The India-England Test rivalry stands as one of cricket’s most enduring and intense. With both nations prioritising the longest format, their battles across the globe have forged a rich Test history, consistently marked by highly competitive performances and a compelling Test record on either side of the globe. In this article, we delve specifically into Team India’s comprehensive Test record when playing on English soil.
India’s Test Record in England
| Opponent | Matches Played | Won | Lost | Drawn | Win% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vs England | 72 | 11 | 38 | 23 | 15.28 |
| Vs Others | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Total | 74 | 11 | 40 | 23 | 14.86 |
Key Insights into India’s Test Record in England
Team India’s Test record in England is a chronicle rich with historic moments and challenging performances throughout its expansive Test history in England.
India played their first-ever Test match in the country back in 1932, a contest at Lord’s Cricket Ground that, regrettably, ended in a losing cause.
India’s first Test series win in England came in 1971 under the captaincy of Ajit Wadekar. Check about all three India’s Test series victories in England soil here.
The two neutral Test matches India has played in England were the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) Finals, where they faced New Zealand and Australia respectively.
Lord’s, often revered as the ‘Mecca of Cricket,’ stands as India’s most successful venue in England, boasting three Test wins. Notably, it is also the ground where Team India has played the most matches in the country.
Trent Bridge is the venue where India boasts its best win/loss percentage in England. Out of the eight Tests played there, India has secured two victories and suffered two defeats.
The Oval holds the distinction as the ground where India registered their highest Test score in England, a formidable 664 during their 2007 tour. Other significant Test batting totals exceeding 600 include 628/8 declared at Leeds in 2002 and 606/9 declared, again at the Oval, in 1990.
(To know the specific numbers for Team India’s performance at each English venue, please refer to the detailed sections of this article.)
In terms of individual batting milestones, only four Indian batters have surpassed the 1000-run mark in Tests played in England, with the legendary Sachin Tendulkar leading the most runs tally. KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, and Ravindra Jadeja are poised to breach this milestone in the ongoing series.
Rahul Dravid holds the esteemed Test record for the most centuries among Indian batters in England, having scored six tons in just 23 innings played there. Furthermore, Sachin Tendulkar, Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, and Dilip Vengsarkar have each contributed significantly with four centuries on English soil.
Shubman Gill’s monumental 269 stands as the highest individual Test score by an Indian batter in England, marking a truly remarkable Test record.
Among the bowlers, former pacer Ishant Sharma leads the chart with the most Test wickets for India in England, a tally that includes the three wickets he took against New Zealand in the WTC Final at Southampton.
If we exclude the WTC Final matches, Jasprit Bumrah’s impressive tally of 49 wickets against the home team is the highest by an Indian bowler in England Tests.
Ishant Sharma’s exceptional spell of 7/74 at Lord’s remains the best bowling figures by an Indian bowler in Tests in England, a testament to his impactful contribution to Team India’s Test record there.
