Published: Dec 30, 2018, 09:29 AM (IST)
Edited: Dec 30, 2018, 09:29 AM (IST)
Rain delayed it but then it came swiftly. India needed two wickets to take an unassailable 2-1 lead against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Sunday, but rain kept them waiting. An early lunch was taken but once the rain subsided, it took India 27 deliveries to break into wild celebrations led by captain Virat Kohli.
India beat the hosts in the third Test by 137 runs which was also their 150th win in the format. A host of records were broken at the MCG. Below are a select few: –
=> Kohli has never lost a Test after winning the toss. Of the 21 Tests that he has called correctly at the coin toss, India have won 18 and drawn three.
=> The MCG win was Kohli’s 11th overseas Test victory as captain. He thus equalled the record of most overseas wins by an India captain (Sourav Ganguly led India to 11 wins in 28 Tests). This was also the first time that India have won four Tests outside the subcontinent a calendar year.
=> When Ishant Sharma dismissed Nathan Lyon in the second innings on Sunday, he surpassed spin legend Bishan Bedi to become the sixth highest wicket-taker for India in Test cricket. In 90 Tests, Ishant now has 267 wickets at 34.28. Bedi finished his legendary career with 266 wickets.
=> Rishabh Pant equalled the record for most dismissals by a wicketkeeper in debut year. Following his first Test against England, Pant has so far effected 42 dismissals thus equalling the record of former Australia international Brad Haddin.
=> Jasprit Bumrah finished with 48 wickets in his debut calendar year – the most by an Indian pacer and the third best in history after Terry Alderman (54 in 1981) and Curtly Ambrose (49 in 1988).
=> Bumrah finished the MCG Test with match-figures of 9/86 for which he was also chosen as the player-of-the-match. These are the best figures by an Indian pacer on Australian soil bettering that of Kapil Dev (8/109, Adelaide 1985)
