India’s All-time XI to have played Test cricket in England
Ever since India’s Test debut in 1932 against England, the nation has produced many greats who have gone onto rule the world in their own respective eras. India’s first Test win, that came in 1952 against England, took 20 years after their arrival in Test cricket.
In the past 86 years, India has always been on the receiving end while touring abroad, especially against England. In the tours so far to the birthplace of the game, the sub-continent giants have gone past the solid England side only thrice to win the Test series.
It was in 1971 that India drew first blood against England in their own backyard to win the 3-match Test series, 1-0. Then it took a while, in 1986, when a well-established Indian side dashed out England to win 2-0 in the 3-match Test affair. And to count their latest Test series win in 2007, India registered a 1-0 victory in the 3-match series.
In all these years, despite producing so many greats, only a few have managed to play out of their skin and perform well in those tough English conditions. We take a look at an All-time India XI that could have played in England:
#1 Openers: Sunil Gavaskar and Rahul Dravid
One could not ask for better players of seam and swing bowling as openers, given the amount of movement that a bowler can fetch with the new dukes ball.
Sunil Gavaskar, who played in England at various times in his career as an opener, was a master when it came to negate the swing early on in the innings. The Little Master was in the mix of things when India won its first Test series against England.
It was in the tour of 1979, when Gavaskar almost single-handedly took India to victory, as he scored a record-breaking 221 in the fourth innings of the 4th Test match, The visitors just fell short by 9 runs to let the game end as a draw.
M: 16, Runs: 1152, Average: 41.14, HS: 221
Rahul Dravid had a great love for England. He was one of the few Indian batsmen to have scored runs consistently in this part of the world. His Test debut at Lord’s, where he scored 95, impressed one and all with his grit and determination.
His innings of 148, on a green top at Leeds in 2002, is one of the best innings ever played by an Indian batsman in England. It was under Dravid’s captaincy that India won its third Test series in England after a long wait of 21 years.
M:13, Runs: 1376, Average: 68.80, HS: 217