New Delhi: The match appeared all but lost when Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sai Sudharsan were out in the first over as India came to bat in the second innings after conceding a lead of 311 runs at Manchester.
But opener K.L. Rahul and captain Shubman Gill ensured India did not lose another wicket on day 4. They played more than 60 overs without conceding an inch. It seemed India had recovered from the early jitters of the second innings and was on course to script something special.
But when the two batters fell in the morning session on day 5, and the mercurial Rishabh Pant down with a foot injury, surviving two full sessions looked like an impossible task.
But India’s tentative middle order stepped up. All-rounders Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja held the fort, reached their respective centuries and guided India to a draw. They made the England bowling line-up led by Ben Stokes look tired and out of idea.
The hard-fought Manchester Test match draw will go down in history as one of the great Indian escapes. Here, ThePrint compiles a list of India’s most iconic saves and victories in Test cricket.
India vs Pakistan, Delhi (1979) –Draw
India-Pakistan contests have always seen high voltage dramas. And the 1979 Feroz Shah Kotla contest was one of them, where the Indian side pulled off a draw against their arch-rivals against all odds.
Batting first, Pakistan set up 273 but India’s first innings collapsed with all wickets falling for just 126. Sunil Gavaskar was the top scorer with 31. Later, India had a mammoth 386 to chase in their second innings against a potent Pakistani attack, spearheaded by Imran Khan, with Asif Iqbal and Sikander Bakht, who alone scalped 8 wickets in India’s first innings, in the mix too.
India stood firm in the second innings, reaching 364/6, anchored by a century from Dilip Vengsarkar (146 off 370) and a half century by Yashpal Sharma. While the match ended without a winner, in the backdrop of political tensions, the draw felt as intense and meaningful as a win.
India vs Australia, Kolkata (2001) – Win
This is arguably India’s greatest come-from-behind Test victory. The 2001 Eden Gardens miracle saw India bounce back after being asked to follow-on by a marauding Australian side.
After being all-out for 171 in reply to Australia’s 445, India staged an unforgettable turnaround. VVS Laxman (281) and Rahul Dravid (180) added 376 runs for the fifth wicket, changing the course of the match.
Australians saw the match slip away from their hands but couldn’t do anything. Harbhajan Singh’s 13 wickets in the match, including a hat-trick, dismantled the Aussies’ batting line-up. India won by 171 runs, ending Australia’s 16-match winning streak.
India vs Australia, Brisbane (2003) – Draw
In the December 2003 Test at Brisbane, despite Sourav Ganguly’s 144-run knock, it was Parthiv Patel and Zaheer Khan’s crucial partnership in the lower order that laid the groundwork for an eventual draw.
Responding to Australia’s first innings score of 323 runs, India was at 362/8 with a lead of just a few runs. However, for the ninth wicket, a young Parthiv Patel and Zaheer Khan added 47 runs taking India to a respectable total of 409.
Their partnership not only added runs but also didn’t leave much time to Australian batters to score in the second innings and then bowl out Indians.
Australia scored 284 runs and declared their innings, and following up India had scored 73 runs when the game ended on day 5.
India vs England, Lord’s (2007) – Draw
In a dramatic finish at the Home of Cricket, India salvaged a draw thanks to the defiance of their lower order. Chasing 380, India were 247/7 on the final day with 13.2 overs left.
MS Dhoni held the fort from one end as he batted courageously, scoring 76 in tough conditions and remained not out. Giving him company were first R.P. Singh and then S. Sreesanth who survived against the English attack. Rain also helped, but the fightback was key.
This draw set the framework for India’s series win, their first in England since 1986.
It was also a testament to the Indian side’s growing resilience and ability to escape from near-defeat situations.
India vs Australia, Mohali (2010) – Win
In one of the closest finishes in Test history, India snatched a thrilling 1-wicket victory from Australia in Mohali in 2010. Chasing a total of 216 in the fourth innings, India was reeling at 124/8. But Laxman scored a resilient 73 not out, guiding India to victory in the tense final session.
Supported by Ishant Sharma (31) and later Pragyan Ojha (5), Laxman’s calm and composed batting under pressure turned the match around.
It was certainly a masterclass in composure and grit, and reinforced Laxman’s reputation as Australia’s nemesis and one of India’s greatest match-winners.
India vs South Africa, Johannesburg (2018) – Win
India clinched an away win against South Africa in 2018. And it was extra special because it came on the Wanderers pitch that had unpredictable bounce and seam movement. The visitors were already 2-0 down in the series.
Here, they batted first and scored a lowkey total of 187, then bowled out South Africa for 194.
A lead of 240-runs in the second innings gave India a defendable total. And, the bowling attack by Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar did their job. They dismantled the Proteas for 177, sealing a 63-run victory.
While Bumrah picked a fifer in the first innings, Shami claimed the feat in the second one.
India vs Australia, Sydney (2021) – Draw
The 2021 draw against Australia is one of the most courageous batting displays by a side in Test history. The Indian team showed a great deal of courage, determination and skills to salvage a draw at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) despite an endless list of injured players.
Hanuma Vihari and Ravichandran Ashwin played nearly 40 overs, their movements restricted by injuries, against a penetrative Australian attack to deny the hosts a victory.
Chasing 407 runs, India got a good start in the second innings with the top three batters– Rohit Sharma (52), Shubman Gill (31) and Cheteshwar Pujara (77) —making good contributions.
But when the team was reduced to 102/3 with two wickets falling in quick succession, a defeat was beginning to appear in sight. But, Rishabh Pant’s counterattacking 97 gave hope in the middle. But once the left-hander fell with the target still more than 150 runs away, an Australian victory looked the most probable result.
But in a great display of courage and determination, Hanuma Vihari and Ravichandran Ashwin batted with injuries for more than three hours, surviving 259 balls to deny Australia a victory. The two could not play the next Test at the Gabba, but their heroics lifted the Indian team and its morale so much that a depleted squad defeated Australia and won a historic Test match and series.
India vs Australia, Gabba (2021) – Win
India’s historic win at the Gabba shattered Australia’s 32-year unbeaten streak at the venue, where no visiting team had won since 1988.
The injury-ravaged squad was missing most first-choice players including the then regular captain and the talisman Virat Kohli. But, India chased down 328 runs on the final day, thanks to brilliant batting displays from Shubman Gill (91), Cheteshwar Pujara (56), and Rishabh Pant (89*).
The victory also sealed a 2-1 series win and gave cricket lovers a Test match to remember for a long long time.
(Edited by Ajeet Tiwari)
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