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Just how bad were India against England? India’s worst test cricket defeats in numbers
Just how bad were India yesterday?
Thousands of disappointed cricket fans with tickets to the fourth day that never was have had to rapidly conjure an idea better than work to fill their day today, as the final test between England and India ended early thanks to one of the worst capitulations in Indian cricketing history.
India were abject. Seriously bad. A headline in The Hindustan Times read “Spineless India blown away” while Indian batting legend Sunil Gavaskar has said the squad “don’t have it in them” to win regularly away from home.
Coach Duncan Fletcher has come in for particularly heavy criticism. Former India captain Ajit Wadekar said:
What was Fletcher doing after we won the Lord's Test on a difficult pitch? This is where he lacked imagination in keeping the lead. Yes, I think Fletcher has to go.
Emotions were clearly running high, understandable when you consider that only twice in their history have India suffered a worse defeat in test cricket.
Trailing by 338 a big, defining, defiant performance from India was required in the second innings. Instead of that, an insipid India produced their lowest test innings total since the start of the century – all out for a measly 94.
A brutal England attack led by Chris Jordan certainly showed no mercy, but not since 1977 have India registered so low a tally in a test innings.
Although the manner of India’s crushing defeat was somewhat shocking to see, the result itself was in keeping with a recent and long-term trend of dominance for the England cricket team. India have now failed to win a test series over England since 2008, when they won a two match series in India 1-0.
England and India played out their first test match in 1932 at Lord’s, a comfortable England win by 158 runs. India had to wait thirty more years, until England’s visit in the winter of 1961/1962 to win beat their rivals in a test series.
Since then India have been considerably more competitive, winning a further eight test series, yet remain some distance away from England who have won 11 in the same period.
And to really rub things in, Sunday’s defeat marks three test defeats in a row, following previous losses in South Africa and New Zealand. This is the first time India have faced such ignominy since a bad streak in the seventies, when the lost to England, Australia and Pakistan between 1976-78.