India are set to take on England in the third Test at Lord’s from July 10, with the series locked at 1-1.
After losing the opening Test at Headingley, Shubman Gill’s side responded with a dominant 336-run win at Edgbaston. With momentum now back in India’s favour, history shows the Men in Blue have a habit of staging dramatic turnarounds after losing the first match of a series.
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From the 1970s till now, India have won a Test series seven times after falling behind 0-1. These stunning turnarounds include famous wins over Australia, England, and Sri Lanka, with several of them coming in just the last decade.
India Test series wins after losing the first match: Full list of comebacks since 1970s
Let’s take a look at all seven occasions where India flipped the script after an early setback
India vs England, 1972-73
England stunned India in the opening Test in Delhi, winning by six wickets. But India fought back strongly. A 28-run win in Kolkata levelled things, followed by a four-wicket win in Chennai. Draws in Kanpur and Mumbai helped India seal the five-match series 2-1.
India vs Australia, 2001
Australia arrived in India with 15 Test wins in a row and crushed India by 10 wickets in Mumbai. In Kolkata, India were in deep trouble again before VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid scripted a magical comeback.
Harbhajan Singh’s 13-wicket match haul helped India win the series 2-1 after victory in Chennai.
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India vs Sri Lanka, 2015
India looked in control in Galle but collapsed to lose by 63 runs. In Colombo, KL Rahul and Ajinkya Rahane struck centuries, and Ashwin’s five-for set up a huge 278-run win. India sealed the series 2-1 with a 117-run win in the final match.
India vs Australia, 2017
Australia hammered India by 333 runs in Pune. But India responded in Bengaluru with a gutsy 75-run win, thanks to Ashwin’s six wickets. The third Test ended in a draw, and India clinched the series 2-1 with a dominant eight-wicket win in Dharamsala.
India vs Australia, 2020-21
In Adelaide, India were bowled out for 36, their lowest Test score ever and lost by eight wickets. Kohli returned home, and Ajinkya Rahane stepped in as captain.
Under him, India bounced back in Melbourne, drew in Sydney, and famously chased 328 in Brisbane. The series ended 2-1 for India which was a landmark triumph.
India vs England, 2021
England crushed India by 227 runs in the Chennai opener. But India stormed back with wins in the next three matches: by 317 runs in Chennai, 10 wickets in Ahmedabad, and an innings and 25 runs again in Ahmedabad. Final series score: 3-1 to India.
India vs England, 2024
After a shock 28-run loss in Hyderabad, India responded big time. They won the next four Tests- by 106 runs (Vizag), 434 runs (Rajkot), 5 wickets (Ranchi), and by an innings and 64 runs (Dharamsala). The 4-1 scoreline left England reeling.
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These remarkable fightbacks have become a defining feature of Indian Test cricket in recent years. With the current series hanging in the balance, can India add to this elite list at Lord’s?