India's top 3 Test wins in England since 2000

Much to the delight of cricket’s purists, the hotly anticipated Test-series between England and India is now upon us. Exciting red-ball action beckons as both teams will be at loggerheads with each other in a five-match affair over the next month and a half. This is the moment of reckoning as both Virat Kohli and Joe Root will leave no stones unturned to get one over the other.

India’s tour of England has produced some classic test-matches over the years, giving us great narratives and unceasing entertainment at the same time. And this time too, it promises to be no different. With the first Test of the series literally days away, let’s take a look at India’s three memorable Test wins in England since the turn of the millennium.

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#3 Headingly Test (2002)

The 2002 Test series between England and India was drawn 1-1

The “poor travellers” tag that has been associated with the Indian team was just as befitting in 2002 as it is today. The men in blue had hardly enjoyed success outside the sub-continent since the turn of the millennium.

The tour of England that year presented an opportunity to change all that was being talked about but Sourav Ganguly’s men fell flat in the first test as they were forced to a 170 run defeat by the hosts at Lord’s. Batsmen from both sides dominated the second test at Nottingham and it ended in a draw. England looked all set to wrap up the series in the third test at Leeds but the visitors had other ideas.

Overcast conditions. Green top. In what is regarded as one of the most audacious decisions by an Indian skipper in history, Ganguly opted to bat first.

After Sehwag fell early in the innings, Sanjay Bangar and Rahul Dravid weathered the storm as the duo mixed caution with intent to stitch a 170-run partnership for the second wicket. It was all smooth sailing thereafter, as Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly registered their individual tons and India declared their innings on a mammoth total of 628 runs.

In response, England could only muster 273 in the first innings with Harbhajan Singh and Anil Kumble picking up 3 wickets each to enforce the follow-on. Despite a gritty century by Nasser Hussain in the second essay, they fell short, and India bagged the match by an innings and 46 runs to level the series.

#2 Nottingham Test (2007)

Zaheer Khan was adjudged man of the match for his 9 wickets in the Nottingham test

The Indian team was low on confidence after a disastrous World Cup campaign in 2007 and hence, the prospect of doing well in England looked bleak. Rahul Dravid’s men were lucky to avoid defeat in the first test and travelled to Nottingham, desperately hoping for some sort of inspiration from within the squad.

That inspiration came in the form of Zaheer Khan as the left-arm pacer scalped four wickets to bowl England out for a paltry 198. In reply, India's batting line-up didn’t disappoint. Five half-centuries including Sachin Tendulkar’s 91 and Sourav Ganguly’s 73, saw India amass 481 runs.

England needed to bat well in the second innings to stay afloat in the match and aptain Michael Vaughan took up the scoring mantle with a brilliant 124, but once he was out, it was all downhill for the hosts. Zaheer was once again the pick of the bowlers with a 5-fer, as England were bundled out for 355, setting India a target of 73 runs. The visitors secured a 7-wicket victory and a draw in the next test meant they won a test series in England after a gap of 21 years.

#1 Lord’s Test (2014)

Ishant produced his career best figure of 7-74 to down England at Lord's

The 2014 tour was the first time in years that India was playing without the fab-four on England soil. So naturally, there was anxiety among the fans, but there was a sense of optimism as well.

The first Test at Nottingham ended in a boring draw and both teams moved to London for the next one. Asked to bat first at Lord’s, India didn’t have the best of starts as James Anderson ran through the top-order. But a strokeful century by Ajnikya Rahane saw India post a respectable 295 in the first innings. In response, England, riding on a Gary Ballance century, took a marginal 24 run lead.

India started brilliantly in the second innings with Murali Vijay holding on to his end with a gritty half-century. However, the Indian middle order collapsed, and England fancied an opportunity to take the lead in the series. Thanks to the eighth wicket partnership of 99-runs between Ravindra Jadeja and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, India set a challenging target of 319 for the hosts.

But England never looked on track in their chase as Ishant Sharma ran riot with his short pitched deliveries to grab career best figures of 7-74, and the visitors cruised to a 95-run victory.

However, India couldn’t replicate the Lord’s heroics in the subsequent tests and lost the series 3-1.