How India Became Test titans on foreign pitches

In India’s chequered 93-year catalogue of appearances in Test cricket, they have won 183 matches, lost 186, drawn 224 and tied one.

- Ashis Ray

There have been since their first victory at home in 1952 — against England — and the maiden one abroad in 1968 in New Zealand, many memorable moments. But other than the tie with Australia in 1986, no match has exhibited such animated suspense until the last ball and as gripping a drama as at The Oval in London on Monday.

The back-to-back series triumphs in the West Indies and England in 1971 were an indisputable turning point for Indian cricket. At Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain, Dilip Sardesai threw down the gauntlet with a defiant 112. Spinners $ Venkataraghan, Erapalli Prasanna and Bishan Bedi then shared the spoils to clear the deck for a seven-wicket eclipse of Garry Sobers’ side. Five months later, Bhagwat Chandrasekhar’s whippy and deceptive wrist spin destroyed England in the second England innings at The Oval to ensure India coasted to a four-wicket win.

India’s most convincing showing ever in an away series, though, was the 2-0 margin in England in 1986. The Indian swing merchants, with Chetan Sharma preeminent, proved to be a handful for the Englishmen, not to mention Maninder Singh's left-arm spin and Dilip Vengsarkar's immaculate centuries at Lord's in London and Headingley in Leeds. It could have been a 3-0 brown-wash, but for rain saving England at Edgbaston in Birmingham.