Defining moments of Indian Test cricket

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England had been outclassed in the One-day series by the time 26/11 happened. The England team flew back home before returning for the Tests. It was a great gesture by their board. With a bit more than a day to go, India needed 387 to win. Virender Sehwag's quickfire 66 set the stage. Sachin Tendulkar's unbeaten 103 off 196 balls enabled India to notch up the 256 required on the final day of the first Test in December 2008.

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Pakistan discovered the hard way that Virender Sehwag's extraordinary s****s could just as easily be translated into unforgettable epic knocks. The second day of the first Test in March-April 2004 saw Sehwag scoring the first triple hundred by an Indian batsman, a majestic 309 off 375 balls. Typically, the triple was brought up with a six. A deflated Pakistan lost by an innings and 52 runs. Not even Sachin Tendulkar, who scored an unbeaten 194 in this game, had looked like reaching a triple before

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Never before had opposition batsmen been at the receiving end of such a hostile Indian pace duo. Sreesanth's 5/40 in the first innings of the first Test at the Wanderers in December 2006 shot out South Africa for 84. He returned with 3/59 in the second, and Zaheer Khan too shone as India earned a 123-run win, their first on South African soil

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Gautam Gambhir essayed an old-style, match-saving knock in the second Test in March 2009. Following on, India were 314 behind with more than two days to play out, and he batted for over 11 hours, facing 436 balls for his 137. Even though India didn't win the Test in Napier, it was a crucial test of their ability to withstand pressure and hence has been included in the list.