India and England cricket teams are two of the most competitive teams in world cricket, so a match between India national cricket team vs England cricket team promises to be an eventful clash. Here’s a glimpse into this legendary rivalry over time.
Dhruv Jurel of Uttar Pradesh receives his inaugural call-up, with Sarfaraz Khan missing out and Ishan Kishan remaining outside. Additionally, reports of Jasprit Bumrah’s fatigue suggest he may be rested from playing. In this article, we will discuss about India National Cricket Team Vs England Cricket Team Timeline.
1932: India’s Test debut against England at Lord’s
India first took to Test cricket against England at Lord’s in 1932. Led by Maharajah of Porbandar with Kumar Shri Limbdi as vice-captain, their debutant side won nine first-class matches out of 26 played that summer – winning 9, losing 8, and drawing 8. It was an outstanding debutant performance that marked India’s journey into international cricket.
This tour wasn’t without controversy though; Lala Amarnath proved particularly contentious during it. Labeled a womanizer by Vizzy, Lala caused friction within the Indian camp before ultimately being sent home mid-tour for disciplinary reasons.
The match itself was an unforgettable contest. England were on course for victory before rain stopped play a second time with them only two wickets away from victory. India came back from behind, however, and recorded a remarkable win that set their future rise as world cricket powerhouses under CK Nayudu’s fearless leadership and team members’ dedication that have become central components of India’s Test cricket legacy.
1952: India’s first Test win against England
India finally tasted victory against England at Lord’s in 1952 after suffering multiple losses before independence, signaling a new era for Indian cricket and marking the first time that its creator, England, had fallen to an underdog side. This historic test represented India’s triumph against an opposing side as they lost three consecutive matches prior to this one at Lord’s.
This match was played in difficult conditions, featuring damp grounds with poor outfield. India’s top order was quickly decimated by the speedy bowling of Freddie Trueman; their top four batsmen fell victim to Trueman’s fiery pace bowling, losing four wickets for ducks on their opening innings alone!
Vinoo Mankad’s orthodox spin was in full force as India contained England to 266 and 183 in their respective innings. Mankad’s 12 wickets in this match proved critical to India claiming its maiden Test win; Pankaj Roy and Polly Umrigar both scored centuries for India during this historic contest.
India set England an impossible target of 457 runs in their second innings, placing a huge burden of pressure upon their tails as they attempted to chase down this staggering total. India then bowled brilliantly to restrict England to only 253 in their second essay with Yashasvi Jaiswal taking three wickets and Shubman Gill scoring an unbeaten 104 runs to seal their defeat by an innings and eight runs; marking India’s inaugural Test win against England as well as its inaugural match held in Chennai (formerly Madras). India went on to record-breaking success surpassing their record 372-run triumph against New Zealand in 2021!
1961-62: India’s first Test series win against England
India, led by CK Nayudu, won their inaugural Test series against England during their inaugural year as full members of the International Cricket Council (ICC). This period was pivotal as India started their journey toward developing into a powerful batting side; their only win came at Delhi’s Chepauk Stadium where Hedley Verity struck eight wickets to seal victory for England.
The next Test took place in Kolkata and resulted in a 2-0 Indian win. Young Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi recorded an outstanding century performance while Hanumant Singh and Sunil Gavaskar also scored centuries; Hedley Verity collected five wickets to deter India’s hosts from forcing a continuation.
This was a much stronger England team than that which traveled to India seven years earlier, led by Andrew Strauss. England took care of business by winning all five matches played across Lord’s, Headingley Trent Bridge Edgbaston Kennington Oval 5-0 to claim an emphatic whitewash victory against India.
India had never before defeated England so decisively in any series and this one saw Sachin Tendulkar achieve international star status and Sourav Ganguly perform his iconic shirt-waving celebration at Lord’s. Additionally, this was also India’s maiden victory at home against England in any Test series.
1971: India’s first Test series win against England
India’s historic victory against England came about in 1971, marking an important step in its cricket journey. Ajit Wadekar led his Indian side to a convincing three-match Test series victory, marking a significant achievement and setting up further victories over them in future encounters.
On their visit to Lord’s – known as the spiritual home of cricket – India found themselves struggling when England scored 355 runs in their opening innings. But rain saved their day as they managed to finish on 213 runs for an unlikely victory.
Indian cricket made history when it beat Australia on an important tour in 1996-97 and overcame formidable teams, playing on hostile soil, to emerge victorious. “After this tour,” noted Wadekar, “any sense of inferiority we experienced while competing against formidable teams was eliminated completely.”
Certain players have defined tours; when recalling India in the West Indies in 1971, Sunil Gavaskar wearing his signature floppy hat comes to mind instantly. Rahul Dravid captured that game perfectly during Adelaide 2003 with his composed demeanour encapsulating everything about it all. These moments and many more have contributed to cricket’s rich legacy by shaping England-India rivalries over many decades.
1984-85: India’s first Test series win against England
England’s tour of India in 1984 was never going to be easy. Following their humiliating 5-0 drubbing in West Indies and failing to defeat Sri Lanka at Lord’s in a seemingly easier one-off Test match, England were already reeling when they arrived in Delhi – especially without Ian Botham, Graham Gooch or John Emburey due to South African rebel tour bans and captain David Gower sporting an awful P9 W0 D3 L6 record and no Ian Botham/Graham Gooch/John Emburey/John Emburey due to South African rebel tour bans/coach David Gower having had no chance.
But an England series win would have given them much-needed confidence. In Madras, however, things went badly as Dilip Vengsarkar and Mohinder Amarnath combined for an unbroken opening stand of 335 which wasn’t supported by their other batsmen. Colin Cowdrey scored a century to give England a slim advantage before an ML Jaisimha century helped India draw level.
The second Test at Kolkata was quite different, however. At that point, India was in turmoil following the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by two Sikh bodyguards, sparking massive anti-Sikh riots across the nation that resulted in thousands of deaths. As players were about to take to the field, many Indians were struggling over Indira’s death at her hands of her two Sikh bodyguards and its consequences – sparking thousands of deaths across the country and creating havoc across India’s many corners.
Once play began, India’s bowlers took control. Bhagwath Chandrasekhar and Kapil Dev were exceptional while debutant Axar Patel and seamer Sarfraz Khan also excelled. England batsmen found it increasingly difficult to compete against India’s relentless pace and spin bowling attack.
1986: India’s first Test series win against England
India and England have enjoyed a robust rivalry throughout cricket history, meeting 252 times across all formats of cricket. One of the most memorable encounters between them occurred nearly 30 years ago at Lord’s, when Kapil Dev’s team defeated David Gower’s men convincingly to claim victory at Lord’s and win their inaugural Test, beginning a series that also featured two One Day Internationals for Texaco Trophy competition.
The match will always be remembered for John Snow’s legendary charge on Sunil Gavaskar as he attempted to complete a run, but this was only part of what was an historic victory by Chandrasekhar’s India against England – their inaugural Test victory set them on a journey toward becoming competitive cricketing nations.
Indian victory in the Test set them on their path to winning all three remaining matches and thus entering into the top ten rankings for world nations. India went on to become one of the leading Test nations before finally taking their first World Cup crown 10 years later.
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