India’s thrashing at Lord’s in the ongoing five-match Test series was one of the worst ever defeat in the history on English soil. The Virat Kohli-led side trail England 2-0 and could lose the series at Nottingham with the 3rd Test starting, Thursday.
How often we have seen that India’s batting have failed to come out calling against English bowlers over time. This time it has gone to another disappointing level. The Lord’s Test was a testament to it. 237 runs is all India managed in the 2nd Test and lost the match eventually by an innings and 159 runs.
The last two series saw India lose here in England namely in 2011 and 2014. India’s performances in the last 11 Tests in England has only seen one win and a draw. There have been a staggering nine losses in this period. India in England in the past decade, compared to other sides, is a very sorry tale.
With loss number nine, India now has one more loss than Australia, which though has played more tests in England in the past decade, and also won or drawn more, than India. When other top nations are brought into play, Pakistan has its share of moments, only South Africa have truly matched England.
The visitors have a won/lost ratio of just 0.11 in England in a period of 10 years. This is the second-lowest, after fellow Asian side Bangladesh.
Here we look at India’s worst Test defeats on English soil.
5th Test, 2014: England beat India by an innings and 244 runs
A rampant England thrashed India inside three days in the fifth Test to complete a 3-1 series victory. The tourists were skittled out for 94 in only 29.2 overs as England won by an innings and 244 runs at The Oval. England bowlers James Anderson and Stuart Broad broke through with the new ball, Chris Jordan took four of the last five wickets to kick-start the celebrations.
India were earlier rooted for a meagre 148 runs with just MS Dhoni scoring a 82 to lead the side. Nobody showed any determination or character to tick at the crease.
The hosts relied on a Joe Root ton (149), to put 486 on the board. That score seamed like a mountain for India to climb. And what followed was disaster!
In the 2nd innings only two Indian batsmen got to double figures. Chris Jordan was the pick of the bowlers at the Oval with a total of 7 wickets.
3rd Test, 2011: England beat India by an innings and 242 runs
England with a 2-0 lead in the 4-match series, took little time to demolish India at Edgbaston in the 3rd Test. Andrew Strauss’s side was top class as India’s famed line-up back then struggled against the swing and seam. MS Dhoni’s 77 was the main reason why India got to 224 in the first innings, with Stuart Broad and Tim Bresnan claiming eight wickets between them.)
India’s Fab Four of Virender Sehwag (0), Rahul Dravid (22), Sachin Tendulkar (1) and VVS Laxman (30) never managed to get going and only managed 53 runs between them. England in reply, scored a mammoth 710/7, with Alastair Cook smashing 294 and Eoin Morgan slamming a ton.
James Anderson then set England on the victory trail by removing Gautam Gambhir,Dravid and VVS  inside the first hour in a brilliant spell of swing bowling. Captain MS Dhoni and Praveen Kumar delayed the inevitable with an entertaining partnership of 75, but Stuart Broad and Tim Bresnan cleaned up the tail as India were bundled out for 244.
2nd Test, 2018: England beat India by an innings and 159 runs
This match saw one of the worst ever batting performances by India ever in a Test. James Anderson showed why he is the best in the world, after taking 4-23 to finish with nine wickets in the match. His partner Stuart Broad shone with 4-44 as India were bowled out for 130 in the 2nd innings on Day 4.
The hosts had declared on 396-7, with Chris Woakes finishing on 137 not out – his best Test score and a maiden career century at Lord’s. All the damage was done in the 1st innings itself. Almost nothing went right for India in this Test.
They lost the toss and were dismissed for 107 after being inserted in the first innings in conditions made for swing bowling. Every batsmen came in and played as per England wanted them to. The continuous edges and chasing of deliveries let India down miserably. Anderson sparkled with a five-for.
2nd Test, 1974: England beat India by an innings and 285 runs
This was the final Test series of of the recently deceased Ajit Wadekar as India’s skipper. India never managed to stand tall against a challenging England score at Lord’s. Batting first, Mike Deness-led English side posted a mammoth 629 runs. Indian bowlers toiled hard, but England were superior in every sense.
Opener Dennis Amiss smashed 188, with skipper Dennis (118) and Tony Greg (106) contributing to this massive total. Bishen Singh Bedi picked 6/226. India then failed to get going despite a strong start of 131 between Sunil Gavaskar and Farookh Engineer. The visitors could only get to 302 runs from there on.
In the 2nd innings, India scripted an unwanted history. They were all out for 42 runs which till now is the 7th joint-lowest total in an innings. Chris Old blew India away with a five-for with Geoff Arnold picking 4 scalps. India were bundled out inside 17 overs while following on.