The Best of 2017: 5 Best comebacks by Team India

Team India had a very eventful year in 2017. They arrived in to the year with the extended 2016-17 grand home season of Test cricket. Having beaten England and New Zealand in late 2016, they entered international cricket as the number one ranked Test team in 2017. The year started off with the limited overs leg against England. The men in blue managed to beat England in both ODIs and the T20Is.

Team India then hosted Australia for four Tests, which they managed to win with a scoreline of 2-1. This was followed up by the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 where the Indian team finished as the finalists. After the disappointment of the CT 2017 final, Indian team toured the Caribbean where they had a successful outing yet again.

They toured Sri Lanka to tourwash the islanders in all the three formats of the game. The arrived back home after that to beat Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka across the three formats. All in all, it has been a herculean year for team India.

However, things have not been as sweet as they look to be on the onset. There were a few games that went down to the wire and it needed a serious comeback from the Indian team to register key wins in those matches. Here we pick such games where the team showed great character to pull out a win from the jaws of defeat.

Here are the 5 best comebacks by Team India in 2017:

1. Pune ODI v England (15 January 2017)

Jadhav, Kohli seal the game for the hosts.

It was Virat Kohli’s first match as the official captain of the Indian team in all the three formats of the game. He won the toss and opted to field against England at the MCA Stadium, Pune. English opener Jason Roy (73) and middle-order mainstay Joe Root (78) struck fifties at the top order to set the base for a big total.

The final flourish was provided by Ben Stokes, who hammered 62 off just 40 deliveries as England posted 350/7 in 50 overs. In response, India were down and out at 63/4. In walked Kedar Jadhav to join Virat Kohli. The two players put on an exhibition of fine hitting to stitch a 200-run stand.

Skipper Kohli notched up a brilliant century, and was dismissed on 122 that came off only 105 deliveries. But the star of the show was the local lad, Kedar Jadhav. Jadhav hammered 120 off just 76 deliveries with 12 fours and 4 sixes to ensure that the Indian team was over the line. Hardik Pandya finished off the proceedings with an unbeaten 40 off 37 deliveries.