as the Aussies whitewashed the Kiwis.

Though Cummins did receive some criticism because he scored the winning runs, due to which Carey missed his ton by 2 runs. But this is what Australian cricket is all about. A team which values team and victory over individuals and their milestones. 

To watch the Highlights of this Test, click on the URLs below-

Day 1.

Day 2.

Day 3.

Day 4.