Five heart-breaking Test defeats for India since 2018
These defeats came at a time when the Indian team held the dominant in a Test match.
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In the last few years, the Indian team has fared well in the red-ball format but has been short on luck on some occasions. The players have failed to step up when required, which has paved the way for the team to get results not favouring them. Although the Indian team stayed at the pole position in the Test rankings for five years since 2017, they were pushed to the second position by Australia in May 2022.
With the introduction of the World Test Championship (WTC), this format has forced teams to field their best XI, and the focus has primarily shifted to doing well in the longest format. The advent of T20 cricket has also been one of the major roadblocks in the Indian team’s path to success in the Test format.
Here are five heart-breaking Test defeats for India since 2018:
1. Edgbaston, 2022
This was the fifth and final Test match of India’s tour of England 2021, which was rescheduled to 2022 due to the Covid-19 cases in the Indian camp. Ahead of this game, India led the series 2-1 and were a confident group due to their strong performances last year. However, the Covid-19 illness and injury to opening batters Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul, respectively, forced them to miss the crucial fixture. Thus, fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah was given the opportunity to lead the side.
India posted a strong first-innings total of 416 on the board, with centuries from Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja. Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah were terrific in the bowling unit to restrict England for a score of 284 and take a lead of 132 runs. However, the Bumrah-led side could not respond well in the second innings and managed to score only 245, with fifties from Cheteshwar Pujara and Pant.
The Ben Stokes-led team had a huge task to chase 378 against the fiery Indian pacers. But, in-form batters Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow hit their respective centuries to guide the team to their highest successful chase in the history of red-ball cricket. The Indian team was able to pick up only three wickets, and the series was levelled 2-2. This meant that the Indian team would now have to wait for the next tour to secure their first Test series victory in England after 2007.
2. Edgbaston, 2018
In the first Test of India’s tour of England in 2018, the home team posted a total of 287 on the board, with hefty knocks from Joe Root (80) and Jonny Bairstow (70). For the visitors, Ravichandran Ashwin and Mohammed Shami were the pick of the bowlers. In reply, the Indian team scored 274, with Virat Kohli scoring 149, which was his first Test century in England.
In the second innings, Ishant Sharma picked up a fifer and restricted England to 180. However, Sam Curran had put up a show with his blistering innings of 63 off 65 balls. Chasing 194, the Indian top-order failed to provide a good start to the team. It was the skipper Kohli again, who came to rescue the team with a half-century.
However, Kohli was dismissed when the Indian team still needed 53. The last three wickets of the touring party could add only 21 runs, with Hardik Pandya (31) being the last wicket to fall. Ben Stokes scalped four wickets, and the Indian team fell short by 31 runs, in a comparatively easier chase.
3. Cape Town, 2022
This was the third Test of India’s tour of South Africa earlier this year. The first game saw the Indian team breach the fortress of Centurion and winning the game by 113 runs. The second one witnessed the Proteas securing a victory by seven wickets. This was the series decider, and both the teams were confident of their abilities.
India could post a total of 223 on the board in the first innings, with the top contribution of 79 from Kohli. Kagiso Rabada scalped four wickets for the home team. Then, South Africa responded by scoring 210, with Keegan Petersen scoring a solid 72 while Bumrah breathed fire to pick up a five-wicket haul. In India’s second innings, Pant hit an unbeaten century (100*) to help the Indian team post a total of 198, and have a lead of only 211 runs.
Chasing 212, openers Aiden Markram (16) and Dean Elgar (30) couldn’t provide a stable platform for the hosts. However, Petersen continued his fine momentum to score 82, and got the support from Rassie van der Dussen (41*) to take the Proteas closer to victory. Despite Petersen’s wicket with 57 runs still needed, Van der Dussen and Bavuma ensured there were no further hiccups and chased down the total to win the series 2-1. The Indian bowlers failed to leave an impact in this innings, being unable to pick up wickets regularly.
4. Centurion, 2018
The second Test of the 2018 South Africa tour was played at Centurion. The Proteas team was coming into this game after wining the first fixture by 72 runs. After opting to bat first, the home team posted 335 on the board, with major contributions from Aiden Markram (94) and Hashim Amla (82). Ashwin was the best bowler for India with four wickets against his name.
India responded well to score 307 on the board, with Virat Kohli scoring 153. Veteran pacer Morne Morkel extracted bounce from the surface to pick up four wickets. In the second innings, AB de Villiers took charge for the Proteas to help them post a target of 287 for the visitors.
Although India had enough time to chase down the target, openers Murali Vijay and KL Rahul fell early. The likes of Pujara and Kohli could not contribute significantly as well. Rohit (47) and Mohammed Shami (28) were the top run-scorers for the visitors, as the visitors were bundled out for 151. Young pacer, Lungi Ngidi scalped six wickets to help South Africa seal the series.
5. Southampton, 2018
In the fourth Test of India’s tour of England in 2018, the home team batted first and put 246 on the board, with Sam Curran emerging as the top scorer with 78 runs. Bumrah scalped three wickets and was the best performer in the Indian bowling unit. In response, the visitors took a lead of 27 runs, thanks to Pujara’s unbeaten knock of 132. For England, Moeen Ali scalped a fifer.
Jos Buttler (69), Root (48), and Curran (46) were the key contributors for England in the second innings to post 271, and take a lead of 244 runs. The Indian team’s key bowler was Shami, who picked up four wickets, followed by Ishant with two scalps.
Indian openers, Shikhar Dhawan and KL Rahul, failed yet again in a stiff chase. Pujara, the centurion of the first innings, could contribute only five runs. Half-centuries from Ajinkya Rahane and Kohli were not enough for the visitors, as they eventually fell short by 60 runs. As a result, they lost the Test series as well.
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