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With the euphoria of their scintillating triumph in Australia yet to settle down, Team India are already gearing up for their next challenge: a four-Test home series against England.
Although the hosts are the favourites, owing to their squad depth and familiarity with home conditions, England would be quietly confident following their impressive showing in Sri Lanka.
England skipper Joe Root led from the front with two brilliant knocks as his men inflicted a 2-0 thrashing on Lanka. However, Team India would pose an entirely different challenge. Virat Kohli’s men have been unbeaten at home in eight years, with England, incidentally, being the last team to beat the hosts at home.
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However, England have a significant head-to-head advantage against India, winning 47 of their 122 Tests while 49 games ended in draws.
At home though, Team India have a more formidable record, thanks to their batting might and bowling prowess. They have 19 times in 60 Tests, with 28 matches ending in draws.
Five most memorable Test innings by a Team India player against England
As India and England prepare to lock horns, let us turn back the clock and look at five of the best Test knocks by Indian batsmen against England.
#5 Gundappa Viswanath (222) in Madras in 1982
If you can score a double hundred against an attack comprising Bob Willis, Ian Botham, Graham Dilley and Derek Underwood, you’ve got to be a special batsman.
Gundappa Viswanath did not need to prove it, as he had got runs against the best of attacks during his glorious career. However, his knock in Madras (now called Chennai) in the 1982 Test was another marker of how gifted a player he was.
Batting first, India lost Sunil Gavaskar and Pranab Roy early. But Viswanath and Vengsarkar featured in a century partnership for the third wicket before the latter retired hurt for 71.
Viswanath then took it upon himself to play the big knock for Team India. He batted for 643 minutes and faced 374 balls to put together an exhibition of majestic batting, smashing 31 fours.
The genius batsman found excellent support from Yashpal Sharma, who contributed 140. The duo featured in a massive 316-run stand for the fourth wicket before Viswanath’s vigil came to an end when he was bowled by Willis for 222.
Team India declared their innings on 481 for 4. England replied with 328, courtesy Graham Gooch’s 127, and the match ended in a stalemate.
#4 Rahul Dravid (217) at The Oval in 2002
In an umpteenth fine exhibition of patience and perseverance, Rahul Dravid scored a magnificent double hundred at The Oval with the series level at 1-1.
Team India were under immense pressure after England, powered by Michael Vaughan's 195, posted a mammoth 515.
A poor batting performance could have cost India the series.
Team India lost Virender Sehwag early. However, Dravid refused to budge. He defended the good balls with a straight bat and attacked the poor ones in a knock that lasted 629 minutes.
Dravid hit 28 fours as well to exasperate the England bowling attack consisting of Matthew Hoggard, Andy Caddick, Ashey Giles and Dominic Cork.
The India No. 3, who was well aided by Sachin Tendulkar (54), skipper Sourav Ganguly (51) and VVS Laxman (40), was eventually run out for 217, the only way he looked like getting out.
Team India posted 508 in their first innings. The Test was drawn, and the hard-fought series was shared.
#3 Virat Kohli (235) in Mumbai in 2016
Virat Kohli played a typical captain’s knock in the December 2016 Test at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. England had put up an impressive 400 batting first, riding on the back of a Keaton Jennings hundred.
Kohli, however, led Team India’s response in the most emphatic fashion. His knock of 235 was an innings of intent, as the hosts looked to win the Test despite conceding 400. The captain led the way with his affirmative strokeplay in his 340-ball stay.
The Team India skipper hammered 25 fours and a six in an excellent display as James Anderson, Chris Woakes, Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid were taken to the cleaners.
Before Kohli was ninth man out, India had 600 on the board, with Murali Vijay and Jayant Yadav also hitting hundreds.
Ravichandran Ashwin’s second-innings six-for bowled India to an innings-and-36-run win.
#2 Sunil Gavaskar (221) at The Oval in 1979
A batsman scoring a double hundred in the fourth innings of a Test match is nothing short of incredible. Only five men have done so in the history of Test cricket.
Sunil Gavaskar (221) nearly pulled off a miraculous win for Team India at The Oval in September 1979 with one such innings.
Chasing an improbable 438 to win the Test. Gavaskar and Chetan Chauhan (80) featured in a massive 213-run stand for the opening wicket. After Chauhan’s dismissal, Gavaskar and fellow Mumbaikar Dilip Vengsarkar (52) lifted India to 366 before the latter got out.
Gavaskar, on the other hand, occupied the crease for 490 minutes and compiled a glorious 221 in 443 balls. The innings featured 21 fours against an England attack comprising Bob Willis, Ian Botham and Phil Edmonds.
The Little Master gave England a real scare until he was dismissed by Botham. Gavaskar was the fourth man out with the score reading 389.
India’s lower-order collapsed and, eventually, the visitors finished on 429 for 8 in a thrilling draw, nine short of what would have been a record chase.
#1 Karun Nair (303 not out) in Chennai in 2016
Karun Nair may be nowhere in contention for a Test spot in Team India now. But back in December 2016, he created history by becoming the only Indian other than Virender Sehwag to register a triple hundred in Tests.
In a series dominated by Indian batsmen, Karun Nair walked away with the plaudits at the Chepauk. After conceding 477 runs in their first innings, with Moeen Ali scoring a hard-fought 146, Team India needed to respond strongly, and they did.
The hosts started well, with KL Rahul and Parthiv Patel adding 152 for the opening wicket before the latter was dismissed for 71. However, Cheteshwar Pujara and Kohli perished in quick succession, and at 211 for 3, things were not looking as good.
Nair, however, played the knock of his lifetime to lift Team India to their highest ever Test score of 759 for 7 declared. The newcomer featured in a partnership of 161 for the fourth wicket with Rahul, who was dismissed one short of his double hundred.
Nair then batted on and on to frustrate England into submission. He smashed 32 fours and four sixes and finished unbeaten on 303 off 381 balls, scoring at a brisk strike rate of 79.53. England were without James Anderson in this Test, and Nair took full advantage of the same.
Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja also chipped in with fifties as Team India posted a record total. Jadeja claimed 7 for 48 in England’s second innings to bowl Team India to victory by an innings and 75 runs.
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