Team India’s campaign in World test Championship has been remarkable with winning five series out of six. During this journey, they defeated South Africa, Bangladesh, and England at home. They edged past Australia and West Indies in an away assignment. Team India whitewashed South Africa, West Indies, and Bangladesh. They retained the Border-Gavaskar trophy under Ajinkya Rahane with a 2-1 success. After losing the opening Test, they pulled off a great comeback to defeat England 3-1 at home. They whitewashed West Indies in the away series for the first time ever. We got new match-winners like Pant, Siraj, and Sundar. We have picked the top 5 victories from India’s tremendous World Test Championship 2019-21 campaign. We are not picking India’s great effort at SCG when Ashwin and Vihari pulled off a great rescue after having an injury but It was not less than a victory for India.
Vs Australia at Gabba (2021)
Gabba’s famous win remains India’s best win in World Test Championship. The Series was leveled and India were struggling due to the bio bubble and the list of its injury players. Their bowling attacking was completely new as Bumrah was also ruled out due to injury. Australia were undefeated at Gabba for the past 32 years. Courtesy of Labuschagne’s hundred and support from middle-order batsmen, Australia posted 369 in the first innings. India were struggling at 186/6 and the duo Shardul and Sundar revived India with a 123-run stand to manage 336 in reply.
Australia got a good start from the top-order but India held the nerves to bowl them out on 294. They were 4 down at one stage on 196. Siraj bagged his maiden fifer and Shardul claimed a 4-wicket haul. India got the toughest task of chasing 329 on a tricky surface of Gabba. After losing Rohit on the 4th day, India survived the final session. On the final day, Gill and Pujara put a century stand and Gill missed out a good hundred. Pujara and Pant both scored half-centuries to keep India in the hunt. Pant’s attacking approach made India believe to look for victory. Pant scored unbeaten 89 off 138 balls to finish the line for India and Australia lost the series 2-1.
Vs England at Chepauk (2021)
India-England wasn’t so competitive but after England’s victory in the opening Test, this series become interesting. The surface was the same but this time, the pitch was slightly different due to its sluggish behaviour. India won the important toss and Rohit used the advantage by scoring a fine hundred. His 161 helped India to get 329 which was an imposing total. Rahane and Pant also scored half-centuries. England failed to pick the spin and bowled out on just 134, thanks to a fifer from Ashwin.
With a strong lead in the first innings, India started things very well but collapsed to six down on 106. Virat Kohli and Ashwin revived India with a 96-run stand. Ashwin scored a fine hundred and added vital runs with down-order batsmen. India managed to get 286 and set the target of 482 runs in the 4th innings. England bowled out on 164 after a late fire from Moeen Ali. Ashwin bagged four and Axar Patel claimed his first fifer. India went on to win the series 3-1 and found their spot in the World Test Championship final.
Vs Australia at MCG (2020)
India have won matches at MCG before but 2020’s win will be regarded as one of the best because it came under hue pressure. After the big humiliation in Adelaide, India were mentally down and Kohli also went to India so the pressure was on Rahane to pull off a comeback in the series. Rohit Sharma was also not available due to the quarantine rule. Bumrah and Ashwin’s fine bowling display helped India to bowl out the hosts on 195. India made a poor start to the first innings and they were five down on 173 before Rahane and Jadeja’s century stand.
This partnership helped India to get an important lead of 131 runs. Australia were under pressure and Indian bowlers used it to trouble them in 2nd innings as well. They lost their 6 wickets before 100 and Cameroon Green played an important knock to avoid an innings defeat. Australia were bowled out on 200 and India got the target of 70 runs. Rahane and Gill completed the task with achieving it with ease. India made a big comeback in the series and MCG started this beautiful comeback story which ended in Gabba with a 2-1 series win.
Vs West Indies at North Sound (2019)
It was India’s first Test in World Test Championship and West Indies were boosted after their recent Test success. They had earlier defeated England in Tests at home. West Indies made a solid start and India lost their 3 wickets on 25. Rahane and Vihari put a good stand, followed by a fine effort from Jadeja. Rahane scored a crucial 81 and Jadeja contributed 58. India’s last 3 wickets added 90 runs to reach 297 in the first innings. West Indies also lost regular wickets but they were in a good frame when the hosts were 5 down on 173. A late collapse made them all out on 222 with giving the vital 75-run lead to India. Ishant bagged a 5-wicket haul and not a single player scored a fifty from West Indies.
India improved batting mistakes in 2nd innings. Kohli scored a half-century and added 106 runs with Rahane. Later, Rahane and Vihari also added 135 runs for the 5th wicket. Rahane scored a fabulous hundred and Vihari contributed 93. India set a target of 419 runs. Jasprit Bumrah came out in his dangerous form and he bagged a hattrick in his opening spell. West Indies even lost their 9 wickets on 50 but Kemar Roach’s 38 took them to 100. India clinched the first Test by 318 runs which is India’s biggest away win by runs. Team India won the second Test as well to clinch the series 2-0.
Vs South Africa at Visakhapatnam (2019)
India welcomed South Africa in their first home assignment in World Test Championship after the success in West Indies. Rohit Sharma was introduced as an opener and he joined Mayank Agarwal in the opening slot. The duo created a record on the first day with a 317-run stand. Rohit Sharma scored 176 and Mayank Agarwal went on to make his maiden double hundred. Middle-order couldn’t score much but India managed to get 502 in the first innings. Ashwin and Jadeja’s early blows hurt South Africa. Dean Elgar looked solid who added century stands with Plessis and De Kock. Dean Elgar and De Kock both scored a hundred for South Africa. Visitors scored 431 in the reply and Ashwin bagged his best WTC figure with 7 wicket-haul.
Rohit Sharma made full use of this batting surface and scored another hundred to enter in the elite club of scoring a hundred in both innings. His current teammates Rahane, and Kohli have achieved this feat earlier. Pujara also contributed 81 with a better strike rate. India batted just 67 overs and scored 343 which is their fastest 300 in WTC. South Africa required 395 but they were looking for the draw. Mohammed Shami came out of the syllabus and he demolished South Africa’s batting order to leave them struggling at 70/8. Shami bagged 5 wickets and Jadeja claimed four. South Africa bowled out on 191 and India won this game by 203 runs. Team India went on to clean sweep the Proteas and claimed the number one spot in the WTC points-table.
