Just like 2016 went down, 2017 was the year of Virat Kohli as well. From match-winning knocks to many records, Kohli came into his own in the past one year.
The legend of Kohli grew to a new high with his clinical decimation of rivals in a year after nine straight Test series wins, mostly at home. For the best part of the year, the men in blue were simply unstoppable.
Yes, they played most of their games at home but to win nine straight Test series and eight in a row in ODIs was no mean feat. At the heart of each of these triumphs was the inspiring role of Kohli. Be it with the bat or as captain, the 28-year-old was never out of the limelight.
Kohli and his team were also pushed to the limit sometimes, like the defeat in Pune Test against Australia or the first innings collapse on a seaming track against Sri Lanka at the Eden Gardens, but those moments were few and far between.
In a highly productive year, the undisputed low has to be the comprehensive loss against Pakistan in the final of the Champions Trophy where India went in as the defending champions and the rift between Kohli and coach Anil Kumble coming out in the open, forcing the latter to resign despite a successful one-year stint.
The entire episode reaffirmed there was only one boss in the Indian team and that was the captain.
However, the Kohli-Kumble break-up did not affect the team’s performance on the field and in no time it was business as usual with dressing room favourite Ravi Shastri coming back to replace the legendary spinner.
Kohli continued to pile up the runs, amassing 11 hundreds across Tests and ODIs including three double hundreds in the five-day format. Rohit Sharma too had a prolific year after an injury-lay off as he capped the season with a third double hundred in ODIs and the joint-fastest ton during the T20Is against Sri Lanka.
The year began with a victory over England but just before the start of the limited overs series came a bombshell, again from the one and only Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
He shocked the entire nation by stepping down from captaincy in the shorter formats, just like he had decided to quit Tests in the middle of the away series against Australia. His heir apparent, Kohli, was handed the captaincy across all three formats.
First big test
Kohli’s first big test was the four-match home series against Australia. After an expected 333-run hammering in the first match at Pune, India showed commendable character to win the high-intensity series 2-1.
As is usually the case in an India-Australia contest, emotions ran high and one a flare-up took place when when touring captain Steve Smith was accused of ‘cheating’ by the hosts for signaling the dressing room over a DRS call.
The series also saw an injured Kohli miss the deciding fourth Test in Dharamsala, his first after 54 games. Ajinkya Rahane did well in his absence, leading the team to an eight-wicket win in a high-pressure game with chinaman Kuldeep Yadav making a successful debut.
Then it was the turn of an almost two-month long IPL, after which the team headed to the Champions Trophy in England. Kohli and Co played well as defending champions before falling flat in the final.
From England, the team travelled to the West Indies, sans Kumble, and expectedly won the limited overs contest. India next dominated a struggling Sri Lanka in their own backyard, winning the full-series 9-0.
Now it was time to return home and play much tougher teams like Australia and New Zealand in the shorter formats. The hosts were tested by both the oppositions but delivered every time they were put under pressure.
Blame it on scheduling, India’s final home series of the season was also against Sri Lanka, a team they had demolished less than three months ago. It re-ignited the debate on the overkill of cricket with none other than Kohli leaving to the fans to play a role in scheduling.
Off the field, the Supreme Court appointed Committee of Administrators (COA) ran BCCI starting with four people before it shrunk to two. Ramachandra Guha resigned on an acrimonious note citing his displeasure with the COA’s way of functioning.
New challenges await this team in 2018. After a lengthy time at home, they will finally face the test in tough overseas tour in South Africa, England and Australia. It might not be a make or break phase for the already established set of cricketers but it will certainly be the one that defines their legacy, as put by captain Kohli and coach Shastri themselves before leaving for South Africa.
It will be interesting to see how Kohli and Co cope. Will the wins keep ticking and the records keep breaking or will it be a reality check for the galloping outfit? Only time will tell, and can’t wait to watch it unfold in the new year.
(With PTI inputs)
BONUS VIEWING: A recap of the watershed year for women’s cricket:
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