5 worst collapses by Indian Test team on foreign soil

The Indian cricket team is one of the most followed teams in the world. However, they haven’t been too successful away from home. They often tend to get themselves in good positions, but manage to squander the advantage and they would go onto to lose the Test match.

And many of them are because of the batting collapses. We often see the bowlers restrict the opposition, but the batsmen don’t often back up the bowlers’ performance.

Thus, here we take a look at some of the worst collapses by the Indian team in Test matches overseas.

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#5 Durban, South Africa – 1996

66 all-out in the second innings

After a historic tour to South Africa in 1992, India toured the African nation again in 1996/97. It was a much anticipated as it was Sachin Tendulkar’s first series as Test captain away from home.

India started off the first Test on a positive note. After opting to bowl first on a greenish surface, India bowled South Africa out for 235 on the first day. Venkatesh Prasad bowled brilliantly and took 5/60. However, the Indian batsmen couldn’t cope with the pace and bounce as a quality bowling attack skittled the visitors out for a mere 100.

The Indian bowlers once again bowled well to dismiss the hosts for 259. But a target of 395 was always going to trouble the Indian batsmen. However, they needed to put up a fight.

But the South African pacers ran riot as they bowled the visitors out for just 66. The Indian batsmen like the first innings folded like a pack of cards as none of the batsmen barring Rahul Dravid (who was unbeaten on 27) enter double digits. Allan Donald, Shaun Pollock and Lance Klusener ripped through the batting order and required just 34.1 overs to dismiss India and give the hosts a 1-0 lead in the 3-match series.

#4 Bridgetown, West Indies – 1997

India collapse and get bowled out for 81 chasing 120 in the second innings.

After a disappointing South African tour, India started the Caribbean tour pretty well. They got more than 300 runs in the first innings of the first two Tests which were drawn.

The third Test was at Bridgetown and India opted to field first on a grassy pitch. Venkatesh Prasad continued to impress as he took another fifer (5/82) to help India dismiss the Windies for 298. India, in response, were good with the bat. On the back of a brilliant 92 from skipper Sachin Tendulkar and a classy 78 from Rahul Dravid, the visitors got to 319.

The bowling once again was superb as they bowled the hosts out for 140 and India were set a tricky target of 120. But once again, the batting disappointed as they folded up for a mere 81 to hand the Windies a memorable win and a series lead of 1-0. Like the Durban Test, only one batsman got into double figures (VVS Laxman). Curtly Ambrose, Ian Bishop and Frankly Rose shared all 10 wickets as India were dismissed in just 35.5 overs.

This Test match proved to be the decisive one as the fourth Test was drawn and the hosts won the series 1-0.

#3 Hamilton, New Zealand – 2002

22 wickets fell on a single day in that Test match.

India bowled out for 99 in the first innings and 154 in the second innings

In 2002, before India toured New Zealand, they had won 6 Test matches out of 14 they played that year. And after a poor performance in the practice game, India lost the first Test by 10 wickets.

On a bowler-friendly surface at Hamilton, New Zealand opted to bowl first. The first day was completely washed out by rain. India’s batsmen who failed to reach the 200-mark in the first Test (in both innings), had their task cut out under overcast conditions and a green pitch.

However, they failed for the third consecutive time in the series as Daryl Tuffey, Shane Bond and Jacob Oram bowled great lines and lengths to skittle out India for just 99. India were 40/5 and it looked like they were not going to last too long. But VVS Laxman’s 23 and Harbhajan Singh’s 20 took India to 99.

However, even after being dismissed for 99, the bowlers bought India back into the game by bowling the Kiwis out for 94. But the Indian batsmen once again flopped as they were bowled out for 154. New Zealand then chased down the target of 160 to win the series 2-0.

#2 Perth, Australia - 2012

The pace attack bowled brilliantly throughout the series.

India just score 161 and 171 in the two innings.

India’s tour of Australia in 2011/12 was off to disastrous start. After a 4-0 drubbing in England in 2011, India were already 2-0 down (after two Tests) in the series. The third Test was at the WACA (Perth).

After being put into bat by Australia, India found themselves in early trouble at 63/4 early on the first day. But a 68-run partnership between VVS Laxman and Virat Kohli steadied the innings. However, once Kohli was dismissed for 44, the procession started and the visitors were bowled out for 161. The four-pronged pace attack (Ryan Harris, Ben Hilfenhaus, Peter Siddle and Mitchell Starc) shared the spoils.

In Australia’s first innings, David Warner’s 180 took them to 389. Trailing by 228, India’s batsmen just continued to fail as they were bowled out for 171 in the second innings to hand Australia a thumping innings victory and 3-0 series lead. Only Virat Kohli stood up in the game as he scored 44 and 75 in the two innings as India couldn’t reach even 200 when Warner alone blazed away to 180.

#1 The Oval (London), England – 2014

Even after being 1-0 down, England won the series 3-1.

India scored only 148 in the first innings and fall like nine pins in the second innings (94).

India’s tour to England in 2014 was a memorable one mainly due to the Lord’s Test match which they won. However, after that Lord’s game (2nd Test), everything went downhill for India.

In the third Test, they failed to play out the last day and were bowled out for 178. In the fourth Test after a poor first innings (152), they failed to bat out two sessions on the 3rd day which would’ve helped them draw the Test as thunderstorms made their presence felt on the 4th and 5th days of that Test.

And then things just went from bad to worse in the fifth Test. After being put into bat by England, India who hadn’t crossed the 200-run mark in the last 3 innings, collapsed once again as they could only manage 148 in the first innings. Skipper MS Dhoni’s 82 was the saving grace as he took India from 44/6 to 148. All four England pacers took wickets as they bowled with great control and put the visitors under immense pressure.

Joe Root’s unbeaten 149 helped England post 486 and take a huge lead of 338 runs. India needed to show some fight in the last innings of the series. But none of that was evident as they fell like nine pins as folded for 94 in just 29.2 overs as England completely annihilated India and won the series 3-1.