2018: A year of many firsts for Team India

While the duo of cricket coach Ravi Shastri and captain Virat Kohli have faced a lot of flak this year for their decisions related to team selection, the former's boast of this being the best team in 10-15 years with sundry other controversies, there is no doubt that we have achieved a lot of firsts in 2018. A look at some of them… First time a Test won in Australia, England and South Africa each in a year

In January we beat South Africa in South Africa by 63 runs at Johannesburg. In August we beat England in England by 203 runs at Nottingham. In December we beat Australia in Australia by 31 runs at Perth.

That is something we have never achieved and at times even one overseas victory in the entire year is not achieved. Kohli happened to be the captain in all 3 Tests and he became the first Asian to achieve a Test victory on all 3 soils.

First time a first Test won in Australia

We first toured India after Independence in November 1947 and since then we are yet to win a Test series there, our worst record ever. However, we even failed to win even the first Test and take a 1-0 lead. So at least it was a small step forward when we won the first Test for the first time at Adelaide.

First time 2 away Tests won Down Under against an A team

India won two Tests in Australia in the 1977-78 series. But that was against a B team after their A team joined the Kerry Packer revolution of the time. After that we won a Test each in 1981, 2003 and 2008. We have drawn a blank in all other series since 1947. We could now start 2019 with a bang if we win or draw. We will record our first Test series victory ever in Australia in 71 years.

First time bowlers took 250 Test wickets in a year

Jasprit Bumrah has been sensational in his debut year. His 9-wicket haul in the MCG Test is a first by an Indian fast bowler in Australia. Kapil Dev and Ajit Agarkar are the only other India pacers with eight wickets in a Test in Australia. Bumrah also registered five-wicket hauls in South Africa, England and now in Australia. Kohli termed Bumrah's development as 'scary'. Bumrah (48 wickets) registered the third most number of scalps in a debut calendar year. This year, India's fast bowlers took 179 wickets at an average of 23.70 setting a new record for the highest number of wickets in a calendar year.

First wicket-keeper to get 11 dismissals

In 1996, Nayan Mongia got 8 dismissals for India in the Durban Test. He equaled that record in the Kolkata Test with Pakistan in 1999. MS Dhoni matched that in the Perth Test in 2008 and the Dhaka Test in 2010 and the Mumbai Test with West Indies in 2011.

Dhoni finally broke free with 9 dismissals in the Melbourne Test in 2014. Then in the Cape Town at the beginning of the year, Wriddhiman Saha scalped 10. One would have thought that this record would last for quite some time, but Rishabh Pant did one better with 11 (now a joint world record with RC Russell and AB de Villiers) in the Adelaide Test towards the end of the year. While Indian wicket-keepers are known for their stumpings; both Saha and Pant did it by catches alone!

First to 20 dismissals in a series by a wicket-keeper

The 20 dismissals for Rishabh Pant in this series is the most by an India wicket-keeper in a series. 19 dismissals by Naren Tamhane in 1954-55 and Syed Kirmani in 1979-80 was the previous best record. All 20 of Pant's dismissals have been catches - that too is the most by a keeper from India.

First bilateral series win in South Africa

It is amazing that till 2017 India never won any bilateral series on South African soil in any format. We won a World Cup there in 2007 and also beat them in the Future Cup on Irish soil, though. So, we won our first ODI series against the Proteas on their own turf and that too in style: a whopping 5-1 margin. They very rarely get thrashed on their own soil like this. Captain Kohli’s stamp was all over as he emerged as Man of the Series.

First 500+ runs in a bilateral ODI series

In the above mentioned series in South Africa, captain Kohli also became the first-ever batsman to cross 500 runs in a bilateral ODI series. He belted 558 runs at an average of 186, a strike rate of nearly 100% with three centuries. At times Kohli does appear to be superhuman.

First T20I series win in South Africa

Initially India won a lot of one-off T20Is in various countries but proper bilateral series started much later. So, India surpassed itself by registering back to back series victories in South Africa. We won 2-1 and this time Rohit Sharma was captain and Bhuvneshwar Kumar was adjudged man of the series for his 7 wickets at an astonishing average of 9.6 and economy rate of 6.1.

First to get 4 international T20 centuries

At the beginning of December last year, Rohit Sharma had just one international T20 century, a 106 versus South Africa. In the same month he hit a 118 with Sri Lanka, then July 2018 a 100* with England and finally a 111* with West Indies in November 2018.

Most international T20 centuries: Rohit

Most ODI double centuries: Rohit

Most ODI 150s: Rohit

Most IPL titles as captain: Rohit (shared with Dhoni)

First T20I series streak

India won two T20I series in 2017 (New Zealand and Sri Lanka) and then won 3 at a stretch in 2018, with: South Africa and Ireland. We were robbed of victory, thanks to rain with Australia and tied 1-1. In fact, the last time we were defeated in a series that involved at least 2 completed matches was way back in 2015 with South Africa. India has played 12 series involving 2 completed matches from 2016-18 and lost none of them.

First Test with Afghanistan

So, Afghanistan finally played their first Test and that happened to be with India. While it was a great occasion, it was not that great an outing for the Afghans: We won by an innings and 262 runs. While the bowlers did a relatively decent job in restricting India to 474, the batsmen could only muster up a paltry 109 followed by a 103.

First 18-year-old to score debut Test century

Prithvi Shaw became our youngest Test centurion and that too with an ODI-like 134 off 154 with the West Indies at Rajkot. Not only was he Man of the Match but he followed it up 70(53) and 33*(45) in the Hyderabad Test. So, he became Man of the Series with his debut series.

By Sunil Rajguru

The author is a Bangalore-based journalist and blogger. He blogs here

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Image Credits - AP, AFP, BCCI

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