Year in Review: Top 5 Test performances of 2013

3. MS Dhoni’s 224 vs Australia (Border-Gavaskar Trophy, 1^st Test, Chennai)

Australia had put up 380 batting first, and India were in a spot of bother at 196/4 when Dhoni walked in, while Virat Kohli was at the other end having scored a half-century. Such was the occasion that the skipper of the Indian side chose to produce not only a dazzling innings with the bat, but also one that turned the tables and won the game for India, and got him the Man of the Match.

He started off in his usual fashion, getting to 20 odd runs in singles and doubles before he started freeing his arms. Nathan Lyon was the first to get some treatment at his hands as he was hit for two boundaries in an over, one over mid-on and the other through mid-wicket.

Dhoni then continued his innings at a nice pace, completing his fifty in style when he hit 3 fours off Starc in an over. Following this, he played quietly for some time as wickets started falling at the other end, and completed his hundred when he hit Peter Siddle for four over square leg.

It was Bhuvneshwar Kumar who helped him later on in his innings, when India were 8 down for 406, to build a partnership that was 140-strong, the former having contributed just 21 of them. Dhoni went along his business, and it was really after the 150 mark that he really went after the bowling, and even hit Lyon for a couple of sixes in an over. He got out at 224, having taken the game away from the Aussies. India ended the innings at 572.

And they managed to dismiss the Aussies for just 241, and India had to bat again only because of the efforts of Moises Henriques who scored 81 not out. The hosts won by 8 wickets and went 1-0 up in the series.