The Test series between England Vs India has been fascinating over the years. It is a neck-to-neck contest between the bat and ball for five grueling days under the hot sun.
Both the teams need to play it out the session by session to hold their grip on the Test match, and the team who wins the most sessions ends up winning the Test match quite compressively.
The Test match played in England is different from India, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, West Indies, and other Asian Sun Continent countries. The balls zip around in England, and it supports the bowlers more.
The patience, determination, and perseverance come into play due to the swing and seaming conditions in the United Kingdom. If the conditions are overcast, then that troubles the batsmen even more.
The Indian batsmen have been troubled in the overcast, seam and swing conditions. The Indian batters have not adapted to these bowling-friendly conditions as they did in Australia, and so they won two back-to-back series Down Under.
India’s record has been the poor in England, South Africa, and New Zealand. It was in 2007 when India won their last Test series in England. That came under the captaincy skills of Rahul Sharad Dravid, and in 2009, India won the Test series in New Zealand under Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Since then, the men in blue have struggled to make a men’s mark whenever they have toured these two countries. But India are yet to win a Test series in South Africa.
Today, we shall make a list of the top 10 Indian batters who have done well in England in Test match Cricket.
Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar – The Master Blaster has scored tons of runs in every corner of the world, and that is why he is the legend in the game of cricket, and he is also known as the God of Cricket. Sachin Tendulkar remains the highest run-scorer for India in Test matches and One Day International matches. He also has the most half-centuries and hundreds for India in this great game. Moreover, he tops the list as the highest run-getter for India against England in their backyard. Sachin has successfully put all the great England bowlers under pressure, and he was also part of the 2007 Test series win in England. The God of cricket is the first man to score a thousand runs on England’s soil. In 17 test matches and 30 innings, Sachin has scored 1575 runs against England on their soil with the help of four centuries and eight half-centuries. Tendulkar had a Test average of 54.31 in England.
Rahul Sharad Dravid – The Wall of India who had decimated all the best bowlers of the world through his skills, defense, and perseverance. Rahul Dravid is the best example for someone who doesn’t have any patience because in real life. Dravid’s patience is the secret of his success for India in overseas conditions. He loved to play in England, and he also played few county seasons in that country. Dravid is just the second Indian batter to score a thousand runs in England, and he is also the second Indian captain who won a Test series in England. In just 13 matches, the current head coach of Team India l has smashed 1376 runs, and he has six centuries in England which is the most by any Indian player in this list of Top 10. Dravid also has the highest average of 68.80 in Test matches played in and against England. He has scored four half-centuries overall in the UK.
Sourav Ganguly – The Prince of Kolkata had a dream debut at Lord’s Cricket Ground in 1996. He scored a defining century on his maiden Test match, and his name is still on the Lord’s honors board. Ganguly is still known as the God offside, and his innings were based purely on the timing of the ball. Dada was also part of the 2007 series win England, and he was the only captain under whom the Test series was drawn in 2002. The prince of Kolkata was the best captain for India in overseas conditions. India also drew the Test series in Australia that year. In England, Sourav Ganguly has scored 915 Test runs in nine matches and 15 innings. Dada had the second-best Test average in England. He had an average of 65.35. He also scored three hundred and five half-centuries in England.a
Mahendra Singh Dhoni – India’s most successful captain across the formats, appears fourth in this list. Mahi Bhai has achieved a lot during his Test captaincy days for India till 2014. Dhoni is just the second Indian captain to win a Test match at Lord’s Cricket ground. Kapil Dev is the first captain to take India to a memorable win at the home of the cricket stadium. MS Dhoni also took India to number one in ICC Test rankings. But due to his poor outing as a skipper on 2011 and 2014 tours to England and Australia, many have criticized him. But he is the fourth-highest run-scorer for India in England and against the same opposition. Despite having an unconventional technique, Dhoni has scored 778 runs in 12 matches and 23 innings. Mahi has saved the collapses for India on the 2011 and 2014 tours. His match-saving knock during the 2007 tour eventually helped India to clinch the series in England in 2007. Mahi doesn’t have any centuries overseas. But he has scored eight half-centuries in England, which is the most in this list of top 10.
Virat Kohli – The modern-day legend Virat Kohli is in fifth position. Kohli had a poor outing as a batsman in 2014. But the King came back with a bang in 2018 tour and he was India’s highest run getter in that series. Kohli has scored 727 runs in 11 matches and 20 innings. Virat has scored two centuries and three fifties in England, and all of them had come in a single series of 2018. His average in England is 36.35. He needs to negotiate the swing, seam, and the weakness of fetching the ball outside the off stump, which will be used by the England bowlers.
VVS Laxman – The special batsman of India, VVS Laxman was very special in Test match cricket. His dominance in and against Australia is still remembered because of the knocks he played in Kolkata in 2001 and Adelaide in 2002. Laxman was the best middle-order batsman for India in Tests and ODIs. He was also part of the series win in England in 2007. But his performance against England wasn’t that good if it is compared to Australia. VVS was also part of the 2011 tour when India was whitewashed in the four-match Test series. Laxman played 11 matches and 19 innings in England, and he scored 586 runs at an average of 34.47. VVS didn’t score a hundred in England. But he had five half-centuries to his name.j
Ajinkya Rahae – The former vice-captain of India has a test hundred at Lords, which he scored in the 2014 tour and the team also needed it the most. India could win their second Test match at Lord’s mainly because of Rahane’s ton in the first innings. Jinxs has played 11 Test matches and 20 innings so far. He has scored 556 runs at an average of 29.26 with the help of one century and four fifties in England.
Cheteshwar Pujara – In Test cricket, Pujara used to be the test match specialist for the Indian Cricket Team. Pujara was called the next Wall of India in Test matches. But he failed to replicate what Rahul Dravid, the real Wall of India, did. Pujara has scored 500 runs in ten matches and 18 innings. However, he has a below-par average of 29.41, which needs to be improved for the betterment of India. Pujara has scored one hundred and two fifties on England’s soil.
KL Rahul – Rahul has scored a Test hundred in England in 2018, which is the only one in his Test career in England. KL has played six Test matches and 11 innings in England, and he has scored 308 runs. Rahul has also scored two half-century in England.
vindran Ashwin – The last batsman to have scored more runs in Test matches in England is Ravichandran Ashwin. In the home series against England, Ashwin also smashed a ton on his home ground in Chennai. He has scored 232 runs to his name with no fifties and centuries in England.
