SK Flashback: India’s first Test series win after Dravid and Laxman’s retirement

Old habits die hard.

Indian fans got so accustomed to watching Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman anchor the middle order in Tests, that it was hardly believable to see both of them leave the international scene in the space of five months. As much as 2011 was a benchmark year for the Indian team with the coveted World Cup win, the subsequent year was as dark as dungeons, as the team hurtled to two consecutive whitewashes in England and Australia.

Then, in March 2012, fans woke up to the news that Dravid had quietly walked away from the team, making people wonder what the Indian team without the Wall at number 3 would be like. Laxman was included for the home series against New Zealand in August, but he chose to retire as well, leaving a gaping hole that was too large to be filled.

A new look Indian team then welcomed the Black Caps for a three-Test series in 2012, without Dravid and Laxman in the middle order. Sachin Tendulkar was part of the line-up, but he was a pale shadow of his old self, playing scratchy innings that made critics call a preponed end to his imminent retirement.

Virat Kohli had shown glimpses of carrying his limited-overs into the whites with a sublime hundred at Adelaide earlier that year. Cheteshwar Pujara, singled out as the ideal replacement for Dravid’s solid game, finally found a permanent slot in the team. With Raina and Dhoni to follow him, and the Sehwag-Gambhir combination opening at the top, the batting line-up looked sorted.

On September 3, 2012, India inflicted a 5-wicket defeat on the Kiwis to seal the series 2-0, starting off a new era that revolved around the youth. Tendulkar retired next year, and Dhoni a year after that, and Kohli now holds the mantle of a team that promises a lot more in the future.

Driven by youth, India completed a whitewash on the Kiwis.

The first Test, played at Hyderabad, saw Pujara totally justifying his place with a sublime 159 at number 3, and powering India to a healthy 438. Ashwin then struck top form with six wickets in each innings to skittle New Zealand to an innings loss.

The second and final Test saw a much better batting performance from the Kiwis, and they managed to put India on the mat at 80-4, but Kohli stitched crucial partnerships with the lower middle order to notch up his second Test century. Chasing 261 in the fourth innings, The right-hander was at it again, this time with an unbeaten 51 to guide India home and complete a whitewash.

The transition to the new era seemed apt given that the victories were achieved at Hyderabad and Bangalore, at Laxman and Dravid’s home-grounds. Although we won’t ever see the two legends bat again, the future certainly hold promise for the Indian team.

Old habits die hard, but fresh ones promise to break new grounds.