When was the last time India lost a Test by an innings before Centurion 2023?

South Africa gave India a proper hiding as the visitors crumbled in the recently concluded first Test at the SuperSports Park in Centurion. The match, which lasted for only three days, saw the Proteas dominate the proceedings with the bat and ball.

After deciding to put India to bat first, the South African bowlers, particularly Kagiso Rabada, ran through the Indian lineup with a magnificent five-wicket haul. However, India were 121/6 when KL Rahul played his best Test knock and made 101 to rescue India.

His century allowed the Indian team to make 245 on the board, which looked like a decent total, given the nature of the surface.

For South Africa, Dean Elgar stood like a rock in India's way. The elegant left-hander, who was playing his penultimate Test match, weathered the early storm and completely dominated the Indian attack with ease.

Alongside half-centuries from David Bedingham (56) and Marco Jansen (84), Elgar stitched up crucial partnerships and made a heroic 185 off 287 balls.

Jasprit Bumrah's 4/69 couldn't help India restrict South Africa under 400 as the hosts took a huge 163-run first-innings lead.

In an attempt to make a game out of the situation, the Indian batters faulted. The Proteas bowlers exploited the conditions and made it extremely hard for the visitors. Barring Virat Kohli (76), none of the Indian batters applied in the second innings as the side was bundled out for just 131 and lost the match by a humbling margin of an innings and 32 runs.

India's loss against South Africa in Centurion was their 46th instance of losing a Test match by an innings.

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England beat India by an innings and 76 runs in 2021

India players during the Leeds Test vs England [Getty Images]

Before India's loss to South Africa, the Men in Blue's last innings loss came against England in 2021. It was the third Test of the five-match Pataudi Trophy in England.

Hosted by the Headingley Stadium in Leeds, India entered the match with a 1-0 lead in the series. The then-Indian captain, Virat Kohli, won the toss and chose to bat first.

The decision, however, backfired big time as the visitors were skittled out for a mere 78 runs in 40.4 overs.

In reply, England's top order batted remarkably well. Both openers, Haseeb Hameed (68) and Rory Burns (61) added 135 runs for the opening wicket before Dawid Malan also added 70 runs. The star of the show, however, was Joe Root. Being the English skipper, he led from the front and hammered 121 runs at a strike rate of 73.33.

His century took England's total to 432 as the hosts enjoyed a stupendous 354-run lead after the first innings. A win for India in that situation was highly unlikely, but Rohit Sharma's 59 and Cheteshwar Pujara's solid 91 kept them in the hunt.

At 215/2, it looked like India might take the game to a draw, but on Day 4, the English bowlers ruled the roost. It only took them 63 more runs to concede in order to take the remaining eight wickets. Ollie Robinson took a magnificent fifer, while Craig Overton took 3/57.

India were all-out at 278 and lost the game by an innings and 76 runs.