When Indian bowlers dominated the gameIndia’s Test victories over the years have been attributed to the famed abundance of batting talent in the team. The Indian bowlers have been criticized for being too lackluster to take twenty wickets and win matches on their own.However, many of India’s most famous victories in recent times have been due to a combined effort from the bowlers, equally matching the deeds of India’s famed batting prowess. Here, we will look five such crucial bowling performances which brought India laurels.
#1 India vs SA, Johannesburg, 2006
The series that is most famously remembered for Sourav Ganguly’s comeback, featured one of India’s most memorable overseas wins, beating a star-studded South African in their own background for the first time ever.
After India had managed 249 in the first innings, thanks to Ganguly’s resolute 51 runs, Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, the eccentric Keralite paceman, playing just his sixth Test, ran through the Proteas side, skittling them for a mere 84 in the first innings, their lowest total in fifty years.
He bowled a nagging line, swinging the ball away from the right-hander continuously, ably supported by the ever reliant Zaheer Khan. Each of the pacers contributed in the first innings while Kumble came in to clean up the tail in two overs.
South Africa were set a mammoth target of 402 in the final innings, and although Sreesanth ripped through the top order again, an 110 wicket partnership between Ashwell Prince and Shaun Pollock irritated the Indian bowlers, before the experienced Kumble quelled the counterattack with his wily flippers.
#2 India vs New Zealand, Hamilton, 2009
Another memorable overseas victory in another continent, India managed to defeat the Black Caps for the first time in 33 years. Harbhajan Singh returned with his best figures outside the subcontinent, taking six wickets in the third innings to hand India a meagre target of 39 to complete a famous win.
Despite having a deep batting line up, New Zealand could manage just 279 in both the innings. Ishant Sharma and Zaheer Khan struck the right lengths from the word go, and it wasn’t long before the benefits were reaped. The pacers shared nine wickets between them in the first innings, but Harbhajan Singh wasn’t willing to be left out of the party.
On the back of a solid start from the top four, including Sachin Tendulkar‘s 42nd ton in whites, India obtained a lead of 241 in the first innings, after which Harbhajan ripped open the heart of the New Zealand lineup with his looping deliveries, spinning the ball away from the left-handers.
Munaf Patel, Yuvraj Singh and Zaheer Khan supported him at regular intervals, tying the batsman up in a knot. It took them 42 overs to reach 100 before Harbhajan started consistently made inroads, and completed a magnificent five-wicket haul, his 23rd in Tests.
#3 India vs Australia, Perth, 2008
The Border-Gavaskar series of 2008 is infamous for racial slurs, umpiring howlers, and unfair gameplay but a historic victory at Perth had the makings of India’s finest Test wins ever. As was the case seven years ago, India ended Australia’s 16-match unbeaten streak with a resounding 72 wicket win at the WACA.
A top class bowling performance in the first innings dismissed Australia for 212. After Irfan Pathan had snapped up both the openers in the same over, Ishant Sharma continued tormenting Ricky Ponting, trapping him leg before in front of the wicket once again. RP Singh was in lethal form from the other end, the occasional Jaffas being too good for the batsmen. Anil Kumble achieved a huge personal milestone by taking his 600th Test wicket.
India set the hosts a target of 413 after finishing the second innings at 294, a total which was achieved mainly due to a brilliant rearguard action from VVS Laxman. His 156 ball 79 set the target well past the experienced Australian lineup.
The Indian bowlers responded as handsomely as in the first innings, with Pathan accounting for both the openers and Ishant making Ponting his bunny for the series. RP Singh bowled testing lines, and Anil Kumble and Virender Sehwag shared two wickets apiece.
A determined Michael Clarke, and later, an entertaining stand between Mitchell Johnson and Stuart Clark gave hope to the 16,000 plus supporters in the stands, but these sporadic acts of resistance weren’t enough to prevent India from becoming the first side to beat Australia at Perth since 1985-86.
#4 India vs Australia, Mohali, 2008
India looked in total control throughout the entirety of the match, comprehensively squaring up Australia from all sides. After a solid total of 469 in the first innings, the Indians never let the visitors attain foothold on the match.
Amit Mishra, making his debut, bamboozled the Aussies by graciously peppering them with his googlies. He snapped up five wickets in the first innings, then becoming only the sixth Indian to achieve this feat on debut. Ishant Sharma continued his usual work of dismantling Ricky Ponting while Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan provided breakthroughs at crucial intervals.
The Australians had ended the fourth day tottering at 58-5, still more than 450 runs in arrears, after Harbhajan Singh had initiated a stunning collapse with by snapping up the first three wickets within the first ten overs of the innings.
Zaheer was virtually unplayable the next morning, dismissing Brad Haddin, Cameron White and Brett Lee in the space of four deliveries. Ishant was swinging the ball both ways while Mishra added two more to finish his debut tally at seven.
The disciplined team bowling effort handed Australia their biggest defeat in terms of runs in 17 years.
#5 India vs England, Lords, 2014
Team India had experienced a torrid run of overseas defeats right after the 2011 World Cup. The Lord’s win was a welcome sign of relief, as well as a historic victory, only their second at the Mecca of Cricket in 82 years.
Ajinkya Rahane compiled a masterful 103, as India made 295 in the first innings. Bhuwaneshwar Kumar made a brilliant Lord’s debut, picking up six wickets to keep the English lead to just twenty. He swung the new ball viciously, cleaning up the top order single handedly. Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammad Shami chipped in to snap up the rest.
The real hero of the match, however, came into his elements in the fourth innings of the match. Ishant Sharma, criticized for not being able to create much impact throughout his Test career, used the old ball to amazing effect, heavily swinging it into the right-handers, and just getting enough movement from the left-handers to induce edges.
The aggressive intent was on display, as the English middle order found out, with well-directed bouncers accounting for most of his victims.
Set a target of 319, the English lineup crumbled in front of one of the best overseas spells by an Indian pacer, ending up 95 runs short on the final day. The career-best figures of 7-74 reminded the fans of his similar efforts in Perth six years ago, but the lanky pacer’s indifferent form continues to be a matter of debate.
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