India's 5 best tours of England

As India prepare to tour England next year, here are some of the team's best tours to the country in cricket history.

It will be the twentieth time India have toured England, the first in 1911 when an 'all-Indian' team played twenty-three matches. On said tour, fourteen of those matches were of first-class status and the team left with a record of two wins, ten draws and ten losses.

However, it was not until 1932 that the first England-India Tests were played in England. The tourists lost the only Test at Lords by 158 runs, despite Mohammad Nissar leaving with impressive figures of 5-93.

#1 1971 Tour

Wadekar bats

On this tour, India won their first-ever series in England. A very strong spin attack of Bishen Bedi, Chandrasekar and Venkataragahavan caused problems for the English.

Three Tests were played and in the first Test at Lord's, India pushed hard for a win but England were saved by a career-best seventy-three from England tailender John Snow and India were left 38 runs from the win.

In the next Test, it was England that would dominate at Old Trafford. Again the game would be drawn, but a rain delay meant that England failed to bowl out the tourists in the second innings. They finished on 65 for three, still needing 355 more runs to win.

It was the Oval that hosted the final Test in which India were behind the game after only replying 284 to England's 355.

However, the home side were then skittled for just 101 thanks to Chandrasekhar, who left with figures of 6-38. 174 was then chased down successfully, which ended England's run of 26 Tests without loss.

The win sparked huge celebrations back home in a series in which a young Sunil Gavaskar featured.

#2 1986 Tour

Indian crowds in 1986

Despite the tour being marred by bad weather, the away side left with a drawn ODI series and a Test series win. The Indian board wanted the tour to take place early in the English summer, in order to be rested for the home season.

India won the first test at Lord's by five wickets after Chetan Sharma took 5-64, and Dilip Vengsarkar was led unbeaten on 126 not out. Then in the second Test, the tourists comprehensively beat England by 279 runs at Headingley thanks to another Vengsarkar century.

A drawn third Test at Edgbaston meant that the Test series finished 2-0 to India. Soon after a two-match ODI series was played. India won the first and England the second, but as India had recorded a higher run-rate in the series, they took the trophy.

#3 1990 Tour

Ravi Shastri batting

In 1990, the ODI series was played prior to the Test series. India won both ODIs, comfortably chasing down the England scores within the 55-over limit. Manoj Prabhakar took 6 wickets in the series and the side went into the Tests in impressive form.

In a very hot English summer, England won what would be an important toss in the first Test at Lord's. The home side declared on 653-4 after an incredible Graham Gooch 333 off just 485 balls.

After England again declared in the second innings, India fell 247 runs short of victory. The two final Tests were both drawn in which the tourists looked the most likely winners in both.

The tour featured leg-spinner, and future captain Anil Kumble making his international debut and Sachin Tendulkar scoring his first Test century at Old Trafford. The latter became the youngest Test centurion at the time at just seventeen.

#4 2002 Tour

Virender Sehweg hits the ball back onto his wicket

Once again the ODIs preceded the Tests. However, this time it involved a tri-series with Sri Lanka as well. Each side played the other in three matches, and after these, a final was played between the top two sides, England and India, at Lord's.

England had posted an impressive score of 325-5 from their 50 overs, and it all looked lost for India as they slumped to 146-5. They were able to reach the 326-8 with three balls to spare thanks to an unbeaten 87 not out from Mohammed Kaif.

The four-match Test series was drawn as the home side won the first Test and India triumphed in the penultimate Test. The deciding Test at Lords was ruined by a very flat batting track that saw both sides pass 500 in the first Innings. The final day was washed out by rain.

#5 2007 Tour

India celebrate the series victory

A three-match series was played and India won their first series in England since 1986. England were looking like likely victors in the first match but rain throughout the match meant that the tourists survived nine wickets down. MS Dhoni was left unbeaten on 76.

India won the second Test thanks to a fine spell of bowling from left-arm bowler Zaheer Khan, who took nine wickets in the match. They dismissed England for just 198 in the first innings at Trent Bridge and replied with 481 in their own innings.

Michael Vaughan showed resilience in England's second innings scoring 124, but India only needed to score 73 to win. The third Test was drawn but did include a maiden hundred from Anil Kumble, 17 years after he made his Test debut.

The home side did win the following seven-match ODI, 4-3, that followed. Dimitri Mascarenhas's five sixes in an over from Yuvraj Singh was the highlight at the Oval.