Stats: Instances When India Trailed In A Test Series But Came Back To Win It

Feb 26, 2017 at 8:52 PM

facebook iconlinkedin iconmail icontwitter iconWhatsApp iconTelegram icon
Stats: Instances When India Trailed In A Test Series But Came Back To Win It

A description of the situation India is in at the moment after the shocking loss at the hands of Australia in the opening Test isn’t necessary.

Steve O’ Keefe’s bowling antics combined with India’s incompetent show with bat and to a certain extent with the ball has put them 0-1 behind in the 4-match series.

The loss at Pune has now put the series under danger for the hosts. There have been very few occasions when India has successfully managed to come back from a loss in the first match and win the series.

It has happened only thrice, to be precise.

Let’s take a look at those special occasions where India trailed in a Test series but came back to win it.

England in India Test Series, 1972:

The first time when India was able to stun the opposition and come back after a loss was way back in 1972 when England came touring the country for a 5 match Tests series. The first Test was easily won by England and it was the faulty Indian batting performance to blame. But India recovered quickly and hit back hard, winning the following two matches at Kolkata and Chennai respectively by convincing margins. Brought 1-2 down, England tried getting back on their feet but India sealed the series by drawing level in the final two matches to grab a famous morale-boosting series win.

Border – Gavaskar Series, 2001:

The Border–Gavaskar trophy can easily be rated as one of the most intriguing bilateral Test series in the history of the game. Steve Waugh’s Australia was on a 15 match winning streak before landing in India. They extended the streak to sweet sixteen with a memorable win at Mumbai.

It was a complete batting failure from the Sourav Ganguly-led side. The Indian team could not stop the Australians from winning the match comfortably by 10 wickets. But, the series which began on a dubious note went on to become of the key highlights of Ganguly’s career as a leader.

India followed the loss with a spectacular ‘coming from behind’ win in the second Test at Kolkata. The hosts were asked to follow on by Australia as India managed 171 in reply to visitor’s first innings 445. But, India, led by heroic knocks from Dravid and Laxman, posted 657/7d and set a target of 383 runs.

Harbhajan Singh then picked up a historic hat-trick and went on to take a 6 wickets haul to script a fabulous 171-run win. The series decider which hosted at Chennai also saw India fight back brilliantly and register a close two-wicket win. Thus winning the series by a 2-1 margin.

India in Sri Lanka Test series, 2015:

This was Virat Kohli’s first overseas tour as skipper. And, as fate would have it, the young superstar of Indian cricket, known for his fearless style, faced a stern Test as Sri Lanka registered a superb 63-run win at Galle after being dismissed for just 183 in the first innings.

With a 1-0 lead and a buoyed confidence, the hosts were ready to take on India with a fresh approach. However, Kohli and his men, gave a strong reply, went on to register emphatic wins in the remainder of two Tests at Colombo’s P Sara Oval and Sinhalese Sports Club. The second Test was won by the visitors by a 278-run margin. The final Test was also a sort of one-sided affair witnessed as India snap victory by 117-run margin.

Related Article
Cricket Confirmed As One Of Five New Sports In Olympics At Los Angeles In 2028
Cricket Confirmed As One Of Five New Sports In Olympics At Los Angeles In 2028

Oct 16, 2023, 2:22 PM


Mumbai’s “Junior Steyn” Karan Tiwari Commits Suicide
Mumbai’s “Junior Steyn” Karan Tiwari Commits Suicide

Aug 12, 2020, 6:02 PM


Rohit Sharma Talks How Cricket Will Be Changed In COVID-19 Pandemic
Rohit Sharma Talks How Cricket Will Be Changed In COVID-19 Pandemic

Aug 3, 2020, 1:41 AM


Five Indian Cricketers Who Invested In Startups!
Five Indian Cricketers Who Invested In Startups!

Aug 2, 2020, 12:00 PM


Five Cricketers And Their Role In Boxing
Five Cricketers And Their Role In Boxing

Aug 2, 2020, 11:00 AM


When Cricketers Left The Ground Due To Nature’s Call
When Cricketers Left The Ground Due To Nature’s Call

Jul 31, 2020, 6:00 PM