Video games are a rather simple thing. You need to complete a certain amount of game time or gather a certain amount of skill to unlock the next level. Along similar lines, when India hit their last transitional cycle with veterans like Ishant, Umesh, Pujara, and Rahane slowly phasing out of the team, the team felt a little stagnated and struggled to win games away and even at home at times.
What was needed to unlock the next level was a certain amount of skill and maybe a hint of character. At the Vizag test against England, they did just that. Being 0-1 in the series after being shell-shocked by the Ollie Pope assault at Hyderabad, The team had to undergo a bit of a metamorphosis-like process.
No longer could their reliance be purely on the Ashwin-Jadeja duo nor could they call on Pujara or Virat to bat the opposition out of the game on day 2 itself. Enter Yashasvi Jaiswal, who had only played 5 tests at that point.
His unbelievable hundred brought the team that certain extra character that was required to go to the next level followed by the Bumrah 6fer, Gill’s 100, and a great bowling effort in the 2nd innings to beat England and square the series.
If the team between 2013 – 2022 relied on patience, experience, and skills, the 2024 team just annihilated the opposition often within a session as England saw at Rajkot, their shot at
ascendency in the game going up in flames thanks to a reverse swing special from Mohammad Siraj was followed by another special 200 by Jaiswal in the second innings.
As if the aggression and ruthlessness had already been exhibited. At Ranchi came the patience and Skill of Dhruv Jurel and Shubman Gill, in a tough situation, their partnership brought India to a historic series win over England without Shami and Kohli. And that brings us back to the present as India completes a 2-0 whitewash over Bangladesh
thanks to a ruthless performance against a ticking clock in Kanpur and a formidable bowling attack in Chennai.
In the words of Late Great Grant McFarland: “A Happy ending is nothing but a new beginning.” And truly India enters this new beginning of sorts with New Zealand, Australia, and England as the challenges in their way, a skilled yet quantity-wise limited pace bowling stock, and 13-14 of the most career-defining games right around the corner for Rohit Sharma’s men.
Is a 3-peat down under gonna happen? Are they finally going to win the WTC title? Is a test series win in England finally happening in 2025? There are a lot of questions for the aging leadership group of Rohit, Ashwin, Jadeja, and Kohli. There are bigger fortresses to conquer and more history to be written in the upcoming 10 months as India sets sail for possibly the highest of high seas in test cricket World.
About the Author: Aman Patel, A long-term viewer and student of the game. Specialises in cricket from the 2000s.
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Immature and rubbish typical pakistani standard article.