Virat Kohli on Saturday dropped a bombshell by quitting Test captaincy following the unexpected series defeat against South Africa.
The former Test skipper was appointed as captain back in 2014 when MS Dhoni stepped down in the middle of the series against Australia.
“Every thing has to come to a halt at some stage and for me as Test captain of India, it’s now. There have been many ups and also some downs along the journey but there has never been lack of effort or lack of belief,” Kohli wrote in a statement which he posted on Twitter, taking everyone by surprise. His shock announcement came a day after India lost the Test series in South Africa 1-2.
However, India have been in fantastic form both at
home and overseas in 2021. Here are the top five picks of 2021.
Also Read: Cricket fraternity stunned as Virat Kohli steps down as Team India’s Test Captain
India
vs New Zealand, Kanpur Test
India’s recent Test against New Zealand in
Kanpur might have ended in a draw but it certainly proved why Test cricket is
the ultimate test for cricketers. With occasional concerns about the health of
the longest format cropping up now and then, matches like the one that ended in
a pulsating draw between India and New Zealand in Kanpur showcased why the
longest format is very much alive and kicking. The match kept the entire
cricket fraternity at the edge of their seats and even made some of the current
and former players react to the beauty of Test cricket.
Also Read: Who will be India’s next Test captain as Virat Kohli steps down?
Dinesh Karthik hailed New Zealand’s
fighting spirit and termed the Test as the perfect one.
After watching the match, Australia opener
David Warner was overwhelmed. He exclaimed, “How good is Test cricket!!” “5
days, tough cricket played by both teams and it ends in a draw. That’s why we
love it. Can’t wait for the 2nd Test in Mumbai. #india #newzealand I can’t wait
for the Ashes!!,” tweeted Warner.
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Australia
vs India, Brisbane Test
Only three overs of the final Test of a
superlative series were left when India produced a win for the ages at the
Gabba, Brisbane. Punctuating the end was Rishabh Pant, newly minted superstar,
who could barely hold it together at the presentation when he called this one
of the best things to ever happen to him.
In cricketing terms, that thing was an
expertly paced unbeaten 89 that helped shatter a 32-year streak of Australia
not losing on this ground and sealed for India a 2-1 series win with three
wickets in hand.
Also Read: Virat Kohli steps down as India Test captain
India
vs England, Lord’s Test
India under Virat Kohli has developed a
habit of winning overseas of late. After thumping Australia on their home soil,
India registered a thrilling overseas Test win at the Lord’s, the Mecca of
cricket. It was another remarkable display of batting by India’s lower order.
Jasprit Bumrah’s day began as a batter in a hostile environment; by the end of
the day, he and Mohammed Shami had turned the pressure around on England so
swiftly and clinically that the hosts, who were in control of the game coming
into the last day, folded in the final hour as India went 1-0 up in the series.
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India
vs England, Oval Test
After winning the Lord’s Test, India were
up against England at the Oval. Jasprit Bumrah’s devastating reverse-swing,
Ravindra Jadeja’s miserly spell into the rough and crucial breakthroughs from
Umesh Yadav and Shardul Thakur took India into a 2-1 series lead against
England, sealing a 157-run win that had seemed improbable for much of the
fourth Test at The Oval.
Had the series not been postponed midway
due to the emergence of COVID-19 cases in the Indian dressing room, India would
certainly have a chance to win two successive overseas series, that too in
Australia and England. The fourth Test of the series will be played in the
summer of 2022.
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India vs New Zealand, Mumbai Test
Jayant Yadav, on his return to the Indian
team, put up a brilliant display with the ball as he struck three times in the
first half-hour of the fourth morning and four times in nine legal deliveries
to finish with career-best figures of 4 for 49, as India wrapped up their
biggest win in terms of runs – 372 – and also handed New Zealand their biggest
loss. The result sealed the series 1-0 for the hosts who also regained the No.
1 spot in ICC Test rankings, with New Zealand in the second place now.
