The best part about this India vs New Zealand series was the fact that pitches were not dustbowls. In fact, all three Test strips were different in nature, writes Aakash Chopra
Man of the series R Ashwin (left) and Ravindra Jadeja accounted for 41 out of 60 New Zealand wickets to fall in the series. Pic/PTI
AshwinâÂu00c2u0080Âu00c2u0088and Jadeja: 41 wickets; all New Zealand bowlers: 42 wickets. This mind-boggling stat shows the way India dominated the series throughout. But the best part about this series was the fact that pitches weren't dustbowls. In fact, all three pitches were of a different nature including the one in Kolkata, which suited the visitors a lot more than the hosts. The first game in Kanpur was on a slightly spin-friendly pitch that tested batsmen's skills against spin.
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Though it must be mentioned that even that pitch wasn't a rank turner and that's why the game went into the final day. The first Test highlighted the importance of Jadeja in this Test side, especially while playing at home. He's someone who provides unbelievable accuracy with the ball and some crucial contributions with the bat lower down the order. The second pitch had more grass than any of the pitches we've seen in India lately but even here, Indian fast bowlers out-bowled their opponents.
Eden Test was crucial
The second Test that decided the outcome of the series brought out the most important facet of this young Indian Test team—the will to fight. The tricky Eden Gardens pitch demanded both resilience and technique to come to the fore, and Indian batsmen passed that test with flying colours. The biggest gains from this Test were two relatively lesser known Indian players—Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Wriddhiman Saha.
It's not often that Bhuvneshwar gets to play Tests in India but the moment he got an opportunity, he made the most of it. Saha's will to fight out the tough sessions in both the innings stood out and would encourage Kohli to toy with the idea of playing five bowlers whenever the need arises in the future.
The only grouse in the first two Tests was the lack of centuries and therefore Indore proved to the perfect icing on the cake. This pitch was the best pitch to bat and Indian batsmen showed that they have the hunger to make the most of the conditions on their liking. Virat's discipline, Rahane's courage and then Pujara's versatility proved that the present and future of Indian Test cricket is in safe hands. But how can any talk about Indian Tests at home without dedicating a paragraph to the serial series winner—Ravichandran Ashwin.
Ashwin foxes the best
He's not just the second fastest in the world to reach the 200 Test wicket landmark, but has also won more man of the series awards in Tests than any Indian. In addition to picking bucketful of wickets, he's developed that happy knack of having a wood on the opposition's best batsman.
If it was AB de Villiers against South Africa, it was Kane Williamson. The best part about Ashwin's dominance over Williamson was the modes of those dismissals, for he trapped the player of his quality in an almost identical fashion every single time. Spin bowling is about deceiving the opponent, but to deceive him time and again in the same fashion is just sensational.
This young Indian team is currently the best Test team in the world and the ruthlessness in their attitude and a long home season would guarantee their presence at the top for a really long time.
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