Five Best Test Innings by Indian Batsmen in England

It all started 86 years ago when the first Indian test team embarked on a tour of England. Led by CK Nayudu, India played their first test at Lord’s. While the team eventually crashed to a rather comprehensive defeat, the fight epitomized by the underdog Indians was admirable. Since then, England has usually been a difficult place for Indian players to tour considering the conditions.

This is evident by the fact that India has only won two test series in the British Isles in 1986 and 2007 respectively.

While that record is indeed better than India’s record in Australia and South Africa, it still requires significant improvement. Now another Indian team led by Virat Kohli embarks on another test tour and indeed, they have an excellent chance to win another series in the country.

Thus it is pertinent to look at some of the best innings by Indian batsmen in England. These batters managed to overcome swing bowling by some of its leading practitioners, bounce from some fearsome quicks, willy spin and reverse swing late in the innings.

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Honourable Mentions:

Ajinkya Rahane 103 at Lord’s 2014

Ajinkya Rahane played one of the best innings by an Indian on English soil

In only his second test in England, Ajinkya Rahane played one of the best innings by an Indian on English soil.

As India batted first, Rahane came to the crease with India at a tricky 86-3. From that point, he was unstoppable as he quickly accumulated a brilliant century. Swing, seam or spin did not seem to trouble him.

The pitch was certainly tricky- no other Indian batsman scored more than 36. It helped set India up for a famous win at the home of cricket. Unfortunately, Rahane’s innings has been eclipsed by longer knocks played against better English bowling attacks.

Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi 148 at Headingley 1967

When India conceded a 386 run lead in the 1st test of India’ tour of England in 1967, it seemed like India were going to succumb to another abject loss on English soil. Up to that point, India hadn’t won a test in the country and had been vanquished easily on most occasions.

Yet, India’s batsmen had other ideas. After the top order got India off to an excellent start, captain Pataudi came in and made an extraordinary 148. This allowed India to set a tough 124 for England. While they still lost the game, Pataudi ensured that their pride was still intact.

Rahul Dravid 217 at The Oval 2002

Dravid helped India do that with a classical double century that helped India reach 508

One of the only two double centuries scored by an Indian on English soil, Rahul Dravid’s double century at the Oval in 2002 was indeed a great innings. After India conceded a massive 515 total in the first innings, the team was under pressure to match that in the decisive fourth test of a series situated at 1-1. Dravid helped India do that with a classical double century that helped India reach 508. This innings is excluded primarily because it came on an extremely flat pitch.

Tendulkar, Dravid and Ganguly at Headingly 2002

In one of the more famous stories of Indian cricket, captain Sourav Ganguly chose to bat on a green pitch at traditionally bowling-friendly Headingly.

Very few would have predicted what happened next as after a solid start by the openers, three of India’s Fab Four accumulated brilliant hundreds.

Dravid made a solid 148, Sachin Tendulkar amassed an extraordinary 193 while Ganguly added insult to injury with a rapid 128. All three innings were special and deserve a mention as they led to a famous Indian win.

#5 Dilip Vengsarkar 102 at Headingley 1986

Vengsarkar batted imperiously with the tail to give India the lead they need to defeat England

In a summer dominated by Dilip Vengsarkar, one of the best innings played by the maestro occurred in the second test of the test series against England.

A team batting effort (including a solid 61 by Vengsarkar) had taken India to 272 on a relatively tricky pitch at Headingley. India’s pacers followed that up with some superb bowling as a mediocre English batting lineup was rattled for 102.

But England bounced back as their pacers reduced India to 9/2 with Sunil Gavaskar back in the pavilion. In such a situation, Vengsarkar walked out to play a brilliant innings. He was at his imperious best as he flicked, pulled and drove India into a substantial lead.

The ball was swinging but the Mumbai batsman made it seem like he was playing on Shivaji Park. Wickets crumbled around him as India fell to 137/7. Nonetheless, Vengsarkar batted imperiously with the tail to give India the lead they need to defeat England. This inning is only eclipsed by a few legendary innings including one by Vengsarkar himself.

#4 Vinoo Mankad 184 at Lord’s 1952

Mankad made a solid 72 which helped India put up a respectable 235

In the 1990s, Indian fans liked to complain that the team relied overly on one man: Sachin Tendulkar. Similarly, many fans have had similar complaints recently as Virat Kohli’s wicket is one that opposition bowlers cherish more than all other batsmen.

Yet, those fans should be directed to the 1950s when India was truly a one-man team, relying on the indomitable Vinoo Mankad.

No game epitomized this like India’s first match at the home of cricket (Lord’s) as an independent nation.

In the first innings, Mankad made a solid 72 which helped India put up a respectable 235. After that, Mankad bowled and bowled and the bowled some more eventually ending with five wickets in an incredible 73 overs as a brilliant England batting lineup compiled 537.

Yet, the most incredible part of Mankad’s performance came in India’s second innings as Mankad complied a brilliant 184 as he relentlessly attacked a brilliant English bowling attack. Alec Bedser and Fred Trueman were demolished all over the park.

In fact, by the time Mankad was out, he had made 184 of India’s 270. It was the type of renegade innings that defined Mankad’s outstanding career.

His knock is only usurped by three others because it came in a losing effort on a pitch where other batsmen (mainly English) were also successful.

#3 Dilip Vengsarkar 126 at Lord’s 1986

Vengsarkar arguably had the best series by an Indian batsman in England in 1986

Despite the more recent exploits of Tendulkar and Dravid along with the earlier performances of Sunil Gavaskar, Vengsarkar arguably had the best series by an Indian batsman in England in 1986.

Having already had one innings featured on this list from the 1986 series, Vengsarkar’s best performance on that tour came one match earlier at the home of cricket.

On a grassy Lord’s pitch, Vengsarkar came to bat at 90-2 as India looked to establish a lead against England.

The Mumbai batsman initially built up a solid partnership with the staid Mohinder Amarnath who allowed Vengsarkar to play his shots freely. However after Amarnath was dismissed, wickets starting falling around Vengsarkar.

Yet, the Mumbai batsman continued to be at his languid best, displaying that trademark flick and his beautiful cover drives.

None of England’s bowlers could even come close to dismissing Vengsarkar on a difficult pitch. By the end of the innings (Vengsarkar stayed not-out), the Mumbai batsman had completely demoralized the English team.

India had a 47-run lead but mentally it was much more. No other player scored a fifty from that point in the game, a sign of how good Vengsarkar innings’ was.

#2 Sachin Tendulkar 119 at Old Trafford 1990

Tendulkar had reached his first century at a strike rate of more than 60

India was 109/4 chasing 408 on a tricky Old Trafford pitch that had something for both quicks and spinners. The game could have basically been written off at that point, as Vengsarkar had just been dismissed.

In his place came a 17-year-old who would have looked more in place at a school match rather than a test. That player was a Mumbai batsman named Sachin Tendulkar who had shown promise but was yet to make a Test hundred.

Soon the artisan Mohammed Azharuddin was also gone and Tendulkar was partnered with the legend Kapil Dev.

Just when the partnership was flourishing, Dev got out and Tendulkar was stuck with fellow youngster Manoj Prabhakar. Yet the Mumbai batsman remained unfazed and decided to relentlessly attack the English bowling.

Eddie Hemmings was driven past cover on several occasions. The fearsome Devon Malcom was nonchalantly flicked on several occasions by Tendulkar. Angus Fraser and Carl Lewis were pulled all over the park.

England’s bowling attack on a tricky final day pitch was treated like club bowlers in Tendulkar’s childhood hunting ground Shivaji Park.

In no time, the youngster had reached his first century at a strike rate of more than 60- rather ridiculous considering that he was batting to save a test match. Tendulkar had done that and much more. And just like that, a legend was born.

#1 Sunil Gavaskar 221 at the Oval 1979

Gavaskar decided to attack the English bowling as he flicked and drove the English bowlers all over the park

There are very few things more daunting in Test cricket than a 400+ target in the fourth innings.

Only four teams have successfully chased a total that large in Test Cricket History. By 1979, only teams had done so. Tell that to Sunil Gavaskar.

Three years after scoring a century in one of those two aforementioned chases against West Indies, Gavaskar played one of the great test innings at the Oval as India were set 438 to win.

Traditionally, the less famous London ground is tricky to play on the final day considering the spin that it generates. Moreover, England’s bowling attack was absolutely splendid with Bob Willis, Ian Botham, Mike Hendrick and Phil Edmonds. That did not perturb Gavaskar as him and Chetan Chauhan started steadily accumulating.

The openers were 76 without no loss at the end of the fourth day and needed 362 more runs in the fifth day- unheard off in the 1970s.

At the start of the last day, Gavaskar decided to attack the English bowling as he flicked and drove the English bowlers all over the park. Edmonds and fellow spinner Peter Willey were particularly punished as Gavaskar danced down the track on multiple occasions.

Suddenly the impossible seemed possible as India reached 213 for no loss halfway through the day.

While Chauhan was dismissed, this brought in the more attacking Vengsarkar. Yet for once, Gavaskar matched his Mumbai teammate shot for shot and in fact had a higher strike rate. The original Little Master could sense a famous victory.

Yet suddenly it all collapsed, Vengsarkar was dismissed and the promoted Kapil Dev also faltered.

Even then, India only needed 50 runs within eight overs when Ian Botham came on. Gavaskar made his first mistake as he clipped Botham’s first ball straight to David Gower in a soft dismissal.

India eventually settled for a draw, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that Gavaskar had played one of his best innings and definitely the best knock by an Indian in England.