India’s Tests Whitewashes Part II
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India first played a Test match back in 1932. It took them more than 60 years to inflict a Test series whitewash. India became a tough team to beat at home only during the 90s. The results reflect this theory as most sides found it difficult to even win a Test forget winning a series. Let us look into details on India’s Tests Whitewashes Part II.
It took 35 years for Australia to win a Test series in India. They had once won in 1969 and found success again only in 2004. But despite this dominance, India hardly ever whitewashed any side in a 3-Test match series. It was at the turn of the last decade that things started changing.
In part II of this series, we look at India’s three other whitewashes:
#1 India vs New Zealand, 2016
It was the start of India’s long home run in Tests. The side was scheduled to play 13 Tests against four different nations. New Zealand were the first visitors. Virat Kohli’s team had beaten West Indies in their den 2-0 in a 4-match series. The side was high on confidence. It was a gripping Test match until India decided to press on the boss mode.
India won in Kolkata the venue for the 2nd Test where the surface was more New Zealand than India. Bhuvneshwar Kumar broke the back of Kiwis in the first innings leaving them with a big deficit. Wriddhiman Saha scored twin fifties proving his utility in the side and picked up the Player of the Match award in the process.
India now had sights on a whitewash. The action shifted to Indore for the third and final Test. India posted a huge first-innings total of 557 thanks to an epic partnership of 365 between Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane. It was the Ravichandran Ashwin show though as he picked up 6-81 in the first and went one better in the second picking 7-59. His match haul of 13-140 helped India wrap the series and inflict a comprehensive whitewash. It was the first for Kohli as captain!
#2 India vs Sri Lanka, 2017
It remains one of India’s biggest achievements yet is underrated for reasons unknown. This is the only series sweep for India away from home. India didn’t lose a single game right through the tour. They whitewashed Sri Lanka across formats, a historic first for the side. India completely outplayed the host nation. The margins of victories validate the claim. India fielded a playing XI that had batting till number 9 and had 5 bowling options. They won the first Test by a margin of 304 runs!
India piled up 622 runs batting first in the second Test and they only batted once. Ashwin picked up a fiver in the first innings and Ravindra Jadeja picked up a fiver in the second to give India an innings win. It was Hardik Pandya’s turn in the third Test to set the stage on fire. He smashed a quick-fire maiden Test ton to lift India to 487. The score proved enough as they once again won by an innings. Shikhar Dhawan was awarded the Player of the Series for his 358 runs!
#3 India vs South Africa, 2019
South Africa was one team that gave India a run for its money even in home conditions. India had to contend with the drawn Test series in 2008 and 2010. They beat them 3-0 in a 4-match series but those Tests were played on rank turners. This was not the case in 2019. India had become a gun Test side across conditions. The series was built up expecting even contests but India’s dominance at home proved too much for the Proteas.
Rohit Sharma’s Test career finally took off as he donned the opener’s role even in Tests. He hit twin centuries in quick time to set up a famous Indian win. South Africa did battle hard in the first innings but it proved too much for them in the second essay. From then on, it was pretty much one-way traffic as India steamrolled South Africa to notch up consecutive inning wins. India’s Test performance was so sound during this phase that they racked up 4 whitewashes in 6 years! A feat that will take some doing even for the Indian side to replicate!
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