Top 5 knocks by Indian batsmen in overseas tests that weren’t enough to win the game

Cricket is an unpredictable game in which fortunes can change in a very short span of time and we have seen the same on numerous games played for more than a century now.

A single boundary or a wicket in a crucial moment can completely turn the game around in favour of a particular team.

India has been a part of many such games over the years. The Indian team has managed to come out victorious on many such occasions while things haven’t gone the way they would have liked to, resulting in defeat on the rest of the occasions.

Victory and defeat are part and parcel of any game but the unpredictability associated with the results in a game of cricket gives it more dimensions than any other game in the world.

The team which might seem favourites to win or the team which may appear to be better than the opposition for a greater part of the game may not end up on the winning side at the end of the game.

Individual brilliance in cricket may not prove enough to win the match for the team which makes the game of cricket that much more thrilling and entertaining.

The venue at which the game is being played and the conditions of the pitch and the outfield, as well as the cloud cover in the sky, have been known to affect the outcome of the game.

Playing at home gives a team an added advantage over the oppositions with the nature of the pitch and the availing conditions known to the players while playing away from home may prove to be that much of a disadvantage for the team. A good knock in testing conditions away from home always increases the stature of a batsman and batsmen who have performed well overseas have been the most successful of all time. Let us look back at the Top 5 knocks by Indian batsmen in overseas tests that weren’t enough to win the game:

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#5 Rahul Dravid 146* vs England in 2011

Rahul Dravid showed a master class against England

Rahul Dravid scored a defiant hundred against England in the first innings of the 4th test at the Oval in 2011 to keep India’s hopes of saving the test match alive.

With Gautam Gambhir suffering from the after-effects of a concussion, Rahul Dravid opened the innings for India and batted magnificently as he had done throughout the series, scoring an unbeaten 146 and becoming the second Indian batsman after Sunil Gavaskar to carry his bat through an innings in the process.

Wickets, however, continued to fall around him and the tourists were bundled out for 300 in response to England’s mamooth 591/6 in their first innings.

There was no getting back from there as England enforced the follow-on and the Indian team was once again bowled out for a mere 283 this time around, losing the match by an innings and eight runs. Dravid’s innings was, however, was a masterclass of application, accumulation and dedication and he certainly left a final reminder of his unparalleled commitment and dedication for the team in his final test in England.

#4 Sachin Tendulkar 154* vs Australia in 2008

Sachin Tendulkar scored a gritty century against the Mighty Aussies in Sydney Test

Sachin Tendulkar batted sublimely in the first innings of the second test against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground to give India a first innings lead over the hosts in a match that will be remembered for all the wrong reasons.

The little master remained unbeaten on 154 after having denied the mighty Australians for almost seven hours. Tendulkar’s gritty ton powered India to a score 532 in reply to Australia’s 463 in their first innings.

The hosts went on to score 401/7 in their second innings and India were set a target of 333 in the fourth innings. Abysmal umpiring decisions however cost India the game and the visitors were bowled out for 210, falling 122 runs short of the target set by Australia in the fourth innings.

#3 Virat Kohli 153 vs South Africa in 2018

Virat Kohli scored an incredible Century in Centurion

Virat Kohli led by example with a batting masterclass in the first innings of the 2nd test against South Africa at the Supersports Park in Centurion to steer India to a respectable total of 307 in response to South Africa’s 335, despite receiving minimal support from his teammates.

His knock of 153 which lasted for more than six hours was an innings full of concentration, judgement, and occasional breathtaking shots.

India was on the back foot despite the masterclass from the skipper as South Africa started their second innings with a 28 run lead and went on to score 258.

India was set a target of 287 to achieve in the fourth innings, which was always going to be difficult against South Africa’s lethal pace bowling attack.

Things went horribly wrong for India when they came out to bat for the second time and the visitors could only manage 151 in their 2nd innings courtesy of a dismal batting performance, slumping to an agonising 135-run defeat.

#2 Virat Kohli 149 vs England in 2018

Virat Kohli conquered England with a stellar Knock in Edgbaston

Kohli once again proved why he is a class apart with a scintillating display of batting in the first test against hosts England at Edgbaston, taking India to a position from which they could have won out of nowhere.

India finished with 274 in response to England’s 287 in their first innings, out of which 149 came from the bat of Virat Kohli. England started their 2nd innings with a meagre lead of 13 and battled their way to 180, setting India a target of 194 to achieve in the fourth innings.

The Indian batting, however, faltered once again and the visitors were once again bowled out for 162, finishing 31 runs behind a not so difficult target of 194. Kohli once again top scored with 51, receiving the least of supports from his partners.

Kohli was the lone ranger in India’s quest of winning the test match and his gritty knock of 149 will certainly go down as one of the best knocks by an Indian captain ever.

#1 Virat Kohli 141 vs Australia in 2014

Virat Kohli Virtually won it for India in the Adelaide Test (Image Credits-BCCI)

Kohli’s counter-attacking innings against Australia in the 1st test at the Adelaide Oval is regarded as one of the finest knocks by an Indian batsman in the fourth innings of a test match.

India virtually snatched defeat from the jaws of victory as they fell short by 48 runs chasing a competitive target of 364 which was always going to be difficult on a rank turner.

Kohli, who had already scored a brilliant 115 in the first innings of the test match, followed it up a counter-attacking knock of 141 in the second innings. Kohli took the attack to the Aussies and played a handful of breathtaking shots before being dismissed trying to push too hard for the victory.

The game had drifted quite far from India by the time he was dismissed courtesy of an unbelievable batting order collapse in the final session of the test match which saw the hosts winning by a 48-run margin.

Kohli became only the second player in the history of the game to score a century on both innings of a test match, on captaincy debut but his personal brilliance was completely overshadowed by a shockingly poor display of batting from the rest of the batting unit, which paved the way for the Aussies to make inroads into the game after being completely down and out for a major part of it.