India’s journey in Test Cricket in 2024: A year of triumphs and trials | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: The Indian men’s cricket team entered 2024 with high hopes, their sights set on maintaining their position as a dominant force in Test cricket. The year proved to be a rollercoaster, filled with commanding victories, gut-wrenching losses, and moments of individual brilliance.
South Africa Challenge: A Rocky Start
The year kicked off with India touring South Africa in a gripping two-match series.The first Test saw India crumble, succumbing to an innings defeat. Questions were raised about the team’s ability to adapt to challenging conditions. However, the second Test painted a different picture as India won the shortest Test match in history at Cape Town and, only for the second time in history, drew a series on South African soil.
Dominance Against England At Home
Returning to familiar grounds, India hosted England for a five-match series that began in dramatic fashion. England stunned India in the first Test, snatching a narrow 28-run victory despite trailing significantly after the first innings. However, India regrouped quickly and came back stronger, winning the next four matches convincingly to clinch the series 4-1.
Whitewashed Bangladesh At Home
India’s strong run of form continued under Gautam Gambhir’s leadership in his debut Test series as head coach, with a commanding 2-0 victory over Bangladesh. The second Test in Kanpur was particularly memorable, hailed as one of India’s finest triumphs, as the team overcame the challenge of nearly three days lost to rain to secure a remarkable win.
New Zealand Did The Unthinkable
The momentum took a sharp downturn as New Zealand stunned the Rohit Sharma-led side with a 3-0 series sweep. This marked India’s first home Test series defeat in 12 years and the first time they were whitewashed in a home series consisting of three or more Tests.
The Tough Australian Expedition
India’s most anticipated challenge came in their tour of Australia towards the end of the year. The five-match series started on a promising note, but as the calendar closed, India found themselves trailing 2-1.
The Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground was a particular highlight of the series. Despite strong performances from Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, India stumbled in their second innings, losing 7 wickets for just 34 runs and handing Australia a dramatic win.
India Record In Test Cricket In 2024:
Played – 15
Won – 8
Loss – 6
Draw – 1