5 best Test matches of the season

Modified Jun 18, 2017 18:51 IST

ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA - DECEMBER 09: David Warner of Australia raises his bat to the sky in tribute to the late Phillip Hughes after his innings of 145 during day one of the First Test match between Australia and India at Adelaide Oval on December 9, 2014 in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by Michael Dodge/Getty Images) — Cricket is a game rich in its ability to tell stories- those of friendship, trust, life and even death

#1 India vs Australia at Bangalore, 4-7 March 2017

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 07: Nathan Lyon of Australia celebrates with team mates after dismissing Younis Khan of Pakistan during day five of the Third Test match between Australia and Pakistan at Sydney Cricket Ground on January 7, 2017 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images) — Nathan Lyon took 8 wickets to set up a magnificent Test match

Closeness of result: 4/5Balance between bat and ball: 5/5Context: 4/5Standard of Play: 5/5 Aggression: 5/5

The stage was set. Australia had hammered India embarrassingly in the first Test on a spinning surface. The Bangalore surface was possibly the most alien pitch Test cricket has seen in a long time and uneven bounce, ragging turn and huge cracks greeted the teams. What ensued was perfect chaos.

Nathan Lyon took 8 Indian scalps, leaving India shocked at 189. India then responded with a spell of bowling so fierce that it led Ishant Sharma to make a face reserved only for the scariest of horror movies. After three days of intense battle, sledging, terrible commentary and strange press conferences, Australia needed just 187 to win in their second innings.

Cue an Ashwin masterclass. India win by 75 runs in front of a packed Chinnaswamy stadium. The game allowed India to gain back its respect in what has become a highly contested rivalry, setting up the series for an eventual decider in Dharamsala.

The two teams to went at each other as hard as they possibly could, and one could see the extremely high quality of cricket, be it in Josh Hazlewood’s 2nd innings spell, Nathan Lyon’s 8-fer, Pujara and Rahane’s partnership or Kohli’s captaincy.

The game was a great advertisement for Test cricket, a showcase of everything that makes the game so captivating: a villain to hate in Steve Smith (or Virat Kohli, if you’re an Australian), excellent bowling, fielding and batting by both teams, a close finish, aggression and both teams competing hard to win the trophy.