India’s top 3 Test moments in 2019

Team India, under Virat Kohli, were unassailable in Tests in 2019. They played a total of eight Tests in the year, winning seven of them and drawing one.

The only Test they could not win in 2019 was the rain-affected stalemate against Australia at Sydney in the New Year Test. After that, they defeated West Indies in the Caribbean 2-0 and whitewashed South Africa at home 3-0 before going on to conquer Bangladesh 2-0, also at home.

The Indian pacers led the way with Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah (before getting injured) all making significant contributions during the course of the year. Their performance hit a peak when they picked up all the wickets to fall in India’s maiden pink-ball Test.

Skipper Kohli continued to shine as a batsman while vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane returned to much-needed form.

With India’s Test journey for 2019 over, here’s a recap of the team’s top three moments in a memorable year.

Also see - Ranji schedule

#3 Jasprit Bumrah’s hat-trick at Jamaica

Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah became the third Indian to claim a Test hat-trick when he picked up three wickets off consecutive balls in the second Test against West Indies at Jamaica in September.

It was an interesting hat-trick achieved via the DRS mode. Bumrah first had Darren Bravo caught at second slip by KL Rahul, and then sent back Shamarh Brooks by trapping him lbw first ball.

Next ball, he bowled an in-swinger to Roston Chase, which missed the edge of the bat and hit him on the pad. The umpire declared the batsman not out, and although on a hat-trick, Bumrah didn’t seem too excited for a review.

But skipper Kohli went for the DRS, and replays found that the ball was hitting the stumps, thus giving the bowler the hat-trick wicket.

With his feat, Bumrah joined Harbhajan Singh and Irfan Pathan on the list of Indian bowlers with hat-tricks in Test matches. Singh was the first Indian to take a Test hat-trick in the legendary Eden Gardens Test of 2001 against Australia.

Former left-arm pacer Pathan picked up three wickets off the last three balls of the first over against Pakistan at Karachi in 2006. Pakistan fought back commendably to win the Test.

Bumrah’s efforts at Jamaica, however, ensured India victory by 257 runs as he finished with figures of 6 for 27 in the first innings. The hat-trick effort followed his stupendous 5 for 7 in the first Test at North Sound.

#2 Rohit Sharma’s splendid debut as Test opener

Rohit Sharma - stepping into Virender Sehwag's shoes?

Although Rohit Sharma has been prolific in the shorter formats, even notching up a world record five consecutive hundreds in the World Cup, he was finding it difficult to break into the Test playing XI. Things got tougher on the tour of West Indies as Hanuma Vihari was preferred over Sharma owing to his all-round abilities, and he delivered with a man of the match effort at Jamaica - 111 and 53 not out.

The only spot vacant now was at the top of the order, with Shikhar Dhawan, Murali Vijay and KL Rahul having failed to grab their chances. In a re-run of the Virender Sehwag situation, Sharma was asked to open against South Africa and the rest, as clichéd as it may sound, is history.

Sharma did create history by becoming the first batsman ever to smash hundreds in both innings of his first Test as opener. After easing his way to 176 in the first innings, Sharma added 127 in his second.

During the match played at Visakhapatnam, Sharma also broke Wasim Akram’s record of most sixes in an innings. While Akram had 12 to his name against Zimbabwe in 1996, and Sharma bettered it by one.

In the third Test of the series at Ranchi, the opener brought up his maiden double hundred in Tests, and also became the first Indian batsman to score 500-plus runs in a Test series against South Africa. He formed a formidable partnership with Mayank Agarwal, who also scored gallons of runs at the top of the order.

#1 Historic Test series win in Australia

The top moment for India in Tests in 2019 undoubtedly has to be the historic Test series win in Australia. Although Australia were weakened minus the banned Steve Smith and David Warner, the triumph was no mean feat.

India won the series after the rain-affected New Year Test at Sydney ended in a draw, a game which saw the in-form Cheteshwar Pujara notching up a brilliant 193 and Rishabh Pant blazing his way to an unbeaten 159.

Indian teams of the past have come close to winning in Australia, but history will remember Kohli’s brigade as the team that broke the barrier.

There were many memorable performances in India’s twin wins at Adelaide and Melbourne, which gave India the series 2-1. Pujara did a Rahul Dravid at the Adelaide Oval, with scores of 123 and 71 as India won by 31 runs.

In the Boxing Day Test at Melbourne, Pujara again notched up a hundred, but this time it was Bumrah’s 6 for 33 in Australia’s first innings that paved the way for India’s historic triumph.

The Melbourne Test also saw Agarwal making a memorable Test debut, registering scores of 76 and 42. Agarwal contributed 77 in the final Test at Sydney as well, and the series victory made his debut even more remarkable.

Pujara was named man of the series for his splendid contributions throughout.