5 lowest Test totals by India at home

The Indian batting unit just didn't turn up when they faced Australia in the third Test of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023 at the Holkar Stadium in Indore on Wednesday, March 1.

Opting to bat first, skipper Rohit Sharma rode on huge luck as he was dismissed twice by Mitchell Starc but Australia decided not to review the umpire's not-out decisions.

However, Rohit couldn't make full use of the opportunity as he was stumped off Matthew Kunhemann's bowling on 12. His dismissal gave way to a flurry of wickets by Australia.

Shubman Gill and Cheteshwar Pujara were the next two to go in the space of just five balls before Ravindra Jadeja and Shreyas Iyer got out while playing loose shots.

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Virat Kohli and Axar Patel were the only Indian batters who applied themselves on a surface that just wasn't ideal for Day 1 batting. Both Kunhemann and Nathan Lyon got the ball to turn sharply, with the odd one also keeping it low.

With 88 runs on the board, the hosts lost eight wickets before a 17-run cameo by Umesh Yadav took India past the three-figure mark.

While Lyon and Todd Murphy chipped in with four wickets between them, Kunhemann recorded his maiden Test fifer as India were bowled out for 109 runs inside just 33.2 overs.

This wasn't the first time India fared poorly in their own backyard. Despite their horrible showing in Indore, 109 is only their 15th-lowest Test total in India.

On that note, let's take a look at the five lowest Test totals registered by Team India at home.

#5 88/10 vs New Zealand, Mumbai (1965)

During only the second-ever Test series between India and New Zealand, the former registered their fifth-lowest Test total at home.

In the third Test of the 1965 New Zealand tour of India, Kiwi pacer Bruce Taylor starred for the guests as his fifer helped New Zealand bundle India out for just 88 runs.

After New Zealand scored 297 runs in the first innings, they took a magnificent 209-run first-innings lead to enforce a follow-on on India. Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi's unit looked down the barrel of a gun when they were at 18/2 in their second innings.

However, a double century from Dilip Sardesai (200*) took India to a marvelous 453 as the match ended in a draw.

#4 83/10 vs New Zealand, Mohali (1999)

New Zealand bowler Chris Cairns celebrates a wicket.

New Zealand commenced their 1999 tour to India on a fantastic note when they bowled the hosts out for only 83 runs in the first innings of the first Test in Mohali.

India's No. 10 batter Javagal Srinath top-scored with his 35-ball 20 cameo while Dion Nash, the right-arm Kiwi pacer, produced career-best figures of 6/27.

However, the hosts quickly put behind their first-innings horror show when they smashed 505/3 in their second innings. Rahul Dravid scored 144 while Sachin Tendulkar remained not out on 126 as India drew the match on Day 5.

#3 82/10 vs England, Chennai (1977)

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India's lowest Test total against England in India came during the 1976/77 series.

After bagging the first two Tests, the caravan moved to Chennai where England handed India 283 runs to chase down in the fourth innings of the Test match.

Unfortunately, for the Bishan Bedi-led team, they could only make 82 runs as bowlers Bob Willis and Derek Underwood took seven wickets between them.

#2 76/10 vs South Africa, Ahmedabad (2008)

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The latest entrant on the list, South Africa, packed India out for just 76 runs during the second Test match of the 2008 series.

The Proteas swept to a thoroughly deserved innings-and-90-run victory inside three days to take a 1-0 lead in the three-Test series.

After putting India to bat first, South Africa rode on Dale Steyn's wondrous five-wicket haul. Steyn, alongside Makhaya Ntini and Morne Morkel, broke India's back as only two batters from the host nation could register double-digit scores.

South Africa celebrating Virender Sehwag's wicket [Pic Credit: BCCI]

After getting India all out for 76, the Proteas struck a gigantic 494/7 in their first innings to take a marvelous 418 first-innings lead.

India tried their best in their second innings but were bundled out for 328 to lose the Test match convincingly.

#1 75/10 vs West Indies, Delhi (1987)

Larry Gomes of the West Indies in action [Pic Credit: Getty Images]

On November 29, 1987, Team India recorded their lowest-ever total in Test matches at home when they were all out for a mere 75 runs by West Indies.

After opting to bat in the series-opener in Delhi, the Dilip Vengsarkar-led unit fell like a pack of cards against the likes of Courtney Walsh, Winston Davis and Patrick Patterson.

Arun Lal's 20 runs was the highest individual score for India as they lost half of their side within 42 runs before losing all 10 wickets for 75 runs.

India eventually lost the match by five wickets to go 1-0 down in the four-game series.