10 most memorable Test wins by Indian cricket team in last 20 years

India over the last 2 decades have won several memorable Test matches, both home and away. Several heroes have emerged and helped India script many memorable wins in the last 20 years.Here’s a list of India’s most memorable Test wins in the last two decades:

#10 India vs England: Nottingham, 2007

India had managed to draw the first Test at Lord’s thanks to the rain and were lucky to head into the second Test at Trent Bridge, still 0-0.

Opting to bowl first, after a delayed start, the Indian bowlers were on the money straightaway with Zaheer Khan leading the way. He and Anil Kumble never let any of the English batsmen to settle down and bundled them out for 198 in their first innings.

India, thanks to contributions from Jaffer, Karthik, Tendulkar, Ganguly and Laxman, registered a score of 483 all out on the board, thereby gaining a lead of 283 runs.

Spurred by the jelly-bean incident, India came out firing in the second innings with Zaheer Khan putting up yet another brilliant performance, and despite captain Vaughan’s century, India had to chase only 73 runs. Zaheer picked up a total of 9 wickets in the match.

Despite a stutter, India managed to cross the line with 7 wickets remaining and went on to win the test match and the series 1-0.

#9 India vs England: Lord\'s, 2014

On one of the greenest pitches one had seen, England put India in to bat. The Indian top order, barring Ajinkya Rahane, failed to put up any score of substance and at 145 for 7, the visitors were in real trouble of getting bowled out on the 1st day.

However, Ajinkya Rahane scored a brilliant hundred on a green top and he, along with Bhuvneshvar Kumar, put on a critical 90-run stand to help India reach 295 all out in their first innings.

England, thanks to a hundred from Gary Ballance scored 319 all out in their first innings with Bhuvneshvar Kumar taking 6 wickets.

Thanks to an excellent 95 from Murali Vijay and a superb counter-attacking effort from Ravindra Jadeja, India posted a 342 all out, taking a lead of 318 runs.

England were 173 for 5 at Lunch and after the break, Ishant Sharma bowled one of the best spells by an Indian bowler overseas to pick up 7 English wickets and help India register a famous win, their first one overseas since June 2011.

#8 India vs South Africa: Kolkata, 2010

After losing the first Test at Nagpur, India came to Kolkata needing a win to remain the top-ranked team in the world in Tests.

Electing to bat first, South Africa were cruising along when Harbhajan Singh started the turnaround for India, picking up crucial wickets as the Proteas went from being 229 for 3 to 296 all-out.

India, courtesy hundreds from Sehwag, Tendulkar Laxman and Dhoni, amassed a massive 643 for 6 declared in their first innings to take a 347 run lead.

Hashim Amla continued his superb form in the series, scoring yet another ton, but that couldn't prevent his side from losing by an innings and 57 runs and India managed to save their No. 1 ranking.

#7 India vs South Africa: Durban, 2010

After being beaten comprehensively at Centurion, the Indians came to Durban, desperately seeking a win. They were put into bat by Graeme Smith.

None of the Indian batsmen could get going and they eventually folded up for only 205 runs.

India needed a spirited bowling effort to entertain any thoughts of winning the match and Zaheer Khan S Sreesanth, Ishant Sharma and Harbhajan Singh bowled splendidly to get India back into the game.

In the second innings, India did not get off to the best of starts but like many other instances, Very Very Special Laxman came to the rescue and put on a critical 70-run stand with Zaheer Khan to help India take a 302 run lead. Laxman fell 4 short of a deserving ton.

Indian bowlers once again bowled excellently in the second innings and inflicted an 87-run loss on the hosts to level the series.

#6 India vs South Africa: Johannesburg, 2006

After a thumping in the ODI series, India came into the Test series low on confidence, despite winning the side game before the Tests. Electing to bat on a green top, India put up a below par yet competitive 249 all out thanks largely to Sourav Ganguly’s 51.

However, the South Africans would have never expected the carnage that followed as S Sreesanth ripped through their batting line-up to register career-best figures of 5 for 40 in an outstanding spell of swing bowling to bundle the hosts for 84.

In their second innings, the Indians led by another great effort from VVS Laxman, got to 236 all out, setting a target of 412 for the Proteas to chase in their 4th innings.

The Indians bowled exceedingly well again in the second innings with Sreesanth, Zaheer and Kumble picking up crucial wickets and South Africans were bundled out fo 278, giving India its first win in South Africa.

#5 India vs Pakistan: Multan, 2004

India was playing its first Test match in Pakistan after 15 years.Opting to bat first at Multan, they put up a massive 675 for 5 on the board thanks to an epic triple hundred from Virender Sehwag and a 194 not-out from Sachin Tendulkar.

Pakistan could muster up only 407 and were asked to bat again by India’s stand-in captain Rahul Dravid.

In their second essay, they could put up only 216 runs despite Yousuf Youhana’s 112, not out as India registered a historic innings and 52 runs triumph over their arch-rivals. It was their first ever win in Pakistan.

#4 India vs Australia: Mohali, 2010

Another Test match versus Australia. Another Laxman special.

Batting first, the Aussies scored a healthy 428 all out with Shane Watson top scoring with 126. India, led by contributions from Rahul Dravid and Suresh Raina, ended up with 405 in their first innings.

The Indian bowlers then bowled exceedingly well to dismiss the Aussies for 192, leaving the hosts to chase a target of 216 to go 1-0 up in the 2-match series.

However, India’s second innings was off to a disastrous start, losing 5 wickets for 76 runs. VVS Laxman came out to bat at no. 7, despite having a sore back and lost 2 more batsmen at the other end. With the scoreboard now reading 124 for 8, Ishant Sharma joined Laxman in the middle. The two played cautiously, scoring the odd boundary and picking up the ones and twos on other occasions. As the partnership began to build, the chances of an incredible Indian win started to look more and more likely.

However, when Ishant fell, India still required 11 runs and only Pragyan Ojha left to bat. The two Hyderabadi batsmen batted assuredly despite some hesitations and when Ojha tucked one on his pads for 2 leg-byes, an extraordinary win was achieved.

#3 India vs Australia: Perth, 2008

Coming into Perth after the monkey-gate controversy in Sydney, India had thing or two to prove to everyone.

Opting to bat first, Virender Sehwag set the tone, giving his side a blazing start. Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar shared a 139-run stand for the third wicket before Tendulkar was out for 71. All other Indian batsmen failed to put any score of substance and India eventually folded up for 330 runs.

The Indian bowlers put up an exceptional new ball burst with Irfan Pathan, RP Singh and especially Ishant Sharma, breaking the backbone of the Australian batting line-up.

Andrew Symonds and Adam Gilchrist then led the fightback for the Aussies with a 102-run stand before the former became Anil Kumble’s 600th Test victim.

The Australians were bowled out for 212, handing India a lead of 118 runs.

In the second innings, India got off to a steady start with Irfan Pathan leading the way with a crucial 46, batting at 3. However, it was 2 partnerships, first between VVS Laxman and MS Dhoni and second between Laxman and RP Singh that helped India set a target of 413 for the Australians in the fourth innings. Laxman once again proving to be the thorn in Australia’s flesh, scoring a critical 79.

The fourth innings of this Test match will never be forgotten for the spell bowled by Ishant Sharma to Ricky Ponting. The Delhi pacer had the Australian captain hopping and jumping during his entire stay in the middle and eventually got him caught at first slip by Dravid. The Indians kept picking up crucial wickets at regular intervals to stay on top in the game.

However, some lusty hitting from Mitchell Johnson and Stuart Clark did raise hopes of an Australian win but it proved to be an uphill task for both of them and when RP Singh got the last wicket of Shaun Tait, it sparked wild celebrations in the Indian camp.

They had become the first team from Asia to win in Perth and once again bring to an end Australia’s 16-match winning streak.

#2 India vs Australia: Adelaide, 2003

Australia amassed a massive score of 556 in their first innings, thanks to Ricky Ponting’s majestic 242.

India were in trouble at 85 for 4 when VVS Laxman joined Rahul Dravid at the crease. The duo batted beautifully on a belter of a pitch at Adelaide, to bring back memories of Kolkata 2001, for everyone who were present there and watching it back home on TV. The duo put on 303 for the 5th wicket before Laxman was out on 148, but Dravid carried on, playing wonderful cricketing shots throughout his innings. He was the last man to fall for a magnificent 233 as India handed a 33-run lead to the Australians.

In the 2nd innings Ajit Agarkar bowled the spell of his life to pick up 6 Australian wickets. He was well-supported by Sachin Tendulkar, who picked up 2 crucial wickets of Steve Waugh and Damien Martyn as the Aussies were bundled out for just 196, with a lead of 229.

Coming out to bat in the fourth innings, India needed someone to play a composed innings and remain till the end to secure the win. Rahul Dravid picked up from exactly where he had left in the first innings, playing the much-needed innings that his side wanted, to register a memorable win. He shared critical stands with Tendulkar and Laxman and finished off the match with a four off Stuart MacGill to script an epic win for India.

India had drawn the first Test at the Gabba after Sourav Ganguly’s heroics. Dravid’s double ton and Agarkar’s strikes had won India the second Test. Though they lost the third Test at Melbourne, the last Test at SCG was drawn and India shared the series in Australia, a great achievement against the best team in the world.

#1 India vs Australia: Eden Gardens, 2001

This has to be no.1 victory for India in Tests in the last 20 years alone.

Having been thrashed in the first Test at Mumbai, India arrived in Kolkata low on confidence, hoping to remain alive in the series by securing a win. The Australians on the other hand, were looking for a record 16th consecutive Test win.

That win looked very near when the Australian bowlers wrapped up India’s 1st innings on the morning of the 3rd day, thereby gaining a lead of 274 runs.

But that's when one of cricket’s greatest comebacks began. VVS Laxman, who had hit a 50 in the 1st innings, was promoted up to number 3 in the batting order in the second innings and in the company of Rahul Dravid, added 376 runs for the 5th wicket to bring India back into the game. The duo batted throughout the entire fourth day, showing great determination and admirable composure in the middle.

Laxman finished on 281 while Dravid scored 180.

Set to chase 384 in the second innings, Australia were comfortably placed at 106 for 1 when Justin Langer’s wicket triggered a collapse. Harbhajan Singh, who had picked up India’s first ever Test hat-trick in the first innings, ripped through the Australian middle-order and got support from Sachin Tendulkar as the duo wreaked havoc. When last man Glenn McGrath was given lbw off the bowling of Harbhajan, the 100,000 present at Eden Gardens erupted in joy as did the 11 men on the field.

It was only the third instance where a team had won a Test match after been asked to follow-on and it also ended Austalia’s 16-match winning streak.