NEW DELHI: India broke a deluge of records during their 4-0 series drubbing of England as the team stretched its unbeaten streak to a record 18 matches while scripting its ninth win of the current calendar year, which is also a first.
The 4-0 series win is also their biggest-ever against England. Their previous best was the 3-0 series verdict under Mohammad Azharuddin’s captaincy in 1992-93.
Celebration erupted in the stands at the M A Chidambaram Stadium as Ravindra Jadeja snared the final English wicket, paving the way for the team’s fifth successive Test series win since September last year.
The win also made it India’s longest unbeaten run in Test cricket, surpassing the previous best of 17 wins between 1985-87.
In the fifth and final match of the series, India notched up their highest total in Test cricket, 759 for 7 declared.
In the match that India won by an innings and 75 runs, their biggest victory margin against England, Jadeja (7/48) became the first all-rounder to post a fifty, capture 10 wickets or more and take four catches in a Test match.
In the series, Ravichandran Ashwin (306 runs and 28 wickets) and Jadeja have provided the first instance in Test annals of two all-rounders achieving the double of 200 runs and 25 wickets in the same Test series.
A 4-0 series win was the second instance for India in Tests, the first coming against Australia in 2012-13, which was though a four-match series.
India have won nine Tests out of 12 played this year, which is also the most by the team in a calendar year, eclipsing the eight victories out of 14 in 2010.
In the second innings of the Chennai Test, Jadeja captured Alastair Cook’s wicket for the sixth time in the rubber — the most occasions a bowler has claimed his wicket in a Test series.
Jadeja is the fourth Indian all-rounder after Kapil Dev (thrice — once each vs Australia, Pakistan and England), Vinoo Mankad and Ashwin to manage 200 runs or more and bag 20 wickets or more in the same Test series.
Playing in only his third match, Karun Nair (303 not out) became only the second Indian to score a tripe century in Test cricket after Virender Sehwag (twice).
Nair is only the third batsman after the legendary Sir Garfield Sobers and Bob Simpson to have converted his debut Test hundred into a triple ton.
At 25 years and 10 days, he is the sixth-youngest batsman to record this triple ton feat. And having achieved this feat in just his third innings in Test cricket, he has become the quickest batsman to score his maiden triple ton.
Virat Kohli received his first Player of the Series award in Tests for totalling 655 runs at an average of 109.16, including two hundreds.
England, with defeats at Mumbai and Chennai Tests, have earned a dubious distinction of recording successive defeats by an innings margin despite scoring 400 or more runs in both the matches — the first team to do so. (AGENCIES)
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