3 common factors in India's four overseas wins in 2018

Team India will definitely be looking forward to usher the New Year with a landmark series win against Australia in the final Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

India has never won a Test Series Down Under. The Indian pace attack at its peak and with a deflated Aussie top-order, Kohli and co. realize that it is their best opportunity to etch their names in the history.

The Indian Team dominated every opposition on home soil and 2018 posed a tough challenge for the number one team to prove that they can dominate oppositions in foreign soil as well.

The onus was on batsman Kohli to prove both his batting abilities across conditions and captain Kohli to lead the young team fearlessly. King Kohli has put to rest all the heated arguments about his batting abilities in foreign conditions and is one overseas Test victory away from becoming India’s successful touring Test captain.

The tours of South Africa, England and Australia have challenged many great Indian teams of the past and it was no different this time. However, this young Indian team was ready to take the challenge head-on.

It is fair to say this team has competed really well compared to all the other teams that have toured the SENA countries in the past. India, for the first time in history recorded away Test match wins in South Africa, England and Australia in a calendar year. The year 2018 will definitely have a place in India’s cricketing history books.

The historic win at the Wanderers on a menacing wicket against the Proteas, a thumping 203-run victory over England at Trent Bridge after a debacle at Lord’s and dominating wins against the Aussies in Adelaide in the Series opener and Melbourne in the recently concluded Boxing day Test are the highlights of 2018 for team India.

The wins haven’t come easy and it was a combined effort from both the batsmen and the bowlers that have led to these memorable overseas victories.

Here is a look at a few things that were common in all the four historic wins:

#1 Mr Dependable - Cheteshwar Pujara

Cheteshwar Pujara vs Australia at Adelaide

India’s Premier Batsman no doubt has been Virat Kohli in the 2018 away Season.

He was the leading run scorer in both South Africa and the England Series. However, the Indian Skipper did not get enough support from his fellow top order batsmen in both the tours.

Interestingly, in all the four away wins last year, it was India’s number three Cheteshwar Pujara who made significant contributions with the bat. A gritty 50 in a difficult Wanderer’s wicket against the Proteas, a crucial 72 against England in the Trent Bridge Test and magnificent 100s in Adelaide and Melbourne in challenging wickets in the ongoing Test Series against Australia all set up great overseas victories for Team India.

Cheteshwar Pujara is currently the leading run scorer in the ongoing series Down Under. Pujara will definitely look to carry his brilliant form into 2019 and India will be hoping that the solid batsman delivers in the all-important series decider at SCG.

#2 Jasprit 'Malcom' Bumrah

Jasprit Bumrah announced his arrival in 2018

Jasprit Bumrah is fondly called Jasprit Malcom Bumrah by Ravichandran Ashwin after his phenomenal bowling performance in the recently concluded Boxing Day Test against the Aussies.

The success of this Indian team compared to great Indian teams of the past is mainly due to their phenomenal pace attack, which is arguably the best in the world currently. The trio of Ishant Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami have run rattled the best of batsmen in all conditions taking 136 wickets amongst them in 2018.

Jasprit Bumrah’s 48 wickets in his debut year is the most for any Indian bowler. He has been Kohli’s go-to man this year. The bowling figures of Jasprit Bumrah in all the 4 overseas victories are sensational.

111/7 at wanderers, 122/7 at Trent Bridge, 115/6 at Adelaide, and 86/9 are major contributing factors for India’s dominance overseas. Jasprit Bumrah will be leading the Indian pace attack at SCG in the absence of Ishant Sharma.

#3 The Bat first Mantra

India vs South Africa third Test at Johannesburg

2018 has definitely seen the resurrection of Test Cricket largely due to competitive pitches which had a lot to offer for the bowlers.

The batting average in 2018 was below 30 and that tells the story how dominant the bowlers were this year. However, King Kohli is on a different planet amassing 1322 runs in 13 Tests at an average of over 55.

In such a bowling friendly year, batting last in the fourth innings is nothing but suicidal. India had in all their four victories in 2018 batted first. Kohli who is usually not so ‘skilled’ in winning tosses managed to win the toss in Wanderers, Adelaide and Melbourne.

At Trent Bridge, however, India were put into bat and the visitors made full use of the opportunity. Given the trend, Kohli will be looking to win the toss and bat first and put pressure on the under pressure Aussie top order at Sydney.