By Niharika Raina New Delhi, 31 December : .Life is a lot like cricket.
It gives us moments that we cherish for the rest of our lives.The 2020 season was very much dominated by COVID-19, bio-bubble, and a few bits of cricketing action.2021 brought a more exciting on-field experience, giving fans many thrilling, edge-of the-seat moments.
India started 2021 very well, drawing the Sydney Test thanks to an enduring 256-ball, 62-run partnership of Hanuma Vihari (batting) and Ravichandran Ashwin (batting).Day five saw Ashwin and Vihari trying to save India.Australia’s captain Tim Paine attempted to make fun of Ashwin by saying, ‘Can’t wait to get to the Gabba.’
The series decider in Brisbane saw Paine’s dialog backfire spectacularly.India won the match with Shubman Gill and Cheteshwar Pujara, and took the Border-Gavaskar Trophy by 2-1.Australia suffered its first defeat at Gabba since 1988, as the Indian team was without many first-choice players.
Axar Ptel was India’s gem after this win.He played an important role in India winning the series against England 3-1.India was successful in bilateral series throughout the year, but not in ICC events.
India lost the World Test Championship semifinal in Southampton to its old foe Kyle Jamieson.Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor completed the chase.
Apart from the WTC win, New Zealand also maintained a 100% record in ODIs, and made it to the finals of the Men’s T20 World Cup.Ajaz Patel, their left-arm spinner, achieved an extraordinary feat by taking all 10 wickets during a Test match against India in Mumbai.This was his birthplace.Blackcaps players like Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra and Daryl Mitchell played vital roles.
Australia ended the year strong after starting the year with a shaky start.It won its first Men’s T20 World Cup, and also retained the Ashes in a thumping manner at home.
After being dismissed by many, Mitchell Marsh and David Warner wrote amazing stories about doing well in the crucial moments.England fluctuated between greatness and failure when it went from red-ball cricket to white-ball cricket.Joe Root was a test run machine.
T20Is were a great success for Pakistan in 2021.This was especially true when the Men’s T20 World Cup was underway.Although India’s win was an impressive highlight, Australia stopped Pakistan from dominating the tournament in the semis.
The young players of Sri Lanka showed promise, but it is unknown what will happen next.
West Indies opened the year in style with a win in the Test Series thanks to Kyle Mayers’ partnership in Bangladesh and Nkumrah Boner’s enormous partnership.
However, the men’s T20 World Cup champions came up short.
Associate nations were not as hard hit by COVID-19’s lack of gametime, but did quite well.
Oman was promising, but Papua New Guinea showed more potential if they had played more.Scotland and Namibia were both brighter when they reached the Super 12 stage in Men’s T20 World Cup.The Netherlands and Ireland tried to trick South Africa, but the Netherlands won.
In 2021, women’s cricket saw both good and bad times.Apart from the Women’s Big Bash League reaching higher levels of viewers in the final, the introduction of the women’s Hundred was a huge success for the game.While both competitions saw Indian players showcase their talents, the South Africans were the dominant force in the knockouts.
India ended Australia’s 26-match winning streak of ODIs with a win.This was just 48 hours after they lost a dramatic match.After almost 14 months of no shows, India played three matches against Australia, South Africa and England.This included a pink-ball and red-ball Test.
The year ended in a disappointing end for women’s cricket.Despite being on top of the ICC Championships table, Thailand lost the qualifiers in Women’s Cricket World Cup.
2022 is a great opportunity for fans of cricket to keep their memories alive despite COVID-19’s Omicron version.More stars will be discovered at the Men’s U19 World Cup, West Indies.
The Women’s Cricket World Cup will be held in New Zealand a few weeks later.This event will feature the top female cricketers setting the world ablaze.
In October and November then, Australia will defend its title at home for the Men’s T20 World Cup.
Apart from the T20 World Cup, India will want to win a series against South Africa.New Zealand will want to bid Ross Taylor farewell.Australia still has two games to win a 5-0 Ashes victory over England.
Eoin Morgan, the white-ball captain of Australia will return to draw strategies to win the T20 World Cup.
After 2021, expect 2022 to have a larger bag filled with unforgettable moments.
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