January 7, 2019, will be remembered as a historic day for Indian cricket fans. Team India won its first ever Test series in Australia. Led by skipper Virat Kohli, India beat Australia 2-1 in the 4-match series and retained the prestigious Border-Gavaskar trophy.
This is India’s first series victory Down Under, a feat that India achieved for the first time in 71 years. Going into the final Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground, India posted a mammoth 622/7 in the first innings. It was a significant match as Australia was forced to follow on at home, for the first time since 1988. The match ended in a draw due to incessant rain on Day 4 & 5.
With this win, Kohli has now become the first captain from the subcontinent to win a Test series in Australia. Cheteshwar Pujara was adjudged the ‘Player of the Series after he smashed three centuries & scored 521 runs in 4 Tests. But it was wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant who won accolades for his unbeaten 159-run knock making him the first Asian wicketkeeper to score a test century in Australia. His on-field banter with ‘temporary captain’ Tim Paine followed by him babysitting Paine’s kids put the 21-year-old in the media spotlight. After this historic win, India retains its top ranking in Tests.
