West Indies v India, 2016: Top 5 India - West Indies Encounters in Whites

Indian players celebrating the fall of Brian Lara's wicket during the 2002 Test series

#5 – 2002, West Indies

West Indies won 2-1

It was one more series where India had frittered away a genuine opportunity to collect points abroad. After a prosaic draw in the first Test, the series picked up speed at Port of Spain, where India won by a narrow 37-run margin. VVS Laxman scored two fighting half-centuries and Sachin scored a century.

India went from 205 for four to 218 all out in the second innings of this exciting Test, a collapse that was all too familiar for Indian fans during the team’s away tours. Despite that breakdown, India managed to set West Indies a target of 313.

The hosts seemed to be on target at 237 for four with Chris Gayle and Shivnarine Chanderpaul on the crease. However, they encountered a similar collapse as India wrapped them up at 275 to take a lead in the series.

However, India couldn’t hold on to the win for too long, losing the third Test by a whopping 10 wickets, no thanks to an abysmal first innings collapse for 102, of which Sourav Ganguly scored 48. Two centuries from Carl Hooper and Chanderpaul ensured India had a mountain to climb and they just managed to erase the deficit.

Sourav once again top-scoring and ending up unbeaten on one end in the third innings. India barely escaped an innings defeat. India drew the fourth Test but Mervyn Dillon’s scintillating form ensured they lost the fifth by 155 runs, conceding the series, one of the most hard-fought ones between the two teams.

Interestingly, this was the last time, West Indies would win a Test against India as India managed to return the favour a few months later when West Indies toured India. India have managed to keep a clean sheet since then, going five Test series without losing a match.