India secured a remarkable seven-wicket victory against South Africa in the second Test at Cape Town on January 4, with outstanding performances from Mohammed Siraj (6/15) and Jasprit Bumrah (6/61).
Notably, the match stands out in Test history as the shortest completed encounter, wrapping up in just five sessions. Team India kicked off the new year on a high note, levelling the two-Test series against South Africa at 1-1 with a perfect performance.
Here are the occasions when India began a new year with a significant Test victory:
#1 Beat New Zealand by an innings and 109 runs – Chennai: 1955/56
India secured a commanding win in the high-scoring series, establishing new records in the process. Openers Vinoo Mankad and Pankaj Roy excelled against the New Zealand bowlers on a favourable pitch, creating a Test cricket record with their remarkable 413-run partnership.
Mankad’s impressive individual score of 231 surpassed the Indian Test record of 223, which was previously jointly held by him and Umrigar in the same series. The team’s total of 537 for three established a new record for India, exceeding the 498 for four declared in the first Test.
New Zealand, forced to follow on and trailing by 328 runs, faced difficulties against spin, as Gupte and Mankad proved to be effective.
#2 Beat Australia by an innings and 2 runs – Sydney, 1977/78
Australia faced early setbacks, managing only 131 in the first innings, and struggled further with missed catches during India’s batting. Sunil Gavaskar and Chetan Chauhan provided the series’ best opening stand, putting together 97 runs.
Rain disrupted play on the lively pitch the next day, leading India to declare at 396/8. In the second innings, Erapalli Prasanna excelled with figures of 4 for 51 as Australia was dismissed for 263. Despite an ankle injury, Peter Toohey played a commendable innings of 85, with a noteworthy catch by substitute Madan Lal on the final morning.
#3 Beat Sri Lanka by an innings and 67 runs, Cuttack – 1986/87
Kapil Dev’s toss win at Barabati Stadium proved advantageous for India. Dilip Vengsarkar’s stellar 166, supported by Amarnath and a robust sixth-wicket stand with Kapil Dev, gave India a commanding position.
Facing the slow-medium pace of Maninder Singh and Kapil Dev, Sri Lanka encountered difficulties, and despite showing resilience, they fell short by an innings and 67 runs.
Kapil Dev achieved a significant milestone, securing his 300th wicket and reaching the Test cricket landmark of 3,000 runs and 300 wickets. Meanwhile, Ravi Shastri’s four-wicket haul played a crucial role in sealing a home victory for India.
#4 Beat South Africa by 7 wickets, Cape Town – 2024
Rohit Sharma’s team secured a 1-1 series draw against South Africa with a convincing seven-wicket win at Newlands Cricket Ground, making it the shortest Test match in history.
Stellar bowling performances by Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah restricted the Proteas’ runs in both innings. The Indian openers, despite a brief hiccup, laid a strong foundation with a 44-run partnership in 34 balls.
Rohit Sharma anchored the innings with 17 runs, and Shreyas Iyer stylishly sealed the victory with a boundary off Marco Jansen’s delivery.
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