Virat’s 235, Nair’s 300: Top 8 Moments of India-Eng Test Series
The Quint takes a look at the top eight moments from the India-England Test series.
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The Indian cricket team made history after beating England by an innings and 75 runs in the fifth Test at Chennai on Tuesday. They recorded their longest-ever unbeaten streak in Tests (18 matches), bettering the previous record set between 1985-87.
After winning the series 4-0, they have also won five consecutive Test series, starting with the Sri Lanka tour in 2015. This feat was last achieved between 2008 and 2010.
Test skipper Virat Kohli was named the player of the just-concluded series for scoring a whopping 655 runs.
The Quint takes a look at the top eight moments from the record-laden Test series.
1. Karun Nair’s 300
Everybody expected Virat Kohli to notch tons and tons of runs and R Ashwin to pick up a lot of wickets. But perhaps the most impressive individual feat of the series was achieved by a little-known player in the fifth Test.
Karun Nair, who went into the final Test with scores of 4 and 13, romped his way to his maiden hundred on day four of the fifth Test.
But little did we know that he would not only get to a double century the same day, but also rack up a historic triple century.
Nair became only the second Indian to score a triple ton after Virender Sehwag. The young batsman smashed 303* off 381 balls, which included 32 boundaries and four sixes.
2. Virat Kohli’s Highest Test Score
Virat Kohli seems to be raising his game with every series. And in the series against England, the Test skipper rose to even greater heights.
Kohli, walked in to bat at 146/2 in the first innings of the fourth Test, after England had put up 400. When the home team was in a spot of bother at 307/6, he batted magnificently – and posted his highest Test score of 235. In the course of his innings, he also strung India’s highest eight-wicket partnership (241) with Jayant Yadav.
Kohli helped ensure that the home team gains a lead of 231 runs. India eventually won the match by an innings and 36 runs.
3. Jayant Yadav’s Hundred
Jayant Yadav was the surprise package of the Test series. He not only excelled in his primary job – off-spin bowling – but also turned out to be a handy lower-order batsman.
When India felt they would not be able to get a big lead placed at 364/7 in the first innings of the fourth Test, Yadav stood up for the team and batted beautifully with Kohli.
He smashed his maiden hundred in 204 balls, helped by 15 boundaries. Thereby becoming the first Indian to get a Test ton batting at No. 9.
4. Jadeja’s Seven-For
When England came out to bat at 12/0 at the start of day five of the fifth Test, the match had a draw written all over it. And the speculation seemed to have been confirmed when Alastair Cook and Keaton Jennings took England to 97/0 at lunch.
But in the second session, Ravindra Jadeja took over. He dismissed Cook, Jennings and Joe Root within the space of 10 overs. And then, the England batting order simply fell apart.
Fittingly, Jadeja took the final wicket and ended up with figures of 7/48.
5. KL Rahul’s 199
Believe it or not, KL Rahul scored a 199 in the same Test as the one in which Karun Nair notched a triple hundred.
While chasing England’s mammoth first innings total of 477 runs, Rahul got India off to a great start along with Parthiv Patel.
He strung two big partnership – 152 with Parthiv Patel and 161 with Karun Nair. but Rahul agonisingly got out at 199 from 311 balls. He smacked 16 fours and three sixes in his innings.
6. Joe Root’s Fifties vs India
If there is anybody in the world who knows the Indian bowling attack inside out, it’s Joe Root. The English batsman has got at least one fifty in every Test match he has played against India.
He has played eleven Test matches against India so far since his debut at Nagpur in 2012. When he notched 77 runs in the second innings of the fourth Test at Mumbai, he broke the record for scoring at least one fifty in consecutive Test matches against a particular team.
The record was earlier held by Doug Walters of Australia, who had scored nine fifties in nine Tests against West Indies.
Root finished as the second-highest scorer in the series (491 runs).
7. Ashwin’s 12 Wickets in the 4th Test
There’s a home Test series and Ashwin hasn’t made an impact? Impossible. In England’s first innings of the fourth Test, Ashwin single-handedly blew away the top order, which helped India restrict England to a competitive total of 400.
And in the second innings, when India needed someone to wrap up the match, Ashwin first dismissed Jake Ball off the last delivery of the fourth day. And the next day, within the space of five overs, Ashwin removed the last four batsman – helping India win the match by an innings and 36 runs.
8. Pujara’s Twin Hundreds
Before Kohli and company took over, it was Cheteshwar Pujara who set the tone for the Indian team in the Test series.
He hit 124 runs off 206 balls in the first innings of the first Test while chasing England’s huge total of 537 runs. And in the second Test, Pujara continued his form and notched 119 runs in the first innings, helping India post a big total of 455 runs.
Pujara finished the series as the third-highest scorer with 401 runs.