The year-end is a wierd time. It doesn’t matter what may need occurred within the eleven-plus months earlier than that, it by no means fails to infuse us with a way of positivity and hope. The identical holds true for this year-end in Indian males’s cricket. Historical past was made, new heroes emerged, and legendary figures referred to as it a day. There have been new highs and all-time new lows. However the sense of optimism lingers.
Conquering Cape City
I’ve at all times discovered it unusual that South Africa as a Check venue isn’t given as a lot dialog time as, say, Australia and England. It is a actually robust land to beat. India have by no means gained a Check sequence there and in 9 excursions since their first in 1992/93, have misplaced seven sequence and drawn two.
The yr started with a way of dread when the workforce discovered itself 0-1 down in a two-Check sequence within the Rainbow Nation after shedding the primary by an innings and 32 runs. What adopted, although, was jaw-dropping and one other reminder of the age-old adage that ‘bowlers win you Check matches’. We noticed an exhibition of pure bowling class by Staff India within the second Check in Cape City.
The Proteas had been shot out for 55 of their first innings (SA’s seventh-lowest Check innings complete of all time), thanks largely to Mohammed Siraj (6/15), after which they had been dismissed for 176 of their second innings. Siraj has already confirmed that he’s a top quality Check bowler, however what was actually encouraging to see was the supporting act. Thirty-one-year-old Mukesh Kumar took two wickets in SA’s first innings, gifting away zero runs in 2.2 overs. He completed the sport with match figures of 4/56. Mukesh, who turned simply the second Indian cricketer after T. Natarajan to make an all-format debut in the identical sequence (vs WI within the Caribbean in 2023), confirmed that he’s prepared for Check cricket. It isn’t fairly often that one sees India chasing a goal below 100 in an abroad Check, however that is the impression the bowlers had, as India had been left to chase simply 79 they usually romped dwelling to a seven-wicket triumph, marking their first Check win in Cape City and drawing the sequence. All this left us with a way of nice optimism.
Yashasvi Jaiswal – Destined for Greatness
Forty-five years after Sunil Gavaskar scored 700-plus runs in a Check sequence (for a second time), a 23-year-old emulated that unbelievable feat. In 2024, Yashasvi Jaiswal added wonderful new chapters within the fairytale that’s his worldwide profession. Within the dwelling Check sequence vs England, which India gained 4-1, Jaiswal notched up 712 runs and have become the third youngest participant to attain two Check double tons after Don Bradman and Vinod Kambli. He was the best run-getter within the sequence. In second place was one other younger Indian expertise who ought to have an enormous function to play in writing the way forward for Indian cricket: Shubman Gill (452 runs). Virat Kohli was lacking from the sequence, nevertheless it was refreshing to see younger weapons ruling the batting charts. The subsequent era is prepared.
World Cup Win After 16 Years
India and ICC tournaments: since 2013 and earlier than 2024, this was probably the most painful relationships to dissect. And it hit a brand new low in 2023 when India misplaced an ODI World Cup closing to Australia at dwelling. Which is why when India turned world champions in 2024 for the primary time since 2011, it was, in some ways, redemption for the large names within the set-up. This time, there was a way of nice perception within the Indian camp, and with every win, the followers started to imagine in it as properly. The workforce did not lose that perception even when the Proteas wanted 30 off 30 within the closing, with six wickets in hand. The truth that India turned the primary workforce ever to win the title unbeaten went a good distance in displaying simply what a drive the Indian males’s workforce has turn out to be in T20Is. They registered their highest-ever T20I complete (297/6) vs Bangladesh in 2024, which can be the best complete by a Check-playing nation. Extremely, out of 26 T20Is performed in 2024, India gained 24. That is a win share of 92.31%, the best ever by any workforce in a calendar yr. One other large cause to rejoice.
What we noticed subsequent was an entire slew of modifications.
Rohit & Virat Finish T20I Careers
The T20 World Cup win gave Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli the right alternative to deliver the curtain down on their T20I careers. It was name too. T20 is the format that thrives essentially the most on younger blood, and the 2 seniors, who’re each on the improper aspect of 30, knew that permitting the following era to take over was a name they could not ignore. And what higher option to exit than with world champions’ medals round their necks? The championship win was additionally a becoming farewell for coach Rahul Dravid.
Suryakumar Yadav: The ‘Shock’ Choose?
India wanted a brand new regular T20I captain. The thrill was that Hardik Pandya, who was being tagged as the following India long-term captain, may not get the job due to his damage considerations. And that was a good evaluation. The administration needed to go together with somebody they knew could be out there always. Based mostly on this and in addition what the Chief Selector referred to as “common suggestions from the dressing room”, Suryakumar Yadav was named the brand new India T20I captain. The overall chorus was that this was name. Surya is one of the best Indian batting expertise that has emerged in T20s in current occasions. He has a mature head on his shoulders. Additionally, identical to Hardik, Surya believes in a no-hierarchy system. It was good to listen to Sanju Samson, who just lately turned the primary Indian batter to attain two consecutive T20I tons, say that what gave him essentially the most confidence was Surya’s backing and full function readability.
Guru Gambhir’s Rocky Begin
Have been eyebrows raised when Gautam Gambhir was approached to turn out to be the brand new India males’s workforce Head Coach? Completely. Gambhir had been a mentor however by no means a coach. He took over proper after the euphoria of the T20 World Cup win and had fairly a rocky begin, which gave his critics extra ammunition to query his appointment as India coach.
Shedding to SL After 27 Years
Sri Lanka is an opponent India are anticipated to beat, in any format, in any circumstances. They did win the T20I sequence, however when the lads in blue misplaced to the opposite males in blue from the Emerald Isles in an away ODI sequence 2-0, marking their first bilateral ODI sequence loss to the Lankans since 1997, criticism for the gamers and coach was at an all-year excessive. That went by means of the roof after the 110-run loss within the third ODI, the place India had been shot out for 138, chasing 249. This wasn’t the beginning that Gambhir wished to his teaching profession, it wasn’t the end result the workforce or the followers had been concentrating on. What harm essentially the most was that the Indian batting unit was discovered wanting when it got here to tackling spin and the criticism was truthful. The Lankan spinners took 27 of the 30 Indian wickets that fell within the sequence. India’s vulnerability specifically to left-arm spin was uncovered utterly by the participant of the sequence, Dunith Wellalage.
The 0-3 Drubbing That Actually Damage
The spin ogre has been haunting Indian batters for some time now, however what harm essentially the most in 2024 was the way in which Staff India crumbled in a house Check sequence to an opposition spin. New Zealand’s Check sequence win was a intestine punch. For the primary time, India had been whitewashed 0-3 at dwelling. For the primary time in 12 years, they misplaced a house Check sequence. The Kiwis had finished their homework and had studied India’s loss in Sri Lanka fairly fastidiously; their name to play two left-arm spinners (Ajaz Patel and Mitchell Santner) was a masterstroke. India’s tactic of together with as many left-hand batters as they might within the taking part in XI to counter this did not work.
It is embarrassing, to be truthful, to see a nation as soon as tagged one of the best gamers of spin to be humbled by spinners in their very own yard. Making ready rank turners for a house Check sequence can’t be a method the workforce can undertake going ahead. There is not any doubt that making ready for T20 cricket has had an impact on how batters strategy classical batting, however what about rotating the star batters such that they’re given periodic breaks from worldwide cricket to play home cricket? They are going to be examined by every kind of spin there on tracks, lots of that are pure turners. However in Indian cricket, the follow of star batters taking part in home cricket simply doesn’t exist, except they’re dropped from the workforce attributable to unhealthy type. Perhaps it is time star tradition made means for a extra pragmatic strategy.
(The writer is a former sports activities editor and primetime sports activities information anchor. He’s at the moment a columnist, options author and stage actor)
Disclaimer: These are the private opinions of the writer