The Indian team was scheduled to play 17 Tests in the 2016-17 season. They started off the season winning the 4-match Test series in West Indies (2-0). India now was looking at a home run of 13 Tests. They had tough contenders in the form of New Zealand, England, and Australia. India also played a one-off Test against neighbors Bangladesh. It was going to be a big challenge for the Indian team to keep their proud home record intact. Here is India’s Highest Score In Test Cricket History
The Kiwi challenge was dusted:
India hardly broke a sweat in winning the series against New Zealand. They romped home with a 3-0 whitewash over the kiwis. India didn’t have to resort to dust bowls to outplay the visitors. They played solid cricket for long periods of time to emerge victoriously. India laid down the gauntlet for the England team that was scheduled to visit next. The Indians were up and ready.
Why are the stakes for the England series so high?
The last time India had lost a home Test series was to England in 2012-13. Alastair Cook-led English side defeated India in India (2-1) in the 4-match Test series. They were the first team post-Australia in 2004 to beat India in a home series. The Indian fans found the series defeat a bitter pill to swallow.
To make matters worse, India went on to lose 1-3 against England in 2014 (away). India had lost both the rubbers. The stakes were hence naturally high when England came visiting in 2016-17.
How did India fare in the first 4 Tests?
England unsurprisingly came hard at India in the first Test. India thanks to a battle-hardened innings from Virat Kohli managed to hold on to a draw. England realized it was their best opportunity to make a statement. But they had let the moment pass. India came back strong in the second Test. India won the toss and batted first. The toss effectively decided the game’s fate. India dominated the proceedings thoroughly to notch a convincing win.
The home side lost the toss in third Test but played fine cricket. They gained an unassailable lead of 2-0 in the five match series. In the fourth Test, England batted big in the first innings scoring 400. But that wasn’t enough to shut the door on India. Powered by captain Kohli’s double hundred, India won the game by an innings. They pocketed the series 3-0 with a Test to play.
Why was the last Test then so special?
England after suffering a debilitating loss in the fourth Test batted admirably in the first innings of the final Test. They posted a huge score of 477. Little did they know what was to come. India in response started off rather strongly. The opening pair of KL Rahul and Parthiv Patel registered a 152 run stand. Rahul agonizingly fell short of a double hundred. He was out for 199. India looked to level England’s score if not exceed it unless a certain Karun Nair arrived.
A Karun Nair special:
Karun Nair was pretty early into his Test career. He was known for scoring daddy hundreds in domestic cricket. But the show he put on in Chennai was one for the ages. Nair became just the second Indian to smash a triple hundred in Test. He just kept going with every passing over.
It felt that India will declare post him scoring a double but that wasn’t the case. The dressing room kept egging him on. Nair broke the back of the England team scoring a fine triple century. His 303* remains the third highest Test score by an Indian. Nair and Ravindra Jadeja put the England bowling to sword.
The duo took India to their highest Test score (759-7) in history. India went past their previous highest Test score of 752-9 they had scored against Sri Lanka. This gigantic batting effort helped India win the series 4-0.
What role this highest Test score play in India’s Test legacy?
Teams visiting India were always known to score in excess of 300 to feel safe. But the batting performance in Chennai that helped India make its highest Test score was a statement of intent. One could never write India off in their den. The series win over England helped India serve revenge in the most chilling fashion.
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