The Indian squad assembled at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune for the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
The Australian team was a highly formidable opponent. They possessed raw pace in Mitchell Starc, relentless accuracy in Josh Hazlewood, and a highly unorthodox, run-scoring machine in their captain, Steve Smith.
The dynamic inside the Indian dressing room was firmly established. Anil Kumble ran the warm-ups. Siddanth ran the team. Kumble did not speak directly to Siddanth. He relayed all tactical suggestions through Sanjay Bangar, the assistant coach. Siddanth accepted this communication method without complaint.
Siddanth walked out for the toss with Steve Smith.
Up in the broadcast box, Harsha Bhogle and Ravi Shastri prepared for the series opener.
"Welcome to Pune for the first Test," Harsha announced over the broadcast. "This is a massive series. Australia always brings a fight to India. The pitch here looks very dry. It will spin early in the match."
"Siddanth Deva has the coin," Ravi Shastri added. "He flips it. Steve Smith calls heads. It is tails. India wins the toss."
Siddanth spoke into the microphone. "We will bat first, Ravi Bhai. The pitch is dry. We want to put runs on the board before the surface breaks up."
The match began.
The Australian fast bowlers, Starc and Hazlewood, hit their lengths immediately. They did not give the Indian top order any room to score. KL Rahul fell early to a fast out-swinger from Starc. Murali Vijay followed soon after.
India was struggling at 45 for 2.
Siddanth walked out to bat at number four, stepping in ahead of Virat Kohli to anchor the innings.
Mitchell Starc was bowling at 150 km/h.
Siddanth took his guard. He knew Starc wanted to bowl full and fast, aiming for the pads to get an LBW. Siddanth adjusted his stance, standing slightly outside his crease to cut off the swing.
Starc bowled a fast, full delivery. Siddanth met it with a straight bat, pushing it back to the bowler.
For the entire morning session, Siddanth batted with extreme patience. He left the balls outside the off-stump. He defended the straight balls. He waited for the spinners to come on.
When Nathan Lyon, the Australian off-spinner, was introduced, Siddanth shifted gears. He used his feet, stepping down the pitch to hit Lyon over the infield for boundaries.
Siddanth built a solid partnership with Cheteshwar Pujara. They batted through the afternoon.
Siddanth reached his century just before the close of play on Day 1. He pushed a ball to cover, ran a quick single, and raised his bat.
He was finally dismissed early on Day 2 for 135 runs, caught at slip off Hazlewood. India posted a respectable total of 310.
Australia came out to bat.
David Warner and Matt Renshaw opened the innings. Warner was aggressive, looking to hit boundaries from the first over.
Siddanth took the new ball. He bowled fast, keeping the ball on a good length.
During the afternoon drinks break on Day 2, Jayant Yadav ran out onto the field carrying water bottles. He handed a bottle to Siddanth.
"The coach wants you to bring the field back for Warner," Jayant relayed the message quietly. "Put a man on the boundary at deep square leg. Bowl defensively. Stop the boundaries and build pressure."
Siddanth drank his water. He looked at David Warner leaning on his bat. Warner was an aggressive player. If you gave him easy singles by pushing the field back, he would rotate the strike and settle down.
"No," Siddanth replied flatly, handing the empty bottle back to Jayant. "Tell Anil bhai, Warner thrives on easy singles. I am not pushing the field back."
Siddanth turned to Virat Kohli. "Bring the deep square leg inside the circle. Put two men at slip and one at gully. We attack him."
Jayant nodded nervously and ran back off the field.
In the dressing room, Anil Kumble watched the field changes on the monitor. He saw Siddanth ignore his defensive strategy. Kumble crossed his arms, his face tightening.
Siddanth walked back to his mark. He ran in and bowled a fast, rising delivery directly at Warner's ribs.
Warner, seeing the field up, instinctively tried to pull the ball aggressively to clear the infield. The ball hit the top edge of his bat and lobbed straight up into the air. Ravichandran Ashwin took a simple catch at mid-wicket.
Siddanth's attacking instinct had worked perfectly.
The Indian spinners, Ashwin and Jadeja, took over the game on the dry pitch. Australia was bowled out for 180 in their first innings. India batted again, set a massive target, and bowled Australia out on Day 4.
India won the first Test match by 145 runs. Siddanth's 135 runs in the first innings were the deciding factor.
---
The teams traveled to Bengaluru for the second Test.
The pitch at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium was different. It was slower, making it very difficult to score runs quickly.
India batted first again. The top order struggled against the relentless accuracy of Josh Hazlewood.
Siddanth walked out to bat. He realized quickly that playing aggressive shots was impossible on this pitch. The ball was stopping and keeping low.
He dug in. He played one of the most patient, grinding innings of his career. He batted for four hours, leaving countless deliveries and defending solidly. He scored 75 runs off 180 balls before being caught at short leg. His innings held the team together, allowing India to post a total of 250.
Australia replied strongly. Steve Smith batted beautifully, dealing with the Indian spinners with soft hands.
On Day 3, Australia was batting at 220 for 6. The game was moving slowly. The old ball was doing absolutely nothing.
The umpires signaled that the 80th over had been completed. The new ball was now available.
Abhinav Mukhund ran out onto the field with a towel and a water bottle. He approached Siddanth.
"The coach says take the new ball immediately," Mukhund relayed the message. "Bring the fast bowlers back on. Attack the tailenders with extra pace and bounce while the ball is hard."
Siddanth took the towel and wiped his face. He looked at the pitch. The pitch was slow, but the Australian tailenders, Mitchell Starc and Steve O'Keefe, were not comfortable playing fast bowling.
Siddanth processed the suggestion. It aligned perfectly with the ground reality.
"Tell the coach he is right," Siddanth said, handing the towel back.
He turned to the umpire. "We will take the new ball."
The umpire handed Siddanth the shiny, hard new red ball. Siddanth called Umesh Yadav over.
Siddanth and Umesh bowled with extreme pace. The hard new ball zipped off the pitch. Siddanth bowled Mitchell Starc with a fast yorker in his first over with the new ball. Umesh got O'Keefe caught behind.
Australia was bowled out for 240.
The match turned into a slow, grinding battle over the next two days. Neither team could score quickly enough to force a result. On the evening of Day 5, the two captains shook hands.
The second Test match ended in a draw. India led the series 1-0.
The teams flew to Ranchi for the third Test.
The pitch in Ranchi was flat and excellent for batting.
Steve Smith won the toss for Australia and elected to bat first. He scored a massive century, pushing Australia to a total of 451.
India needed a huge response to stay in the game.
KL Rahul and Murali Vijay provided a solid start, but the pressure was firmly on the middle order.
Siddanth walked out to bat on Day 2. The stadium was packed.
From the very first ball, Siddanth looked completely in control. The flat pitch allowed him to play his shots freely. He drove Pat Cummins through the covers. He pulled Josh Hazlewood through mid-wicket.
When Nathan Lyon came on to bowl, Siddanth used his feet expertly, stepping down the pitch to hit the spinner over long-on.
He batted with Virat Kohli, putting together a massive partnership. They ran hard between the wickets, wearing down the Australian fielders in the hot sun.
On Day 3, Siddanth approached his century.
He was batting on 98. Nathan Lyon bowled a tossed-up delivery on the off-stump. Siddanth stepped forward, opened the face of his bat, and guided the ball past the point fielder for two runs.
The crowd stood up and roared.
Siddanth took his helmet off and raised his bat, acknowledging the applause.
In the broadcast box, Harsha Bhogle's voice carried over the television feed.
"There it is! A magnificent century for the Indian captain!" Harsha announced loudly. "He needed a big score here in Ranchi, and he has delivered perfectly."
"And let's look at the statistics, Harsha," Ravi Shastri chimed in, reading off a piece of paper. "That is not just a regular century. That is his ninetieth international century across all formats of the game."
"Ninety centuries," Harsha repeated, letting the magnitude of the number settle. "That is an unbelievable achievement. He is currently twenty-six years old, and he already has ninety international hundreds."
"He is hunting down the ultimate record," Shastri continued. "Sachin Tendulkar holds the record with one hundred and one international centuries. Siddanth Deva is now just eleven centuries away from tying the great man. At the rate he is scoring, he will break the record before he turns thirty."
Siddanth put his helmet back on. He did not know the exact stats, and he did not care. He needed to build a lead.
He continued batting beautifully. He crossed 120. He crossed 140.
He was finally dismissed for exactly 160 runs, caught at deep mid-wicket trying to accelerate the scoring rate. His innings pushed India to a total of 603.
With a lead of 152 runs, Siddanth handed the ball to Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin.
The pitch in Ranchi finally started to turn on Day 5. The Indian spinners bowled relentlessly. Jadeja took four wickets, exploiting the rough patches outside the left-hander's off-stump.
Australia collapsed under the pressure of the spin and the scoreboard. They were bowled out late on Day 5.
India won the third Test match. India led the series 2-0.
---
The series moved to Dharamshala for the fourth and final Test match.
The HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala is located high in the mountains. The air is thinner, and the pitch traditionally offers significant pace and bounce for the fast bowlers.
It was the perfect setting for Siddanth Deva.
Siddanth won the toss and elected to bowl first.
He took the new ball. The mountain air helped the ball swing heavily.
Siddanth bowled with terrifying pace. He hit 150 km/h consistently. He dismissed David Warner in his first over, forcing an edge to the slips. He bowled Matt Renshaw with a fast in-swinger that broke the middle stump in half.
He completely dismantled the Australian top order. He bowled a relentless spell of ten overs, taking 5 wickets for just 45 runs.
Australia was bowled out for 200 on the first day.
India came out to bat.
Siddanth walked out to bat on Day 2. He knew the series was already won, but he wanted to finish the home season with complete dominance.
He batted with freedom. The fast, bouncy pitch suited his style perfectly. When Pat Cummins bowled short, Siddanth pulled him into the stands. When Hazlewood bowled full, Siddanth drove him straight down the ground.
He reached his century in just 110 balls. He did not stop there.
He continued to punish the Australian bowlers. He found the gaps with ease. He crossed 150. He approached 200.
In the final session of Day 2, he hit Nathan Lyon for a massive six over long-on to reach his double century.
The stadium in Dharamshala erupted.
"Another double century for Siddanth Deva!" Ravi Shastri shouted on the broadcast. "He is finishing the home season like an absolute king. The Australian bowlers have no answers."
Siddanth was finally dismissed for 212 runs, caught on the boundary line.
His massive innings gave India a huge lead. The Indian fast bowlers, Umesh Yadav and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, finished the job in the second innings, bowling Australia out cheaply.
India won the fourth Test match comfortably by 8 wickets.
They had won the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 3-0.
The presentation ceremony was set up on the field. The mountains provided a stunning backdrop.
The entire Indian squad stood near the podium. Anil Kumble stood at the back of the group. He clapped, but his face remained serious.
Ravi Shastri held the microphone.
"What an incredible Test series we have witnessed," Shastri announced to the crowd and the cameras. "India secures the Border-Gavaskar Trophy with a dominant 3-0 victory. Before we hand over the team trophy, it is time for the individual awards."
"The Player of the Series award," Shastri continued, reading the card. "He scored heavily in every single match. He took crucial wickets. He led his team flawlessly. The Player of the Series is the Indian Captain, Siddanth Deva."
The crowd cheered loudly as Siddanth walked up to the podium.
Shastri shook his hand and handed him the large trophy.
"Congratulations, Siddanth," Shastri said. "You scored over five hundred runs in this series. Three centuries, including a double hundred here in Dharamshala, and crucial wickets with the ball. How do you assess your own performance?"
Siddanth held the trophy. He looked perfectly calm.
"I think I did okay," Siddanth replied, with a grin.
Ravi Shastri chuckled at hearing that.
"But seriously, the pitches varied across all four venues. Pune was dry, Bengaluru was slow, Ranchi was flat, and Dharamshala was fast. Adjusting the batting to suit the conditions was the primary objective. The double century here was satisfying because the ball was coming onto the bat nicely."
"And your captaincy," Shastri asked. "This was your first major Test series as the full-time all-format captain. The team looks incredibly balanced."
"The team executes the plans well," Siddanth said, deflecting the personal praise. "Virat and Pujara scored heavily in the middle order. Ashwin and Jadeja did the hard work on the slow pitches. Umesh and Bhuvi bowled with great pace here in Dharamshala. When the individual units gel together, the captain's job is simple."
"Well, you made it look very simple," Shastri concluded. "Congratulations on the series victory. Go lift that trophy with your team."
Siddanth walked back to his team. He handed the Player of the Series trophy to a junior player. The BCCI officials presented him with the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Siddanth lifted the massive cup into the air. The team cheered, confetti rained down, and the cameras flashed. Then he presented it to the young player in the team and stepped aside.
The long, grueling home Test season was officially over. Siddanth had completely established his dominance as the captain of the Indian cricket team. He had scored massive runs, managed the field placements flawlessly, and successfully navigated the internal friction with the head coach without letting it affect the team's performance.
Now, he had exactly one week to rest before the chaos of the Indian Premier League began.
@IndianCricketFan: "91 INTERNATIONAL CENTURIES for Siddanth Deva at just 26!!! 🔥 This man is a run-scoring machine. Sachin took till 39 for 100, Deva might smash it before 30. GOAT in the making 🇮🇳 #SiddanthDeva #91Centuries"
@CricketStatsGuru:
"Siddanth Deva: 91 centuries.
Age: 26.
Formats: All 3.
Next target: Sachin's 101.
At this rate, he'll own the record by 28. Unreal consistency. 📊 #Deva91"
@Devil_Fan:
"Harsha called it in Ranchi and now it's 91! Siddanth Deva isn't just scoring runs, he's rewriting history. The calmest destroyer in world cricket. What a phenomenon! 🙌"
@AussieCricketLad:
"Got absolutely demolished by Deva again. Dude just hit his 91st century like it's a net session. India's lucky to have this bloke as captain. Australia in shambles 😭 #BorderGavaskar"
@ViratKohliArmy:
"Deva on 91 centuries already and still so humble. Respect. 🔥 #SiddanthDeva"
@CricketMemesDaily:
"Other batters: celebrate 1 century
Siddanth Deva: *casually gets to 91 and says 'acceptable'* 😂
This guy is built different. #Deva91"
BCCIUpdates:
"Historic! Siddanth Deva reaches **91 international centuries**. Youngest to get there and closing in on Sachin's record at lightning speed. What a captain, what a legend in the making! 🏏🇮🇳"
@RanchiCricket:
"From that 160 in Ranchi to 91 overall — Siddanth Deva is on fire! The entire stadium erupted for his 90th and now he's unstoppable. Dharamshala double ton was just the cherry 🍒 #Deva"
@NeutralCricket:
"No drama, no controversy, just pure runs. 91 centuries for Siddanth Deva. Efficient, classy, and ruthless. This is how you build a legacy. Easily one of the best of this generation."
@TendulkarFanForever:
"Sachin's record under threat at 26 😳 91 and counting for Siddanth Deva. God of Cricket will always be God, but Deva is the Devil. Massive respect to both legends! 🙏 #91Centuries"
Siddanth Deva Series Statistics:
Batting:
Match 1: 135 Runs
Match 2: 75 Runs
Match 3: 160 Runs
Match 4: 212 Runs
Total Series Runs: 582 Runs.
Bowling:
Total Series Wickets: 17 Wickets.
Best Bowling: 5/45 (Match 4)