The Indian cricket team, captained by Virat before the recent transfer of charge to Rohit Sharma, finished second in the Test and T20 competitions and the Odis. The Indian cricket team, one of the world's superpowers today, can defeat any opponent at home. But the story of how Indian Cricket emerged from the ruins of colonialism is nothing short of a fairytale.

Indian Cricket Teams Rise

Despite its limitations, Indian cricket is doing well. There are still many more revolutions and records to be set, now under the leadership of Rohit Sharma. Let’s explore the story of our cricket match with India, which is beautiful.

  • History of Indian Cricket

Rome wasn't created in a day, just as the Indian squad struggled greatly before conquering. At Lord's in London, the Indian team played their inaugural test match against England on June 25, 1932. The group captained by CK Naidu, widely regarded as the finest batsman in India, ultimately lost by 158 runs. In 1952, India defeated England in Madras in the inaugural Test match, beating Pakistan in their maiden series victory later that year.

  • The Dark Horses of 1971

As the Indian cricket team improved, it won its first-ever Test series on English soil in 1971. India, who had earlier defeated the West Indies, had won two series for the first time in a calendar year. The Indian team defeated the British by four wickets in the third and final Test at the Oval, winning the series 1-0. For the first time in 28 tests, England lost. Indians back home were deeply affected by this triumph because, after 200 years of British rule, they had finally beaten the British at their own game. It was unique in their backyard. This triumph significantly increased Indian cricket's popularity.

  • The Miracle and Grit of 1983

ODIs were initially made available in 1971. Australia and England played their first one-day international match at Melbourne Cricket Ground on January 5, 1971. The advent of ODIs gave the game of cricket a new dimension.

On the other hand, India started as the underdog in ODIs and lost in the opening round of each of the first two World Cup. Sunil Gavaskar's notorious World Cup 1975 performance against England, scoring 36 runs off 174 balls, was seen by India.

India competed in the 1983 World Cup as an underdog. Indian squad shocked the cricket community by overcoming the two-time defending champions and favorites West Indies in the league encounter. After a strong start, a team headed by Kapil never looked back, defeating the hosts in the finals of West Indies on June 25 and England on June 22, 1983. In India's first world cup triumph, Mohinder Amarnath was crucial. In both the semifinal and championship games, he received the Man of the Match award. The 1983 world cup triumph increased cricket's appeal in India to a completely new level. Indians now have a new outlet for enjoyment and a way to support their nation.

  • A God’s Grace

A 16-year-old schoolboy made his first appearance for the Indian cricket squad in the late 1980s. Nobody could have predicted at the time that this kid would finish his career with 100 hundred and become known as the "God of Cricket".

The aggressive batting style of Sachin Tendulkar attracted many young spectators to cricket. For the seeds the 1983 World Cup squad sowed, Sachin functioned as rain. Who knew this little maestro would be no less than a GOD one day?

  • The Taste of Winning

The Indian squad had numerous interesting players around the turn of the century, like Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble, Ajay Jadeja, etc. Under the leadership of John Wright and Saurav Ganguly, the Indian squad made significant strides forward. Australia lost to the Indian team in a 2001 home series, which is renowned for Kolkata's historic Test triumph.

India had won the Natwest ODI series against England the same year. The series is particularly notable for India's record-breaking 325-run ODI chase at Lords. The 2001 ICC Champions Trophy was shared between Sri Lanka and India. The Indian cricket team advanced to the 2003 World Cup final but lost to Australia.

This squad couldn't win the global championship, but they did more than that—they improved the togetherness of cricket matches with India throughout the nation.

  • The Rise of Mahendra Singh Dhoni And India

In the 2007 Cricket World Cup, the Indian cricket team performed poorly. The tournament favorite was eliminated in the first round after losses to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. In that year, MS Dhoni replaced Rahul Dravid as captain of the ODI and T20 World Cup teams, respectively. The BCCI sent a youthful squad with a rookie skipper after renowned players like Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid withdrew from the T20 world cup. The Indian team entered the T20 World Cup as an underdog but won the competition. India became the top-ranked test team in the world in December 2009, with Dhoni serving as captain.

The 2011 Cricket World Cup was won by the later Indian side. Lifting the prize 28 years later. In 2013, two years later, this squad also won the ICC Champions Trophy. Dhoni was the first skipper in history to take home three significant ICC trophies.

  • The Rise after the Transition

Dhoni handed up the captaincy to Kohli when he resigned from Test cricket in 2014. In 2017, Dhoni retired from limited-overs cricket as a captain. The flawless transition from Ganguly to Dhoni and from Dhoni to Kohli is what makes Indian cricket the finest in the world.

India defeated Australia in Australia for the first time in 2018 under Kohli's captaincy, and they replicated both feats in 2021. The Indian squad advanced to the T20 World Cup final in 2016 and the ODI World Cup semifinals in 2019. Under Kohli and now Rohit, the Indian team has yet to claim an ICC title, but the 2022 T20 World Cup may end that wait.

Wrapping Up

The Indian cricket team has attained numerous milestones and new heights throughout the years, but we must not overlook the greats like CK Naidu, Mohinder Amarnath, Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar, etc. who laid a solid foundation. 

Despite the recent heartbreaks of Indian cricket fans, there are always new heights to reach and many more mesmerizing reasons to watch cricket matches with India. It is certain that advances have been made and are continuing to grow. It's only a matter of when now; it's no longer an "if" but a ‘when’ question.

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