From taming the English Lions to booking a ticket to the final: Top 5 moments for India in WTC 2021-23

As we stand on the cusp of greatness with arguably two of Test cricket’s best teams going head on for the final prize - the World Test Championship - it doesn’t hurt to take a walk down the memory lane and relive all those glittering moments that got the Indian cricket team to the summit clash. Unlike the maiden edition of the WTC 2019-21 where India had more of a smoother sailing, this edition for the team was marked by choppy waters and a hand of assistance from the preceding edition’s champions New Zealand before the fate of the two finalists were sealed.

India’s journey started with a battle against England in the latter’s den and shocking the world, they punched heroically above their weight to almost seize what could have been a historic series win, only to be denied in the dying embers, first by the unfortunate advancement of Covid followed by a defeat against the hosts in the postponed final Test back in 2022. No matter the falls, the Indian cricket team didn’t shy away from their calling of history and when the opportunities came knocking, Rohit Sharma’s men were quick to pounce upon them and arrive at the grand finale of an enduring marathon championship.

Here are top five moments for India in the World Test Championship 2021-23, fragments of glory that came together in knitting the garland of exultation before the powerhouses collide at the Oval.

1. England rocked in the Home of Cricket

India started their 2021-23 WTC campaign with a twin win against England as the first of them arrived at Lord’s while the second came at the Oval, straddling a defeat against the hosts at Leeds. It was a show of domination from the two Indian openers, Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul, who scored 83 and 129 respectively while Virat Kohli (42) and Ravindra Jadeja (40) kept the Indian ship afloat. 

England rode high on Joe Root’s scintillating 180, accompanied perfectly by Rory Burns (49) and Jonny Bairstow (57) to pile up 391. Mohammed Siraj was the pick of the lot for the Indian bowlers with figures of 4/94 while Ishant Sharma was instrumental with the cherry too, chronicling figures of 3/69. 

Much to India’s woes, their second innings had wobbles all over it, only to be later ironed out by a heroic partnership from Mohammed Shami (56) and Jasprit Bumrah (34) who knitted together an 89-run stand. Batting on the final day, England were left completely disgruntled as the pair of Bumrah and Siraj raged through the English batting line-up, plundering seven wickets between them. Joe Root’s 33 and Jos Buttler’s 25 delayed England’s defeat but it eventually arrived through Miyan, who barrelled through the defences of Jimmy Anderson to send the Indian fans into a fit of frenzy.

2.  England rocked for the second time in their backyard

If the victory at Lord’s was just a prelude to greater glory, the Oval where the WTC final would be played out, played host to a sky-shattering crescendo. India’s exploits in the opening innings of the third test of the series were questionable as Virat Kohli was the solitary beacon of hope with an impressive half-century to steer them to 191. Riding high on Ollie Pope’s 81 followed by Chris Woakes’ half-century, England managed to secure a 99-run lead in the first innings. Umesh Yadav was the pick of the lot with figures of 3/76. 

However, when India came out to bat, England were in for a shock as they were completely outclassed by a raging Rohit Sharma, who blasted 127 and was aptly supported by every other batter in the line-up. England found themselves wobbling in the fourth innings as the Indian bowlers meant hardcore business, skittling out the hosts for 210 with Umesh Yadav bagging another six-wicket haul.

3. Ripping apart the South Africans in the lions’ den

Stepping into the heart-fluttering metal perimeter of the Centurion, the Indian cricketers were up against the might of the hosts and they were relentless from the start. Playing under the reins of Virat Kohli for the final time in the whites, India rode high on the shoulders of KL Rahul who powered to a fine century. 

Mayank Agarwal (60) and Ajinkya Rahane (48) battled hard alongside Rahul as India put up 327. Mohammed Shami spearheaded the Indian bowling as he ran through the South African batting unit, leaving them shell-shocked with the score on 197 courtesy of his exquisite fifer. The Indian batters couldn’t garner much on the board as they were skittled out for 174 but the lead of 130 runs in the first innings came to their aid as the pace troika of Shami, Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah gunned down the Proteas with absolute disdain, chronicling a 113-run win for the Indians.

4. Neighbours edged past in a heart-stopping thriller

If the ODIs were any hint of resistance, India knew that it won’t be easy for them to brave a daunting Bangladesh in the latter’s home. After being edged past in the ODI series by a 2-1 margin, India needed to come out on top in the Test series before they could return home to host Australia in a grandiloquent encounter that would have got them the tickets to the final if New Zealand was kind enough. 

The first Test created no fuss for the Indians as they got the better of Bangladesh comfortably by 188 runs but it was the second rubber that cast a frowning shadow in the minds of the players. Umesh Yadav and Ravichandran Ashwin left Bangladesh in agony as the duo shared eight wickets between them while Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer had to put in a late shift to bail India out of the early quagmire that Bangladesh successfully crammed them into. 

The Indian bowlers reigned supreme in the second innings of the Test as they bundled out Bangladesh for a modest 231, eventually setting themselves a target of 145. However, what was supposed to be a canter to the finish line would soon spiral out of control as India lost the cream of their batting order and were wobbling at 74/7. It was eventually a late lunge of resistance from Shreyas Iyer who would stay unbeaten for a rock-solid 29 while Ravichandran Ashwin proved to be the game-changer, knocking 42 runs to help India reach the finish line without another major upset in the process.

5. Australia humbled for a third consecutive time as India clinched a ticket for the WTC final

In a battle of a four-match series, India kickstarted the competition with an impressive victory as they bettered the Australians by a staggering margin of an innings and 132 runs in the first Test while they were clinical to rally themselves on a mercurial track of Nagpur to get themselves the second win of the tournament. However, things suddenly went downhill as India was crumble like a house of cards in the 3rd Test of the series and the series finale saw the two powerhouses going at each other remorselessly. But then the final Test of the series was more of a deadbeat affair with Virat Kohli’s 186 accompanied by Shubman Gill’s 128 that saw India piling up 571 before the match was called a draw.