3 Times when India won a Test series in England
Winning a Test series in England can be a daunting task. Not many teams have been able to get the better of England in their native conditions. Swinging conditions can be very difficult to negotiate, even for a top class batsman. Overseas bowlers also find it difficult to control the movement in the air and end up spraying the ball all around.
Historically, India team doesn't travel well. They have never won a Test series in Australia and South Africa is enough of a proof. But, India has achieved intermittent success in England. Though the last decade has not been very fruitful for them, they have been able to win 3 times in England.
Let us take a look at those three occasions:
#1. The 1971-72 tour
India's first Test series win in England was in the summer of 1971-72. The team won the 3 matchTest series 1-0. While the first two Tests ended in a draw, India won the third and the final Test.
Ajit Wadekar, the then Indian captain, was the highest run-getter for India during the series with an aggregate of 204 runs at an average of 34.00. S Venkataraghavan and BS Chandrasekhar were the highest wicket-takers with 13 wickets apiece.
Two spinners being the highest wicket-takers in the series tells you a lot about the conditions prevailing that summer. The Indian spinners took the full advantage of the dry wickets during the series.
Ajit Wadekar led the Indian team very well and inspired the team to their first success in England.