New Delhi: Diwali has always brought luck to the Indian cricket team. Fans have enjoyed some memorable cricketing moments around the auspicious Hindu festival and are hoping that this year’s Diwali, which is being celebrated today (October 31, Thursday) also turns out to be a kind one for Indian cricket.
It is not the first time Indian cricketers are celebrating Diwali while on national duty. Trailing 0-2, the Indian cricket team are yet to find a reason to celebrate in the ongoing Test series against New Zealand and would be hoping for the Diwali good-luck charm to work magic when they face Kiwis in the third and final Test of the series starting a day after Diwali on Friday, November 1, in Mumbai.
The Rohit Sharma-led team has already lost the proud and long home winning streak in Tests after losing the first two Tests against a rampant Kiwi side. But despite losing the series, there is plenty more at stake for the World Test Championship table-toppers.
Having dealt a severe blow in their quest to reach the third successive WTC final, India would be eager to win the third Test to bring their campaign back on track. India would also want to save themselves from a first whitewash at home in 24 years. The last time India were clean-swept in a Test series at home was in 2000 against South Africa.
The inglorious end of India’s extraordinary home record has left Indian cricket fans reeling and a whitewash will only make matters worse.
But Diwali has always been kind to Indian cricket and ahead of the final Test, fans would be keeping their fingers crossed for the Diwali good-luck charm to work its magic again for Rohit Sharma’s team.
As we inch closer to the Wankhede Test, let’s revisit India’s memorable matches around Diwali.
1) IND vs WI, Delhi Test, 1983
The second Test between India and West Indies at Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium (formerly known as Feroz Shah Kotla) witnessed Sunil Gavaskar scripting history with a landmark century. Gavaskar scored his 29th test ton to equal Sir Don Bradman’s all-time record, which lasted for more than 25 years. Gavaskar finished with 34 centuries, a record that lasted for over two decades before Sachin Tendulkar surpassed it. The match, which ended in a draw, finished on November 3, a day before Diwali.
2) IND vs SL, Jaipur ODI, 2005
On this day (October 31) in 2005, MS Dhoni played one of the best ODI innings of all time, scoring an astonishing 183 off 145 balls against Sri Lanka at Jaipur’s Sawai Mansingh Stadium. Dhoni, a newcomer on the international stage, smashed 15 fours and 10 sixes, to wow the Jaipur crowd on the eve of Diwali. 18 years later, Dhoni’s 183 is still the highest individual score by a wicketkeeper-batter in ODIs.
1⃣8⃣3⃣* Runs
1⃣4⃣5⃣ Balls
1⃣5⃣ Fours
1⃣0⃣ Sixes#OnThisDay in 2005, @msdhoni went berserk against Sri Lanka to notch up his highest ODI score. 🔥 👏 💪 👍 #TeamIndiaWatch that sensational innings 🎥 🔽 pic.twitter.com/FgMEhzmXet
— BCCI (@BCCI) October 31, 2021
3) IND vs PAK, 2022 T20 World Cup, Melbourne
The 2022 T20 World Cup clash between India and Pakistan turned out to be a contest that will be remembered for generations. The high-octane fixture saw Virat Kohli at his best as the chase master helped India pull off a remarkable victory on the eve of Diwali.
Kohli scored an unbeaten 53-ball 82, which also included the iconic straight six off Haris Rauf, giving Indian fans across the globe an opportunity to burst firecrackers a day before Diwali.
GOAT 🐐 inning by GOAT Virat Kohli against pakistan in T20 World Cup 2022 #ViratKohli𓃵
Happy 18.5 Day. 🥹❤️ https://t.co/6GsaTyAGg8 pic.twitter.com/2r9ovlK1Sd— SHADAB 🌙✨♥️ (@shadab_strom) October 22, 2024
Reeling at 31 for 4 courtesy of a devastating spell from Haris Rauf in a chase of 160, India were rescued by a game-changing knock from Kohli, who with support from Hardik Pandya took the game deep to give India an outside chance. As the match entered the dying stages, Kohli unleashed a flurry of extraordinary strokes, to take India home with four wickets to spare.
4) IND vs NED, 2023 ODI WC
Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul, both out-of-favour in the current team, displayed a batting masterclass as India celebrated last year’s Diwali with a cracking 160-run ODi World Cup win against the Netherlands in Bengaluru. The two centurions helped the hosts complete their undefeated run into the knockouts with a crushing victory over the Dutch side. Besides the centuries by Iyer and Rahul, India’s massive 410-run total also had crucial contributions from Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill.
