3 recent Overseas Test matches that India should have won but didn't
'India and fourth innings collapses' has been a constant in Indian Cricket for some time now; Edgbaston was just another chapter in its fan's painful ordeal over a period of time.
But India won't have been there in the first place had it not for their captain's baptism with fire on the second afternoon of day 02.
After bowling England out for a seemingly sub-par 287 India got off to a reasonably good start with the openers putting on 50 runs for the first wicket when a 20-year-old Sam Curran in an incisive spell of swing bowling rattled the top-order. The ball had started to swing and 0-50 soon became 5-100 with Kohli left to save the blemishes for the tourists. Kohli's innings exemplifies defiance, grit, tenacity, and game-sense when batting with the tail.
Kohli finally finished with 149 taking India 13 runs adrift of England's first innings total, and when Ishant Sharma rattled the English middle-order to leave the hosts reeling at 7-96; India looked on course for a win. But, just as with the bowl, Sam Curran brought scripted yet another twist with the bat taking the lead past 190, and it was down to Kohli again, who scored yet another defiant 51 (200 runs in the match), as his batsmen floundered yet again against the moving ball; leaving Kohli and India 31-runs adrift of the target.
But, this phenomenon is not new in Indian cricket. In the past few years, we've seen Indian teams squander their position of strength time and again.
Today, we'll have a look at three recent overseas Test matches which India should've won but didn't.
#3 India vs New Zealand, Auckland, February 2014
For a better part of the first four days, it seemed only New Zealand was competing. The hosts had just racked up 503, thanks to a whirlwind 307-ball-224 by skipper Brendon McCullum in their first innings and in return folded India for 202 to take a commanding lead of 301 runs.
But, things changed considerably on the fourth day as Shami (3-37), Zaheer Khan (2-23) and Ishant Sharma (3-28) produced an incisive spell of seam and swing bowling to bowl the Kiwis out for 105.
Despite losing Vijay (13) early, India started the run-chase positively in their second essay. Dhawan brought his first overseas century; a power packed yet patient 115, to stitch a 126-run partnership with Virat Kohli (67). But, Wagner, in a menacing spell of fast-bowling nipped out both Dhawan and Kohli to reduce the tourists to 6-270.
The tourists were buoyed by counter-attacking innings from both Jadeja (26) and Dhoni (39), but it was that man, Wagner, again who kept chipping away. The final nail in the coffin came when Wagner went wide on the crease, lulled Dhoni with a slower bouncer and his bottom-edge brought the off-bail down and eventually India's challenge; 40 runs adrift of what would have been a sensational win.