England has always been a tough touring place for India, as they have won only 9 of the 68 Test matches they have played in the country. The ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy marks the 20th time India is touring England for a Test series, and on the 19 previous occasions, they have managed to win the series thrice.
Here, we will talk about Team India’s three Test series wins in England in detail.
1971 Tour to England: India won 1-0
It was a three-match series, and India toured England under the captaincy of Ajit Wadekar. The Test series commenced at Lord’s with England coming into the contest on the back of a stunning streak as they had gone their last 24 successive matches without defeat. They began strongly at Lord’s, scoring 304 in the first innings, and India managed to take a slender 9-run lead, with Ajit Wadekar being the top scorer (85). Srinivas Venkataraghavan’s 4/52 India bowled out England for 191 in the second innings, and India needed 183 runs to win the game. A thriller in the making was ruined as rain played spoilsport when India was 145/8, still needing 38 runs to win, and England just two wickets.
The second Test at Manchester was also a rain-affected one, but it was largely dominated by the host. Having accumulated 386 runs in the first, they gained a significant lead of 174 runs before adding 245 more in the second. Unfortunately, no play was possible on the whole of Day 5, and India survived a near defeat as they were reduced to 65/3 before play was halted.
In the third and deciding Test at the Oval, England once again posted a competitive total of 355, and a fifer from skipper Ray Illingworth helped them bundle India out for 284 runs, thus gaining a 71-run lead. Just when everyone thought the hosts would run away with the game, India came back into the contest, courtesy of a brilliant spell by the spinner Bhagwat Chandrasekhar, who picked 6/38, and England were bowled out for 101. Needing 173 to win their first-ever series in England, Indian batters took a measured approach as they took 101 overs to achieve the target with four wickets still in hand. Skipper Wadekar was the top scorer with 45 runs and ended up as India’s highest run-getter in the series.
This was India’s first-ever Test win in England after playing 21 matches in the country, and the series win in England.
1986 Tour to England: India won 2-0
The 1986 tour saw the first time India win more than one Test match on an England tour. The visitors didn’t secure a single win in any of the three previous tours, 1974, 1979, and 1982. So this was a crucial series under the leadership of the World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev.
India made a great start to the tour in the first Test at Lord’s by bundling out England for 294 runs, despite Graham Gooch’s 114, with Chetan Sharma picking a fifer (5/64). In reply, Indian batters led by Dilip Vengsarkar’s 126* came to party by securing an important 47-run lead. Kapil Dev’s early spell with the new ball helped India skittle England for a mere 180 runs in the second, and India were able to chase down the target of 134 runs with five wickets to spare.
One of India’s most dominant displays overseas came in the second Test at Headingley. Batting first on a difficult track, India made 272 runs thanks to a half-century from Dilip Vengsarkar, and their response with the ball was even more special. Roger Binny (5/40) & Madan Lal’s 3/18 scripted an English batting collapse, and in the process, India gained a huge 170-run lead. Vengsarkar’s second century (102*) of the tour took the game completely away from the hosts as they were set with a target of 408 runs. Maninder Singh’s 4/26 did the job for India as they won by 279 runs and in the process took a 2-0 lead in the series.
At Edgbaston, India had every chance to inflict a series whitewash, but they took it slow to grab a draw. At the end of the first innings, both teams were level, having scored 390 runs each, and Chetan Sharma’s 6/58 helped India bundle out England for 235 in the second. Phil Edmonds’ quick strikes prompted India to take it slow, and the game ended in a draw when India were 62 runs away from a win with 5 wickets in hand.
Vengsarkar emerged as the leading run-getter of the series with 360 runs, and Chetan Sharma led the wickets tally with 16 scalps.
Read: Highest Ever Successful Run Chases in Test Cricket
2007 Tour to England: India won 1-0
Under the leadership of Rahul Dravid, India overcame the lows of a group stage World Cup exit by clinching a Test series in England for the third and to date final time. The first Test at Lord’s was a rain-affected one, and India managed to escape defeat thanks to rain and stubborn resistance from the then-keeper-batter MS Dhoni, who remained unbeaten on 76. On the final day at Tea, India required a further 98 runs with just a wicket in hand, and rain denied any further play to make the match a draw.
India came back in the second Test at Old Trafford strongly as their bowlers, led by Zaheer Khan (4/59), wiped away England for 198 in the first innings. Following up, five of India’s top-6 batters struck half-centuries to gain a strong hold in the first innings as India piled up 481 runs. England showed fight in the second innings courtesy of 124 by skipper Michael Vaughan, but it was too little to put pressure on the visitors. India scored the required 73 runs with 7 wickets in hand, and Zaheer Khan’s match haul of 9/134 earned by the player of the match award.
The Third Test at the Oval was a high-scoring one as India struck one of the highest Test scores in overseas conditions (660), thanks to prolific batting by the top-order and a century from Anil Kumble (110*). England could score only 345 in response, and Ganguly’s 57 ensured India made a quick 180 in the second essay to give England an improbable target of 500 in the final innings. Kevin Pietersen’s 101 and batting-friendly conditions saved England (369/6) from a 2-0 defeat as the game ended in a draw.
Read: Indian Captains with Most Away Test Series Wins
