Year-ender 2022: Team India's biggest heartbreaks in cricket

Missed opportunities, unavailability of a regular captain on most occasions and failure to win knockout games explained India's tumultuous failure in the cricketing world throughout the year 2022.

India tour of South Africa

With India 1-0 up in the three-match Test series, Virat Kohli's men were on a verge of winning their first Test series in South Africa. But they didn't grab opportunities in the Centurion Test and failed to take an unassailable lead.

Then in the series decider in Cape Town, Indian batting faltered miserably in the second innings, managing only 198 despite Rishabh Pant's unbeaten 100. On a deteriorating Cape Town wicket, Indian bowlers failed to defend 212 runs, thus losing a glorious opportunity to register their first Test series win in the rainbow nation.

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India vs England only Test in Manchester

What happened in January had a ripple effect in July as well. With India already 2-1 up in the five-match series vs England, the fifth and final match of the series was played after a year's break.

Despite posting 416 runs in the first innings and taking a big lead, India scummed to England's Bazball innovation and failed to defend 378 runs in the fourth innings. That was a prime depiction of why a team need to finish the series when they are on top.

Asia Cup 2022

Ahead of the T20 World Cup in Australia, the Asian continental tournament gained its importance. Favourites India started their campaign on a high and defeated arch-rivals Pakistan in the group stage.

But the Super 4 round cracked up many of India's recent conundrums wide open. Death bowling emerged as the biggest problem for the Men In Blue as they faltered miserably in the 19th over on multiple occasions and finally got knocked out of the tournament in the Super stage only after losing to Sri Lanka.

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T20 World Cup 2022

Up next was the T20 World Cup in Australia and once again India entered into a multi-team tournament as favourites. They snatched victory from the jaws of defeat in their tournament opener against Pakistan, largely due to Virat Kohli's heroics.

With only one defeat in the group stage, it felt as if Rohit Sharma's men could end the 11-year-long wait for an ICC trophy. But it was not to be. Rohit Sharma's men lacked intent with both bat and ball in the knockout game.

First, they managed to post a below-par 168-6 and then faced a shameful 10-wicket loss from England, who eventually won the T20 World Cup.

India's three ODI series defeat in a calendar year

The year 2022 went from bad to worse in the fag end for Team India as they lost 3 bilateral ODI series in a calendar year for the first time in 25 years.

At the start of the year, South Africa white-washed India on their home soil. Then they lost the ODI series in New Zealand 1-0 after the last two games were washed out. And finally, the Men in Blue registered an unwanted record by losing the one-day series against Bangladesh.

It came as a wake-up call for the Indian Team and the BCCI, who would have to take some bold steps ahead of the ODI world Cup in India.