The winter of 2010 descended upon India, bringing with it the cool haze of November and the arrival of the Black Caps. The New Zealand cricket team, led by the astute Daniel Vettori, landed in India with a reputation for being the "nice guys" of cricket, but also tenacious fighters who punched above their weight.
For Siddanth Deva, the series was a shift in gears. The glamour of the Sahara Awards and the high-octane drama of the Australia series were in the rearview mirror. Now, it was about the grind. The objective was clear: maintain India's dominance at home and fine-tune the engine for the World Cup, which was merely months away.
The Test Series
1st Test
Venue: Sardar Patel Stadium, Motera.
Date: Nov 4-8, 2010.
The series opener was a batting feast. India batted first, posting a mammoth 487 thanks to Virender Sehwag's blistering 173 and a surprising century from Harbhajan Singh. Deva, batting at No. 6 played a fluid hand of 65, stitching a partnership with VVS Laxman before being trapped LBW by Vettori.
New Zealand responded with grit. Jesse Ryder and Kane Williamson—a young prodigy making his debut—scored centuries. They posted 459. Deva toiled on the flat deck, bowling 25 overs of controlled medium pace. He managed 2 wickets, removing Ross Taylor with a cutter and cleaning up the tail.
The second innings fizzled out into a draw as India batted out time.
Result: Match Drawn.
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2nd Test
Venue: Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad.
Date: Nov 12-16, 2010.
This was special. It was Deva's first Test match on his home ground. The "Fortress Shamshabad" was just a drive away. His parents, Vikram and Sesikala, were in the President's Box.
The pitch, however, was a graveyard for bowlers.
New Zealand batted first. Brendon McCullum played the innings of his life, scoring 225. They posted 448.
India responded with 472. Harbhajan Singh scored another century (111*), stunning the world. Deva, eager to impress his home crowd, was aggressive. He smashed 80 off 90 balls, hitting Vettori for two massive sixes over long-on, before holing out in the deep trying to accelerate.
With the ball, Deva picked up 1 wicket in a match dominated by batsmen.
Result: Match Drawn.
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3rd Test
Venue: VCA Stadium, Jamtha, Nagpur.
Date: Nov 20-23, 2010.
The series was 0-0. India needed a win.
On a pitch that offered bounce, the Indian pacers Siddanth Deva, Ishant Sharma and Sreesanth came alive.
New Zealand was bowled out for 193.
India responded with a colossal 566/8 Declared. Rahul Dravid scored 191. Deva, playing the role of the accelerator, smashed a quick-fire 58 not out to set up the declaration.
In the second innings, the Kiwi resistance crumbled. Ishant Sharma ripped through the top order. Deva was brought on to break the middle order. He removed the dangerous Brendon McCullum and Ross Taylor in a span of four overs.
Deva Figures: 3/40.
New Zealand bowled out for 175.
Result: India won by an innings and 198 runs.
Series: India Won 1-0.
While the Test series was a team effort, the ODI series that followed would belong to one man.
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With the World Cup looming, the BCCI selectors made a bold call. To preserve the veterans, MS Dhoni, Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, and Harbhajan Singh were rested.
Yuvraj Singh was named Captain.
Siddanth Deva, acknowledging his immense impact and tactical acumen, was named Vice-Captain.
The squad was young: Virat Kohli, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Yusuf Pathan, and Suresh Raina. It was "Youngistan" unleashed.
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Inside the dressing room, Deva looked at the young faces. He checked his System.
[OBJECTIVE: DOMINANCE]
[TEMPLATE: JACQUES KALLIS (55%)]
He realised that without the heavyweights, the batting load was on him, Yuvraj, and Kohli.
"Time to go big," he whispered.
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1st ODI
Venue: Nehru Stadium, Guwahati.
Date: Nov 28, 2010.
Guwahati was buzzing. The northeast didn't get many games, and the stadium was packed to the rafters.
Yuvraj Singh won the toss and elected to field. "Dew will be a factor later," he said.
1st Innings:
New Zealand started well. Jamie How and Martin Guptill attacked.
Deva took the new ball with Sreesanth.
He found rhythm early. In the 8th over, he bowled a beauty to Jamie How—a ball that pitched on off and nipped back to take the inside edge.
Wicket 1.
Later, in the death overs, he returned to bamboozle Scott Styris with a knuckleball.
Wicket 2.
New Zealand posted 276. A competitive total.
Deva Figures: 10-0-42-2.
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India lost Murali Vijay early.
Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli steadied the ship.
When Gambhir fell for 38, the score was 90/2.
Siddanth Deva walked in at No. 4.
The crowd roared.
Deva and Kohli were at the crease.
Kohli was aggressive, flicking balls off his pads. Deva was precise, driving through the V.
"Don't let Vettori settle," Deva told Kohli mid-pitch. "Use your feet."
They dismantled the bowling attack.
Kohli reached his century first, a brilliant 105. When he got out, India needed 50 runs from 40 balls.
Deva took over.
He targeted Kyle Mills.
4, 4, 6.
He finished the game with a straight drive.
Deva Score: 76 (68 balls).*
India Won by 5 Wickets.
Man of the Match: Siddanth Deva (76* Runs, 2 Wickets).
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2nd ODI
Venue: Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur.
Date: Dec 1, 2010.
The Pink City. The pitch was flat, a highway for batsmen.
Yuvraj won the toss and bowled first again.
1st Innings:
New Zealand batted better this time. Martin Guptill scored 70. Scott Styris scored 59.
The Indian bowlers struggled, except one.
Deva was bowling heavy balls into the pitch.
He broke the crucial partnership between Taylor and Styris. He forced Taylor to mistime a pull shot to deep square leg.
Then, he cleaned up the lower order with yorkers.
Kyle Mills bowled. Tim Southee LBW.
Deva Figures: 4/45 in 10 overs.
New Zealand posted 258/8.
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It was the Gautam Gambhir show. He played a sublime innings, remaining unbeaten on 138.
Deva came in at No. 4 again. He wasn't needed to anchor this time; he was needed to finish.
He played a cameo.
He smashed Nathan McCullum for three consecutive boundaries.
He scored a rapid 40 off 25 balls before getting caught at long-off trying to finish it with a six.
Gambhir finished the job.
Result: India Won by 8 Wickets.
Series: India leads 2-0.
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3rd ODI
Venue: Reliance Stadium, Vadodara.
Date: Dec 4, 2010.
This was the series decider.
Yuvraj won the toss and, for a change, elected to Bat First.
"Let's put runs on the board and test our defence," Yuvraj said.
India lost Vijay and Gambhir early. 30/2.
The ball was swinging. Tim Southee was fired up.
Virat Kohli and Siddanth Deva joined forces again.
This time, Deva was the aggressor.
He realized the Kiwi bowlers were bowling too full, searching for swing.
He stood outside the crease to negate the movement.
He drove Southee through extra cover.
He flicked Mills through mid-wicket.
He danced down the track to Vettori and lofted him over sight-screen.
Kohli fell for 64.
Yusuf Pathan walked in. The local boy (Vadodara was his home).
Deva reached his 50 off 45 balls.
Then he exploded.
He took 20 runs off a Scott Styris over.
He reached his Century off 95 balls.
But he didn't stop.
In the last five overs, Deva went berserk.
He scooped McKay. He reverse-swept Vettori.
He finished unbeaten on 154 off 115 balls*
Yusuf Pathan chipped in with a quick 29.
India Posted: 320/6.
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Chasing 321 was too much for the Black Caps.
They crumbled under the pressure of the scoreboard.
Deva opened the bowling and removed Brendon McCullum in the first over—a massive inswinger that trapped him LBW for a duck.
That set the tone.
Ashwin and Yusuf Pathan spun a web.
New Zealand bowled out for 220.
Deva Figures: 1/28 in 6 overs (Rested from bowling later).
Result: India Won by 100 Runs.
Man of the Match: Siddanth Deva (154* Runs, 1 Wicket).
Series: India wins 3-0.
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4th ODI
Venue: M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore.
Date: Dec 7, 2010.
The series was won, but India wanted a whitewash.
Bangalore was a small ground. High altitude. The ball travelled.
1st Innings:
New Zealand batted first. They finally clicked.
James Franklin scored an unbeaten 98. Scott Styris scored 46.
They attacked the Indian spinners.
Deva was the only one who kept it tight.
He bowled in the powerplay and the death.
He picked up 4 Wickets.
He removed Guptill, Ryder, Williamson, and Vettori.
Deva Figures: 4/48 in 10 overs.
New Zealand posted 315/7. A huge total.
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India was in trouble at 142/3. Gambhir, Kohli, and Yuvraj were back in the hut.
Siddanth Deva and Yusuf Pathan were at the crease.
Deva anchored. He rotated the strike, giving it to Yusuf.
Yusuf Pathan went absolutely nuclear.
This was the historic innings where Yusuf scored a century.
Deva played the perfect supporting role. He scored 60 runs off 50 balls, ensuring that Yusuf stayed on strike.
When Yusuf hit the winning six to complete his century and win the match, Deva hugged him.
"What a knock, Yusuf bhai!" Deva shouted over the crowd noise.
Result: India Won by 5 Wickets.
Man of the Match: Yusuf Pathan.
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5th ODI
Venue: MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai.
Date: Dec 10, 2010.
The final frontier. 5-0 was on the line.
Chennai was humid. The pitch was slow, turning, and sticky. Not easy for batting.
1st Innings:
New Zealand batted first.
They had no answer to the Indian spin. R. Ashwin, playing on his home ground, was unplayable. Yuvraj Singh took wickets too.
New Zealand 1st Innings: 203 All Out.
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The Chase:
India was 70/5. A collapse.
Deva played the innings of a lifetime. A lone warrior.
He farmed the strike with the tail.
He reached his Century with a six off Vettori over Long On.
He finished the match with 106 not out.
India Won by 2 Wickets.
Man of the Match: Siddanth Deva.
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The Indian team gathered on the podium. The trophy was handed to Yuvraj Singh.
Ravi Shastri (Presenter): "A 5-0 whitewash! India looks ready for the World Cup. But there is one name on everyone's lips. He scored 436 runs, took 11 wickets, and won 3 Man of the Match awards. The Man of the Series is undeniably Siddanth Deva!"
The Chepauk crowd roared, chanting "DE-VA! DE-VA!"
Deva walked up. He accepted the golden trophy and the keys to the TVS Apache.
Ravi Shastri: "Sid, 436 runs in 5 games. 11 wickets. Are you even human right now?"
Siddanth Deva (laughing): "I'm just enjoying my cricket, Ravi bhai. With the seniors rested, Yuvi bhai told me to take responsibility. I wanted to bat deep. The ball was coming onto the bat nicely in Guwahati and Vadodara. Chennai was tough, but that makes the century sweeter."
Shastri: "The World Cup is next. The whole of India is watching. Are you ready?"
Deva: "We are ready."
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The series against New Zealand did something that the Australia series hadn't. It cemented Deva as the MVP of the Indian ODI setup.
He wasn't just a slogger or a partnership breaker anymore. He was a genuine No. 3/No. 4 batsman who could score big hundreds, and a genuine frontline bowler who could take 4-fers.
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The Times of India: "The Devil Wears Blue: Deva decimates Kiwis."
ESPN Cricinfo: "Is Deva the next Kallis? The stats say he might be better."
Daniel Vettori (NZ Captain): "We didn't lose to India. We lost to Siddanth Deva. He was the difference in three games."