SYDNEY:
Over the last few years, we've seen a phasing out of the seniors. Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane and Ravichandran Ashwin. Rohit Sharma and Mohammed Shami might join the list soon and that will leave the 36-year-old Virat Kohli as the only surviving member of the initial squad that made winning away from India its big goal.
But they did more than that. They made India unbeatable at home and by focusing on an aggressive fast-bowling driven approach, they made India a genuine threat in all conditions. If the hosts gave them a green top, they were risking defeat as well. Since 2017, India's pacers have taken 763 wickets at an average of 25.15 – that is better than what the bowlers from England and Australia have managed. Only the South Africans, who play in exceptionally seamer-friendly conditions, have a better average than India at 23.55.
This shift was down to an all-new approach – one that emphasized intent, aggressive body language and focused on winning matches rather than individual milestones. It worked and made India an exciting team to watch regardless of where they were playing. The age-old reliance on batting was done away with as well.
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