KING KOHLI TO RESCUE

 

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Venue – Centurion Park, Centurion [December 26-29, 2023].

November 26, 2025, will go down as the darkest day for Indian cricket. The reason being we suffered yet another whitewash at home, this time at the hands of the South Africans. However, unlike last year, wherein we gave a strong fight against the Kiwis, this time we just crumbled before the Proteas. 408 runs defeat is a huge margin, and this is definitely going to haunt Indian cricket for long. However, the most unfortunate part was that none of our batsmen were able to score big in a condition wherein the South African batsmen piled up a heap of runs.

But this was not always the case. In the good old days, our batsmen not only scored runs at home but also abroad, and that too in the toughest of conditions. The man who led the pack was none other than King Kohli, who established himself as the backbone of Indian batting. Though Virat Kohli has scored 82 international hundreds, such is his class that even his fifties are remembered by fans all over the world.

One such half-century of his came in Centurion in December 2023, wherein he scored a quickfire 76 off 82 balls amidst seaming conditions. Interestingly, Kohli not just defended the unplayable deliveries but also played his shots. Moreover, the shots he played were truly spectacular. It was a pure masterclass from King Kohli, who looked in his vintage touch.

Unfortunately, Team India in that very innings were bowled out for 131 runs and lost the game by an innings and 32 runs. Interestingly if we remove the innings of Kohli, we will find that the entire team scored just 55 runs. So Kohli rightly saved us from the humiliation of getting bowled out under 100. Yes. We lost the game, but the innings is still cherished by every cricket fan. Afterall, it was one of the finest knocks played under pressure.

Moreover, Kohli continued his form in the next test as well, where he played another gritty knock. Eventually Kohli ended the series as India's highest run getter with a total of 172 runs in 4 innings at an average of 44. Mind you, South Africa is a place which is considered the toughest place to bat, and in that very condition, Kohli averages 49.50. Such has been the greatness of King Kohli.

To be honest, it is going to be tough to find a replacement for Virat Kohli, but we can only hope that the team will rise from the depths of despair. We need to have players who can keep themselves calm in the toughest of situations.

To watch the innings of Virat Kohli, Click Here. 

A NORMAL DAY AT WORK

 

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Venue – Eden Gardens, Kolkata [November 16-20, 2017].

In the winter of 2017, the Sri Lankan cricket team toured India to play 3 test matches, 3 ODIs and 3 T20 internationals. It is pertinent to note that the Lankans were badly whitewashed by Indians a couple of months ago in their own backyard. As a result, they were fired up to avenge the defeat. The first test of the series took place in the City of Joy – Kolkata. Unfortunately, the match got interrupted by multiple rain breaks. However, even in the limited time, the game was nothing short of thrill and entertainment.

Sri Lankan Captain Dinesh Chandimal won the toss and decided to field first. The decision turned out to be a masterstroke, as the hosts were bundled out for just 172 runs in their first innings. To everyone's surprise, the Indian skipper Virat Kohli was dismissed for a duck. After all, he was in the form of his life. Something which no one could imagine. Except for Pujara, no Indian batsman was able to cross the 50-run mark. For visitors, Suranga Lakmal was the leading wicket taker, as he picked up 4 wickets for just 26 runs. 

In response, the visitors scored 294 runs in their first innings, which looked like a decent score on the spicy Kolkata wicket. The hosts were now supposed to bat sensibly on Day 5 so that they could save the test. However, what happened next was something truly unbelievable. Captain Kohli led from the front as he scored a quickfire 104* off just 119 deliveries. It was simply one of the best test knocks played in an extremely tense situation. Not only did Kohli rescue his team, but he also played his shots when required. It was indeed a masterclass by the King himself. The failure of the first innings was well and truly buried. Apart from Kohli, Rahul and Dhawan also scored important half-centuries, as Sri Lankans were now required to score 231 runs to win the test as Indians declared a competitive score of 352/8. 

It was almost certain that the target could not be chased, and the visitors just needed to survive the final session. However, Bhuvneshwar Kumar produced a sensational spell which sparked life in a lifeless game. It was quite lucky on the part of the visitors that the game could go on for just 26.3 overs. The match finally ended in a draw as the Sri Lankan scorecard read 75/7.

It was indeed a normal day at work, as the visiting team was fighting for their survival instead of securing a win.

Good old days when we used to dominate at home. 

To watch the Innings of Virat Kohli, Click Here. 

THE DAY CRICKET STOOD STILL

 

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Venue – The Oval, London [September 8-12, 2022].

In the previous post we talked about what happened in the Manchester test. In this post we will be talking about the final chapter of the 2022 England-South Africa Test Series. After the match got over in Manchester, both the teams headed back to the capital for the series decider. However, due to massive rain, no play was possible on the first day of the third test match.

Unfortunately, the same night, Queen Elizabeth breathed her last. The passing of the Queen was grieved by everyone, as the country stood still. Everything came to a halt the next day, including the Test Match. Eventually, on the third day of the test match, both the teams assembled in the Oval and paid tribute to the late Queen, who was not just a constitutional head of state but was also an ardent cricket fan.

In a must-win game, England captain Ben Stokes won the toss and decided to bat first. The pitch was a bowler's paradise as the English pace attack blew away the Proteas batting line-up for 118 runs in just 36.2 overs. However, the Proteas too made use of the pitch, as they too bowled out England in exactly 36.2 overs for just 158 runs.

To be honest, it was less of a contest between bat and ball and more of a contest between the pacers of two sides. The carnage continued the next day as well, as the English once again rattled the Proteas batting line-up for just 169 runs in the second innings. The English now required 130 runs to win the test and the series.

Looking at what has happened in the last couple of days, it seemed 130 won't be an easy target to chase. However, Zak Crawley came all guns blazing as the hosts chased down 130 runs in just 22.3 overs. Crawley scored a quickfire 69* off 57 deliveries as the English won the game by 9 wickets on the morning of the fifth day.

Captain Stokes was awarded the Player of the Series Award as the hosts came from behind and won the Test Series 2-1.

To watch the highlights of this test, click on the URLs below.

Day 3.

Day 4.

Day 5. 

CAPTAIN STOKES TO THE RESCUE

 

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Venue – Old Trafford, Manchester [August 25-29, 2022].

In the summer of 2022, the South African cricket team toured England to play 3 ODIs, 3 T20s and 3 Test matches. The ODI Series ended in a 1-1 draw, whereas the Proteas won the T20 Series 2-1. Moreover, the visitors also won the first test at Lord's, and when the teams reached Manchester for the second test, it was more of a do-or-die contest for the hosts. In a must-win game it was the South African captain, Dean Elgar, who won the toss, and he chose to bat first. 

The decision turned out to be a horrendous one, as the Proteas were bowled out for just 151 runs in their first innings. The duo of Broad and Anderson picked up 3 wickets each, as no South African batsman managed to get past even the 40-run mark.

In response the hosts were reeling at 147/5 when wicketkeeper batsman Ben Foakes joined Captain Stokes in the middle. The match was on a knife-edge. One more wicket and the Proteas would have got rid of the English tail in no time. But this is when Stokes played a captain's knock and took his team to a commanding position. Stokes, along with Foakes, stitched a partnership of 173 runs as he scored his first Test hundred as a captain. Interestingly, it was not a typical Ben Stokes knock, as it was slow and gritty. The captain faced a total of 163 deliveries for his 103-run knock. Moreover, in the process he hit 6 boundaries and 3 massive sixes. On the other end, Foakes too scored an incredible 113 of 217 deliveries as England declared at a total of 415/9. 

It was never going to be easy for the Proteas to get past the first-innings deficit of 264 runs. Moreover, the English bowlers made sure that there was no possibility of a comeback as they kept on picking wickets at regular intervals. The Proteas crumbled for just 179 runs in their second innings, thus handing the hosts a victory by an innings and 85 runs.  

Captain Stokes was awarded the Man of the Match for his all-round performance, as he scored a hundred with a bat and also picked up 4 wickets with the ball. The series was 1-1 as the teams now headed back to London for the final showdown.

 

To watch the Innings of Ben Stokes, Click Here.

To watch the Innings of Ben Foakes, Click Here. 

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.