5 Times India came back from the dead in a Test match

England v India: Specsavers 2nd Test - Day Two
England v India: Specsavers 2nd Test - Day Two

Being an Indian cricket fan is not easy. It is not for the faint-hearted. They have made us proud with their performances on numerous occasions but at the same time have disappointed us equally with horrible performances. When a team gets bowled out for a low total in the first innings of a Test match, it becomes pretty hard for them to make a comeback.

It’s true that a lot depends on the conditions but the advantage is always with the opposition once they have sent the batting team back to the pavilion with a paltry first innings score.

However, there have been numerous occasions when teams have come back from the dead and saved themselves from the blushes. The Indian team itself has provided us with such thrills on numerous occasions over the years. Sometimes they succeeded in saving the match and sometimes they went one step further, thus registering memorable victories.

The ongoing second Test of the series between India and England at Lord’s has presented a similar scenario as well. India have been bowled out for 107 runs. The top scorer of the innings was Ravichandran Ashwin with 29 runs to his name.

It was the English fast bowling great James Anderson who led the destruction with a five-wicket haul. He was ably supported by Chris Woakes who picked up three wickets as well.

It remains to be seen whether India can make a comeback in this match. If the visitors can do so, it will turn out to be another memorable encounter and will enrich the history of Indian cricket further. The bowlers have shown in the previous match at Edgbaston that they are capable of taking all 20 English wickets and that too for paltry totals.

To keep our hopes high and alive, let us now have a look at five of those occasions in Indian cricket history when the team literally came back from the dead.

1) India vs Australia at Kolkata in March 2001

VVS Laxman
VVS Laxman

This is the famous Kolkata Test of 2001 which is written in golden letters in the history of Indian Cricket. India were bowled out for a paltry 171 runs in reply to Australia’s mammoth first innings total of 445 runs. Australia didn’t hesitate to enforce the follow-on either. But they hardly saw what was coming ahead.

What came afterwards was a storm and Australia got themselves caught in the midst of an Indian batting whirlwind. VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid shared a massive fifth-wicket stand of 376 runs and blew Australia completely out of the equation.

While Laxman went on to pile 281 runs, Dravid proved himself no less as he made his way to a splendid knock of 180 runs as well. The two batting maestros played with pomp, power and grandeur, thus landing a direct blow on the tough mentality of the Australian players who stressed on playing hard with an attacking mindset. India declared on a score of 657/7 and hence left Australia to chase down 384 runs for a victory.

After a batting masterclass, it was time for the bowlers to respond to the situation. And it was Harbhajan Singh who ran through the Australian batting line-up claiming 6 wickets for 73 runs after toiling hard for 30.3 overs. Sachin Tendulkar dealt some important blows too as he registered bowling figures of 11-3-31-3. Australia were finally bowled out for 212 runs as India completed a famous 171-run victory.

2) India vs England at Lord’s in August 1979

England v India: Specsavers 2nd Test - Day Three
England v India: Specsavers 2nd Test - Day Three

It was the second Test of the series and English bowlers completely ran through the Indian batting line-up bowling them out for a mere 96 runs. Sunil Gavaskar was the only batsman who showed some resilience with a score of 42 runs which came after a hard toil of 114 deliveries. They were unfortunate to face Ian Botham at his absolute best as he registered fabulous bowling figures of 19-9-35-5.

England in reply put on a daunting total of 419/9 and declared. Signs looked ominous for India and a defeat looked likely on the cards. However, the Indian batting maestros Dilip Vengsarkar and Gundappa Viswanath went on a blockathon and registered individual centuries that saw India through till the last day.

While Vengsarkar faced 295 deliveries for his 103, Viswanath consumed 337 for his 113 runs. Gavaskar once again made a valuable contribution of 59 runs. They were on 318/4 at the end of the match as India went on to draw the match.

3) India vs Australia at Mumbai in November 2004

Australia v India - 4th Test: Day 5
Australia v India - 4th Test: Day 5

It was the fourth Test match of the series between India and Australia at Mumbai. India batted poorly and were bowled out for a paltry total of 104 runs within 42 overs itself. Rahul Dravid was the only Indian batsman who showed some resolve in that innings. He battled out for 104 deliveries at the crease yielding 31 runs and remained unbeaten. Jason Gillespie was the pick of the Australian bowlers with bowling figures of 12-2-29-4. Australia in reply managed a 99-run lead on a turning track and posted 203 runs on the board riding mainly on Damien Martyn’s knock of 55 runs.

India were determined to put up a spirited batting effort in their second innings. It looked like a smooth sail as long as VVS Laxman and Sachin Tendulkar were batting at the crease. Both of them registered fifties but once they departed, the batting lineup collapsed again and India were all out for 205 runs.

Australia only needed to chase 107 runs to win this match. But the Indian bowlers, especially the spinners, did the unexpected and bowled Australia out for 93 runs to complete a famous 13-run victory over the visitors. After Anil Kumble and Murali Kartik’s fifer and four-wicket haul respectively in Australia’s first innings, it was Harbhajan Singh this time who stepped up with another five-wicket haul. Kartik picked up three wickets again in this match and hence was adjudged the ‘Man of the Match’ as well for match figures of 7/76.

4) India vs West Indies at Port of Spain in March 1983

Larry Gomes of the West Indies
Larry Gomes of the West Indies

India were facing the West Indies in the second Test of the series and were bowled out for 175 runs in the first innings as a result of Malcolm Marshall’s fifer after the hosts won the toss and elected to bowl first. To increase the visitor’s woes, the hosts went on to pile on 394 runs riding on twin centuries from Larry Gomes and Clive Llyod.

But India put on a spirited batting effort in the second innings. Mohinder Amarnath played a defiant innings of 117 runs off 345 deliveries and Kapil Dev registered a fiery 95-ball hundred to lead India to a score of 469/7 on the last day. Dilip Vensarkar and Yashpal Sharma also made valuable contributions of 45 and 50 respectively.

The match was drawn and Amarnath was adjudged the ‘Man of the Match’ for registering fifties against a strong West Indian bowling line-up in both innings.

5) India vs South Africa at Johannesburg in January 2018

South Africa v India - 3rd Test Day 3
South Africa v India - 3rd Test Day 3

A total of 187 runs was all India could manage in the first innings of the third Test of their tour of the rainbow nation this year. Despite Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli’s defiant fifties and Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s valuable contribution of 30 down the order, the rest of the batting line-up had no answers for the questions raised by the South African pacers.

But the Indian pacers put on a spirited performance and allowed South Africa to stretch their lead as far as to only 7 runs as they bowled the hosts out for 194 runs. Jasprit Bumrah was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 18.5-2-54-5.

With fighting batting performances from Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammad Shami India managed to put on a challenging total of 247 runs in their second innings, hence leaving the hosts to chase down a daunting 241 runs on that pitch, which was a paradise for the pacers and a nightmare for the batsmen.

It was Mohammed Shami this time who registered a five-wicket haul and hence bowled the hosts for 177 runs with help from the other bowlers. But it was Kumar who was adjudged the ‘Man of the Match’ for his contributions of 30-odd runs in each innings and bowling figures of 4/83.

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Edited by Vignesh Ananthasubramanian