From shocking collapses to blown leads — a look back at England’s haunting grounds for India
Every cricket rivalry carries its share of pain and pride, but the wounds tend to linger when it involves England versus India on English soil. Ask any Indian supporter, and they’ll nod — sometimes reluctantly — at a list of missed opportunities, batting collapses, and last-wicket heartbreaks that still sting.
As India prepares for the 2025 Test series, hoping for redemption, it’s worth revisiting the scorecards and reflecting on five grim episodes they’d rather forget. Because if history has taught us anything, it’s that forgetting isn’t easy — especially when the venue is in England.
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It was supposed to be just another test. Instead, it became a statistic.
In the second Test at Lord’s, India was asked to bat again after England posted a colossal 629 in their first innings. India responded with 302, showing promise — but that’s where it all fell apart. Under cloudy skies and high pressure in the second innings, India was dismissed for just 42 runs in 17 overs, their lowest Test total for decades until Adelaide 2020.
The entire collapse occurred in less than two hours. England won by an innings and 285 runs. It was brutal. It was unforgettable — for all the wrong reasons.
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Fast-forward to 1st Test match at Nottingham in 2014, and India was in control. After scoring 457 in the first innings, they had England 298 for 9. Victory felt close.
But Joe Root had other ideas. He found support in tail-ender James Anderson, and the pair turned the match on its head. What followed was a record-breaking 198-run partnership for the 10th wicket.
Root finished on 154 not out, Anderson scored a career-best 81, and England ended on 496. From sniffing a win, India was left to settle for a draw. An opportunity lost and a painful lesson learned — never take the tail lightly in England.
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In 2011, India entered as the newly crowned ODI world champions. They exited the series battered and bruised.
The four-match series concluded with a 4-0 result favouring England, and the humiliation was total. India’s bowling lacked impact, the batting repeatedly fell apart, and England secured the ICC Test No. 1 ranking through the whitewash.
Yes, Rahul Dravid stood tall with three centuries, but the rest of the team fell like dominoes. Instead, the tour, which was supposed to affirm India’s dominance, exposed their weaknesses.
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India had a golden opportunity to win a rare series on English soil.
They were 2-1 ahead in the five-match series in 2021 when the final Test was postponed due to COVID-19. A year later, in 2022, India returned with hopes of clinching it. It looked like a formality after setting England a challenging target of 378 runs.
But the ‘Bazball’ approach — ultra-aggressive and fearless — overwhelmed India. England chased down the target with seven wickets remaining. The series ended 2-2, but it felt like a defeat for India.
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At The Oval in 1979, India faced a daunting challenge — 438 runs to win.
Sunil Gavaskar crafted an iconic innings of 221, with solid support from Chetan Chauhan (80), taking India to 366/1 at one stage. The impossible momentarily seemed achievable. However, once Gavaskar was out, the middle and lower order collapsed.
India slipped from 410/4 to 423/8, losing grip on what could have been a historic victory. They held on for a draw, finishing on 429/8, just nine runs shy. England won the series 1-0, and India missed the chance to make history.
