India Clinched Australia & Reclaimed ICC Test Mace

Team India ended their home season with a eight wicket series win over Australia at Dharamsala. Virat Kohli-led side beat New Zealand, England and Bangladesh before hosting Australia.

Team India with Border-Gavaskar Trophy 

 The Aussies are formidable opponents. They are proud and professional and they play hard. For the Aussies, only winning matters. Everything else is a waste of time. But this series saw a dramatic role reversal, with India trumping the Aussies. It’s been a fiery month, both on and off the field, it was produced riveting cricket, with players pushing the boundaries to get ahead of each other. In this tussle, harsh words were exchanged, allegations and accusations were hurled and charges were made, starting with the infamous Aussie Sikkper Smith's "Brain Fade" moment when he was seeking clue for DRS.

    Kohli’s Indian team is more settled, sorted and successful than teams before it. The core group has excellent work ethic and on the bench sits genuine quality, ready to step in if an opportunity was to present itself. 

India retained the ICC Test Championship mace and also won a cash award of USD one million for holding on to the top position in the Test Team rankings on the annual April 1 cut-off date.

S Gavaskar presenting ICC test mace to V Kohli

      At the end of what has been a gruelling season, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that Umesh Yadav has mastered the difficult skill of picking up wickets on sub-continent pitches.

Series Result: 

                              1. Ind v Aus, Pune 

                                   - Aus won by 333 runs.

                              2. Ind v Aus, Bengaluru

                                   - Ind won by 75 runs.

                              3. Ind v Aus, Ranchi

                                   - Match Drawn.

                              4. Ind v Aus,  Dharamshala

                                   - Ind won by 8 wickets. 

Photos: 

Ashwin won the ICC Cricketer of the Year & Test Cricketer of the year award

Indian Players with trophies

Indian Captains v/s all other opponents

Jadeja with Man of the Match & Series awards

  Stats:

            - Jadeja has hit 21 sixes, most by anyone in 2016-17. Bhajji hit 17 sixes 2010-11. 

            - Jadeja became the third player to take 50+ wickets & 500+ runs in a season.                                    Kapil Dev and Mitchell Johnson are the other two to achieve the feat.

            - Jadeja is now the 24th player to score 3000 runs and pick 300 wickets in international                  cricket. He is the fourth Indian to do so. 

            - India became the third nation to win Test series against all their opponents at the same                point of time. Others are Aus(2004-05 & 2006-07), S Africa(2012-13). 

            - Since 2008, India now have been won 4 consecutive test series vs Aus, a rare                              disntiction. 

            - For the first time, India have won seven consecutive Test series – from 2015 till date. 

            - It was Pujara's first duck at home, 3rd over all.

            - It's the fourth time India have come back to win the series after losing the first Test.

            - Pujara, 32nd player who faced 525 or more balls in an innings. 

On a funny note, Virender Sehwag, who is also known for witty side, gave out the #ViruGhareluAwards. In his ‘awards’, he awarded following 'titles’ to players from both the Indian and Australian teams :

        Viart Kohli -Holder, 

        Steven Smith -Tubelight, 

        Pujara -Inverter, 

       Jadeja -TulluPump, 

       KL Rahul -Stabilizer,

       Ashwin, Rahane- Desert Coolers.

#OTD in 2001, Sehwag debuted in 'White Jersey'

His batting Style was completely different and unorthodox than others. That's why Sourav Ganguly, former captain of Indian side, said about him "He changed the definition of being an opener. "

Here is talking about none other than the fear of the bowlers, Virender Sehwag, the man who revolutionised the role of the opener in Test cricket. He was made his test debut on the very same day in 2001 against South Africa where he was batted on number 6th position and blasted a hundred in the debut match, India were lost that match by 9 wickets though but they have been found an star in that match.

Although, Viru has already been made his ODI debut back in 1999. seeing his batting style, he was only kept considering as an one-day player but later, Soon he broke that myth. The then coach John Wright and Indian Skipper Sourav Ganguly promoted him as an opener and he also did not let them disappoint as he made a quick 84 runs at Lords in 2002. That Innings cleared his batting position in the team.

He is the only triple centurion in Tests for India having scored career-best knock of 319 against Pakistan & also one of those rare batsmen to have scored two triple ton with his next one (309) coming against South Africa.


Here are the three of his best innings in Test cricket:

309, Multan, 2004: At Multan on March 29, 2004 Nawab of Najafgarh became first India to ever score a triple century. He scored a marvelous 309 against arch rivals Pakistan to set up India's first Test win in Pakistan. It was this Test match which gave Sehwag the nick name 'Multan ka Sultan'.

319, Chennai, 2008: With Virender Sehwag, it was all in or nothing. And he proved that against South Africa in Chennai on March 28, 2008 as he blasted the fastest Test triple-century, off 278 deliveries. Opposition coach Mickey Arthur termed it the 'best Test innings he has ever seen'. Crushing and grinding bowlers with his majestic batting it still remains the highest Test score by an Indian.

293, Mumbai, 2009: Sehwag who has scored and destroyed every bowler in the world tool the attack to the most successful Test bowler in this one -- Muttiah Muralitharan. Sehwag in this particular Test match had hit a total of 47 boundaries that included 40 fours and seven sixes. During this innings it broke a number of records - most double-centuries by an Indian, second-highest number of 250-plus scores and most runs by and Indian in a day. Victory also took India to No. 1 in the rankings.

In a glorious intl. career spanning over 12 years, the swashbuckling opener played 104 tests scoring 8586 runs at an impressive average of just a little over 49, including 23 Centuries and 32 fifties.

Now a days, like his batting form, the stalwart is busy in showing his funny bones on the mic and is buzzing all around specially among his fans.

FINALLY, I would say, I don't think there will be another Virender Sehwag.