With the Test series score-line reading 2-0, Alastair Cook and his team will have to fight it out against all odds to pull one back in Mumbai which is scheduled to start from December 8. The historic Wankhede stadium though has been a happy hunting ground for the visitors and therefore India should be extra cautious going into the game.
In the last few years, the English have staged massive victories here to upset the Indians. In this article, we will look at some of such instances.
#1 Golden Jubilee Test in 1980- England won by 10 wickets
The golden Jubilee Test was staged to celebrate 100 years of the Indian cricket board. And what a Test match it was for English all-rounder Ian Botham. It was a one-man show as Botham picked up 13 wickets in the game and scored a brilliant century. In the first innings, his six wickets helped restrict India to only 242 and then with the willow he hammered a 144-ball 114 studded with 17 boundaries. The knock was of prime importance for his side as they were struggling at 58/5 at one stage.
In the second innings too he accounted for seven of the 10 Indian batsmen which helped bowl out the hosts for paltry 149. A target of only 96 runs was set which England surpassed without losing a wicket.
#2 World Cup semi-final, 1987- England won by 35 runs
India qualified for the last four on the back of a scintillating ton from Sunil Gavaskar and a Chetan Sharma hat-trick against New Zealand but when they reached Bombay, fortunes changed. After Kapil Dev put England into bat on a seaming wicket, Graham Gooch, and Mike Gatting pulled and swept themselves to notch 117 runs in just 19 overs.
Gooch ended with 115 runs which helped England get to 254 runs. The score proved too much for the famed batting lineup, which was missing Dilip Vengsarkar who was down with a stomach bug.
Eddy Hemmings finished with figures of 4/21 to help skittle out India for just 219. The only resistance provided was by a young Mohammad Azharuddin who scored a pacy 64. Ravi Shastri was the last man to get out and with him ended India’s hopes of making it to two consecutive finals.
#3 Sixth ODI, 2002 - England won by 5 runs
England lost the Test series and then flew back home to enjoy the Christmas break and then returned again for six One-Dayers.
After winning the second game to restore parity in the series, they were thoroughly outplayed in Chennai and Kanpur. England then won the next game at Delhi by just two runs riding on the heroics of Ashley Giles who picked up 5/9 and then in the final contest at the Wankhede they pulled off a 5-run thriller.
Batting first, England had set a target of 256 and India were well on course to getting to it. Sourav Ganguly with an 80 of 99 balls almost took the game away from the visitors but then Giles knocked him over. Ganguly’s dismissal triggered a collapse as they went from 191/4 to all out for 250. All-rounder Andrew Flintoff was brilliant on the night as he bagged 3/38. When he grabbed his last victim he went berserk and took off his shirt and waved to celebrate. The same was replicated by Ganguly in 2002 at Lords when India won the Natwest trophy.
Also Read: Indian batsmen undergo unique drill to deal with spin ahead of Mumbai Test
#4 Third test, 2006 – England won by 212 runs
England had drawn the first Test and then were crushed badly in the second game at Mohali. To draw the series they needed to win in Mumbai which many thought was a far-fetched dream on a turning track.
Sent into bat, England managed 400 and then bowled India out for 279. England were bowled out for 191 in their second innings as they set a target of 313 for the hosts. The Andrew Flintoff led side just could not let this opportunity of grabbing a win pass by.
Spinner Shaun Udal and Flintoff himself ran through the Indian batting order bowling them out for 100. Sachin Tendulkar top-scored in the innings with 34.
#5 Second Test, 2012 – England won by 10 wickets
By 2012, Alastair Cook was one of the main pillars of the England batting unit and so was Kevin Pietersen. Down 1-0 in the series the responsibilities were on these two to deliver and deliver they did.
In reply to India’s 327, England put on 413 in the first innings courtesy of a fine 122 from Cook and a blazing 186 from Pietersen.
The hosts in their second innings were caught in a web of spin as Monty Panesar and Graeme Swann weaved magic. The pair shared all 10 wickets with India managing just 142 with only Gautam Gambhir’s 65 providing a bit of resistance. England needed just 58 to win and they knocked the runs off without any loss to register a sensational win on a turning track.
In 2012, England also won the T20 which was played at the Wankhede by six wickets.
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