In the top four, only one player managed to achieve the feat on English soil
The new cycle of the World Test Championship 2025-27 is less than a week away. England prepares to host India, with the first match scheduled to be played at Headingley from June 20 onwards.
India, under the new regime of captain Shubman Gill, has selected only one spin specialist, Kuldeep Yadav, whereas the rest of the contingent is relying on pace attack.
It will be interesting to witness how things pan out for India, especially in the bowling department. While it is not possible to determine the series’ result at this juncture, we can certainly go back in history and recall some of the best bowling figures by Indian bowlers in innings against England at home and away.
The year was 1952, and for India, it was only its fifth year as an independent nation free from British colonisation. England had visited India for a series, and given that England was a more experienced side known as the inventors of cricket, they didn’t take India seriously.
The series ended in a draw, as both sides won one game each, whereas three matches ended in a draw. The series also saw the best bowling figure by an Indian bowler against England in Test cricket—Vinoo Mankad picked eight wickets in the Chennai Test by bowling 38.5 overs and giving away only 55 runs. He also bowled 15 maiden overs.
1972 – India was still considered an underdog in cricket, but England’s visit to the nation was a bitter experience. The series was lost by the visitors 2-1, and B.S. Chandrasekhar grabbed headlines for his eight wickets in the first game played in Delhi. He had bowled 41.5 overs, out of which 18 were maidens. Unfortunately, his eight wickets did not win the game, but it set the tone for what was to come in the next four matches of the series.
The third player on this list is an all-rounder who is in the playing XI for the upcoming series. Ravindra Jadeja left no stone unturned in the Chennai Test against England in 2016. His efforts in 25 overs earned him seven wickets and five maiden overs. This match also witnessed KL Rahul missing his double century, whereas Karun Nair hit 303, which was not out. India won the game by an innings and 75 runs.
The Lord’s Cricket Ground is considered the Mecca of cricket. Therefore, for England, losing a match means losing enormous pride. In 2014, a young tall pacer named Ishant Sharma shushed the English batters in their backyard by grabbing seven wickets in 23 overs, including six maidens. This was one of Ishant’s finest bowling figures, and on that particular day, Ishant was the Lord of Cricket’s Mecca.
In the upcoming series, Jasprit Bumrah, spearheading India’s bowling department, is expected to inflict pain on the Brits. And the fans certainly hope to see Jasprit’s name at the top of this list.
