Heartbreaks, upsets, landmark wins and relief: The emotional rollercoaster of WTC cycle 2023-25

New Delhi [India], June 16 (ANI): The ICC World Test Championship (WTC) cycle of 2023-25 was one for the ages, proving that irrespective of the lure of cash-rich franchise T20 leagues or soaring scoring rates in both white-ball formats, nothing beats some good old Test cricket. Heartbreaks, inspiring comebacks, upsets and relief: these two years took players and fans through a fun ride of emotions.

South Africa, led by an inspiring, gritty skipper in Temba Bavuma, put Test cricket, diversity and black excellence on the map for his nation, guiding the rainbow nation to their first-ever world title across any format. For a side filled upto the brim with superstars but “choking” over the years when it mattered the most, the weight of the Test mace liberated a Proteas squad which had been under immense criticism for playing in T20 leagues over wearing whites. After winning just one game in the first five Tests, the Proteas went on an eight-match winning streak, marking a comeback for ages.

-A cycle dominated by away teams, including a generational fumble by India

Usually, the home sides dominate Test cricket, which is the norm. But during this WTC cycle, nothing came easy for home teams. Nothing was handed on a platter just because the home teams hosted their opponents and had control over the pitches.

England had to earn a hard-fought 2-2 draw against Australia at home in mid-2023, failing to return the urn.

During January 2024, an inspiring seven-wicket haul from Shamar Joseph, playing with a toe injury, denied Australia what looked to be an easy home series win, leaving them eight runs short of 216 at Brisbane despite Steve Smith’s resilient 91, just three years after Rishabh Pant had breached the ‘Gabba Fortress’. Though WI did not capitalise much on this win, as shown by the points table, the commitment of the pacer towards the long format sparked hope in a once-struggling superpower. The series was drawn 1-1.

In August, if constant administrative, captaincy changes and a conservative brand of cricket was not enough already, Pakistan was handed their first-ever series loss to Bangladesh and reduced to a laughing stock, due to a clean sweep of 2-0 at home, with Nahid Rana’s pace and Mehidy Hasan Miraz’s all-round show being the highlights.

In September, the ‘Bazball’ powered England’s WTC final chances were dented as, despite a series win, they lost their first Test to Sri Lanka in 11 years at home, with Pathum Nissanka (127*) acing an easy 219 run chase to make the scoreline 2-1 and keep their own chances alive till the end.

South Africa registered a 2-0 win over Bangladesh away from home, marking their first-ever series win in the subcontinent since October 2014.

In the biggest shocker of them all, Team India’s home fortress was crushed after 12 years, with a spin-powered Kiwis understanding their assignment against Asian giants well and outspinning the Indian greats Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja to hand them their first-ever series whitewash at home by 0-3. This was the start of the crumbling of Team India, which fans had grown up loving in the 2010s. They had their own World Cup at home, during which they would crush every opposition for 12 long years.

During the months of November-December, England’s generation next of Harry Brook (350 runs with two centuries and a fifty) and pacers Brydon Carse (18 scalps) and Gus Atkinson (12 wickets) guided them to their first series win in NZ since 2007/08, by a margin of 2-1.

-Spirited comebacks, sighs of relief, which defined the cycle

The biggest comeback story of them all is no doubt the Proteas. After winning just one of their first five Tests, they stood on the brink of elimination. The participation of mainstays in the SA20 league led to the cricketing world questioning if cash and endless slogging had got the better of a nation that had produced some of the grittiest and innovative batters in the game.

The team went on an eight-match win streak starting from a series in the West Indies, and it was only fitting that the rock-solid defence of Aiden Markram and never-give-up defiance of Bavuma, who was battling a hamstring issue, helped Proteas chase down 282 against Australia to make history at Lord’s.

Another story worth mentioning is that of Pakistan. An aforementioned series loss to Bangladesh, constant changes in team management, leadership and England scoring 800-odd at Multan to hand a humiliating innings loss at Multan. It was raining problems on Pakistan cricket.

Then, Pakistan’s strategy of utilising spinners Sajid Khan (19 wickets) and Noman Ali (20 wickets) on spin-friendly surfaces, ditching favouritism for their famous pace, paid off handsomely as they bounced back to seal a famous 2-1 series win at home.

Lastly, an ageing Australian side, with several of its batters struggling for form, was battered by a Jasprit Bumrah-led Team India during the Perth Test by 295 runs. Such levels of dominance were perhaps not visible even during India’s previous series wins in 2018 and 2021 in Australia. It could have sent any other team on the back foot, but not Australia.

During the last four matches, Aussies had to remind the world who they were messing with as their relentless pace battery troubled India, with the highlight being Scott Boland’s duel with Virat. Travis Head and Smith found runs at the right time, producing classy centuries in later matches. Sam Konstas, a 19-year-old, rattled an unplayable Jasprit Bumrah with his innovative ramp shots and audacious hitting at Melbourne, which caused a now-controversial shoulder charge from Virat. Fans, who had gathered to witness one of this generation’s finest play his final time in Australia with admiration and respect, relentlessly booed and chanted against the Indian superstar every moment he took to the field. Aussies won the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 3-1, sealing their second successive WTC final appearance.

-Heartbreaking retirements

If this WTC cycle gave the cricketing world some new superstars, it also took some away from the game. India was never the same after the NZ series, with the Aussie humiliation being the one final blow that sent Rohit, Virat, and Ashwin into retirement.

Legendary Aussie opener David Warner also retired from all forms of international cricket, with the home series against Pakistan being his final Test outing. Until now, the Aussies have struggled to find an opener who could take the attacking opener role to support Usman Khawaja.

England’s ageless pace wonder James Anderson also had to put the ball down after the Lord’s Test against the WI in mid-2024, the same place where he made his Test debut back in 2003.

Among other players who bid farewell to Tests during this cycle were Proteas skipper Dean Elgar, NZ’s leading international wicket-taker and skipper Tim Southee, pacer Neil Wagner, Bangladesh legend Shakib al Hasan and England veteran Moeen Ali.

Several of these players were integral to their side’s success over the years, and replacing them would be a task.