5 memorable bowling performances by Indians against England
Team India and England are all set to play a four-match Test series in India as international cricket returns to the country after 11 months.
The England series will also mark the return of Virat Kohli, who was on paternity leave during the last three Tests Down Under. Pacer Ishant Sharma, who missed out on the Australia Tests because of a side strain during the IPL 2020, also makes a comeback.
Further Jasprit Bumrah, who was unfit for the Gabba Test, is also raring to go.
5 amazing bowling performances by Team India vs England
India and England have battled each other in 122 Tests, with India winning 26 and England 47. At home, Team India have registered 19 wins in 60 Tests.
Here are five fantastic bowling efforts by Indian cricketers against the Englishmen.
#5. Chetan Sharma (5 for 64) at Lord’s in 1986
The current chairman of selectors, Chetan Sharma, enjoyed limited success during his international career. But he played a stellar role in one of Team India’s finest away wins.
Chetan Sharma picked up 5 for 64 in England’s first innings of the 1986 Lord’s Test, a contest India won by five wickets.
Bowling first after winning the toss, Sharma sent back opposition skipper David Gower, Mike Gatting, and Allan Lamb cheaply as England crumbled to 98 for 4.
Graham Gooch (114) and Derek Pringle (63) then featured in a 147-run stand for the fifth wicket. At 245 for 5, England were in an impressive position.
Sharma, however, dealt England with a massive blow, cleaning up Gooch. He completed a famous five-for, trapping Paul Downton lbw for 5 as England were bowled out for 294.
Dilip Vengsarkar, whose love for the Lords’s is legendary, registered an unbeaten 126 in Team India’s first-innings total of 341. Kapil Dev’s four-for restricted England to 180 in their second essay, and India chased down the total of 134 with five wickets in hand.
#4. Ravindra Jadeja (7 for 48) in Chennai in 2016
Ravindra Jadeja will be missing from action in the 2021 series owing to a fracture. The last time Team India faced England in Chennai, Jadeja wreaked havoc with figures of 7 for 48 in England’s second innings.
England had posted a massive 477 in their first innings courtesy Moeen Ali’s 146 and Joe Root’s 88. However, Team India responded with a record score of 759 for 7 declared as Karun Nair blazed his way to an unbeaten 303, and KL Rahul made 199.
Under pressure, the visitors crumbled to the left-arm spin of Jadeja in their second innings.
Alastair Cook (49) and Keaton Jennings (54) added 103 for the opening wicket. Then Jadeja sent both of them back in quick succession. He also added the scalps of Joe Root, Moeen Ali, and Ben Stokes as England completely lost their way.
The left-arm spinner wrapped up the England tail, sending back Stuart Broad and Jake Ball. The visitors folded up for 207, and Team India registered an comprehensive win by an innings and 75 runs.
#3. Ishant Sharma (7 for 74) at Lord’s in 2014
In one of the best exhibitions of short ball bowling by a Team India fast bowler, Ishant Sharma ran through England with figures of 7 for 74 in the fourth innings of the Lord's Test in 2014.
After dismissing Cook and Ian Bell with good line-and-length deliveries in the hosts' chase of 319, Ishant caught England’s middle and lower order off-guard with a barrage of short-pitched deliveries.
Joe Root, Moeen Ali, Matt Prior, Ben Stokes, and Stuart Broad, all fell to the rising ball as England capitulated to 223.
Apart from Ishant’s heroics, Team India's victory was build around Ajinkya Rahane’s hundred in the first innings, and half-centuries from Murali Vijay (95), Jadeja (68), and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (52) in the second.
#2. Bhagwath Chandrasekhar (6 for 38) at The Oval in 1971
Former leg-spinner Bhagwath Chandrasekhar spun a web around the English batsmen with figures of 6 for 38 in England’s second innings at The Oval in 1971.
After running out opener John Jameson, Chandrasekhar cleaned up John Edrich for a duck and had Keith Fletcher caught by Eknath Solkar first-ball.
Chandrasekhar later sent back England skipper Ray Illingworth for 4 and also dislodged the stubborn Brian Luckhurst for 33. He cleaned up the tail to roll England over for 101.
Thanks to Chandrasekhar’s efforts, Team India needed to chase 173 to win the Test. Skipper Ajit Wadekar and Dilip Sardesai contributed 40s, while Gundappa Viswanath (33) and Farokh Engineer (28 not out) took India home with four wickets to spare.
#1. Vinoo Mankad (8 for 55) in Chennai in February 1952
One of Team India’s greatest all-rounders, Vinoo Mankad ran through England with exceptional figures of 8 for 55 in the first innings of the Chennai Test.
England were 71 for 1 when Mankad had Tom Graveney stumped for 39. A standout feature of Mankad’s bowling was that four of his eight victims were out stumped.
Clearly, the English batsmen had no answer to his slow left-arm orthodox bowling. Even top-scorer Jack Robertson (77) was foxed and offered a catch back to the bowler.
Thanks to Mankad’s brilliance, England were restricted to 266 in their first innings. Team India responded with an imposing 457 for 9 declared as Pankaj Roy (111) and Polly Umrigar (130 not out) hit excellent centuries.
Mankad chipped in with four more scalps in England’s second innings, while Ghulam Ahmed also claimed four. The visitors were bowled out for 183, handing India a victory by an innings and 8 runs.