A look back at some of the finest individual efforts in the history of India-England Tests
Siddarth Ravindran21-Jul-2011Vinoo Mankad
8 for 55 and 4 for 53, Madras, 1952
India’s two-decade wait for a maiden Test win came to an end at Chepauk. Centuries from Pankaj Roy and Polly Umrigar were important, but the victory was crafted by Vinoo Mankad’s left-arm-spin. Introduced into the attack when England were 65 for 1 in the first innings on a flat pitch, Mankad ran through the line-up – bagging 8 for 55 in 38.5 nagging overs. noted in its report that “his performance has seldom been bettered in Test cricket.” He took four more wickets in the second innings, becoming the first Indian to take a ten-for in Tests. All this after India had been drubbed inside three days in the previous Test, and in the final match of a series where five changes were made to the XI in every game.Vinoo Mankad
72 and 184, 5 for 196, Lord’s, 1952
Months after his heroics in Madras, Mankad found himself out of the team and in the Lancashire League, missing India’s first Test in England, the infamous 0 for 4 match. Hectic negotiations ensured Mankad was drafted in for the second Test at Lord’s. It came to be known as Mankad’s match. On the first day, he top scored with a brisk 72 as India folded for 235. Then Mankad carried an inexperienced attack by bowling 73 overs, taking five wickets as England piled up the runs. Describing the spell, the cricket writer Sujit Mukherjee said, “Mankad seemed to have discovered the secret of perpetual motion.” Mankad’s best was yet to come though – a blistering 184 in the second innings when no one else made a half-century. It still wasn’t enough to prevent an eight-wicket defeat.Fred Trueman
8 for 31 and 1 for 9, Old Trafford, 1952
Fiery Fred’s journey to become the first bowler to 300 Test wickets began with a barnstorming performance in his debut series. He fired out 15 Indian batsmen in his first two Tests but the most destructive spell was in his third, when he ripped through a demoralised unit at Old Trafford. He needed only 8.4 overs of frightening pace to grab eight wickets. It remains the fewest overs needed for an eight-for. India keeled over for 58, equalling their lowest total. Trueman finished the series with 29 wickets at 13.22, and the world was introduced to an exciting new fast bowling talent.BS Chandrasekhar
2 for 76 and 6 for 38, The Oval, 1971
The wizardry of BS Chandrasekhar set up India’s first win in England, resulting in what is still regarded as their finest overseas series victory. England, the best side in the world, had gone 26 matches without defeat. After two draws, they had a 71-run lead in the first innings of the final Test. Instead of building on that advantage, however, they were bamboozled by Chandra for 101, their lowest score against India. Chandra was not the traditional legspinner, bowling quickly through the air and relying on the googly, his stock delivery. His accuracy was backed up by some top-class close catching and he ran through England in a spell rated by Wisden as the best Indian bowling performance of the century. The victory was sweeter for Chandra as it was his comeback series after more than three years out of the team.India savour their first Test win in England•Getty ImagesJohn Lever
53, 7 for 46 and 3 for 24, Delhi
Like Narendra Hirwani and Bob Massie, John Lever never replicated the brilliance of his debut Test. Not only did he begin with a ten-wicket haul, he also made his highest Test score, a bloody-minded 53 off 194 balls. He may recall the half-century more fondly than his ten-for, since he only reached fifty on two other occasions in 540 first-class attempts. Picked for the India tour as back up to the faster Bob Willis and Chris Old, a change of ball early in the Indian innings in Delhi made him the chief destroyer. Lever had the ball snaking around as India lost four wickets for eight runs in 16 deliveries. India were bowled out for 122, and in the second innings Lever took three late wickets to seal the win.Sunil Gavaskar
221, The Oval, 1979
Perhaps the greatest innings in a monumental career, Sunil Gavaskar’s masterclass nearly pulled off one of the most daring heists in Test history. Mike Brearley’s declaration, after England were dominant for more than three days, left India needing 438 in about 500 minutes. There was little indication that India were pursuing victory as Gavaskar and Chetan Chauhan started sedately, reaching 76 for 0 at stumps. The tempo was different on the final day, though, as Gavaskar opened out, especially during a 153-run stand for the second wicket with Bombay team-mate Dilip Vengsarkar. At 366 for 1 and 12 overs remaining, India were favourites, before a slew of wickets in a gripping final hour – including Gavaskar’s tired shot to mid-off – resulted in India ending at 429 for 8. Gavaskar, inexplicably sacked as leader before the tour, was renamed captain as India took the flight home.Ian Botham
114, 6 for 58 and 7 for 48, Bombay, 1980
The one-off Test to mark the golden jubilee of the BCCI was all about one man’s performance. Botham was at his unstoppable best. On a grassy track and in overcast conditions, he sliced through India to finish with 6 for 58. The next day was a rest day, because of a total eclipse, and when the match resumed, England were reduced to 58 for 5, unable to cope with a moving ball. Enter Botham. In two hours and 26 minutes he smacked 114, adding 171 for the sixth wicket with Bob Taylor. He was still not done though. He bowled unchanged from just before lunch until the end of the third day, taking six more wickets. He capped the day with one of his legendary drinking sessions, before returning next morning to take a wicket in the first over. It was the first time anyone had done the double of ten wickets and a hundred in a match, and it resulted in India’s only home defeat in 31 Tests.Graham Gooch
333 and 123, Lord’s 1990
India had their moments during the Test – a dazzling century from Mohammad Azharuddin and Kapil Dev’s famous four successive sixes to avert the follow-on. Graham Gooch’s record-breaking run making, however, overshadowed both efforts. It was the high point of Gooch’s annus mirabilis. He thrived against a limp Indian attack, capitalised on being dropped by Kiran More on 36, and batted nearly two whole days to finish on 333, the highest score at Lord’s. In the second innings, Gooch bludgeoned a 113-ball 123 to set up a declaration which gave the bowlers enough time to force a win. The triple-hundred and century combination remains unmatched in first-class cricket, and his tally of 456 remains the most runs scored by a batsman in a Test.Graham Gooch made 333 and 123 in the 1990 Lord’s Test•Getty ImagesRahul Dravid
148, Headingley, 2002
Two of India’s illustrious middle-order batsmen – Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly – made centuries but they were eclipsed by Rahul Dravid’s virtuoso performance. Ganguly had boldly chosen to bat on a traditionally bowler-friendly Headingley track. The ball was swinging and there was plenty of bounce for England’s four-man pace attack of Matthew Hoggard, Andy Caddick, Andrew Flintoff and Alex Tudor. With Sanjay Bangar for company, Dravid weathered everything hurled at him. There was plenty of playing-and-missing, his fingers took a battering, and he said he never felt ‘I am in control here’ at any point. His 148 set the base for the plunder from those to follow, and for India’s biggest overseas victory.Zaheer Khan
4 for 59 and 5 for 75, Trent Bridge, 2007
India arrived in England just months after the calamitous first-round exit from the World Cup and were settling down to life after the tumultuous Greg Chappell era. Zaheer Khan had been off colour for a few years, and had come back leaner and fitter to show he could deliver on his prodigious talent. At Trent Bridge, a combination of swing and control brought him four wickets in the first innings. Then came the incident the match is remembered for – a couple of jelly babies were tossed on the pitch by England’s close-in fielders when Zaheer was batting. An insulted Zaheer brandished his bat at Pietersen at gully, and returned fired up for the second innings. A couple of early wickets was followed by a lull before he swung the match India’s way with the second new ball. It led to India’s first series win in England in 21 years.Virender Sehwag
83, Chennai, 2008
After Andrew Strauss’s twin centuries had kept them on the back foot for much of the Test, India were left chasing 387 in a little under four sessions. An exhilarating assault from Sehwag provided the start India needed; without him the chase would have been inconceivable. Inside the first five overs he had crashed seven fours and a six (upper-cut over third man), to send Kevin Pietersen hurrying through bowling changes. Sehwag went on to make the second-fastest Test half-century by an Indian, and helped his side race to 117 off 23 overs before he was dismissed. A Tendulkar century and a supporting act from Yuvraj Singh were enough to seal an emotional victory in the first Test in India since the terror attacks on Mumbai in November.
