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Home  » Cricket » India's WORST five batting displays in Test cricket

India's WORST five batting displays in Test cricket

By HARISH KOTIAN
December 21, 2020 09:09 IST
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It was the worst day in India's cricketing history at the Adelaide Oval on Saturday, December 19. as the tourists were shot out for 36 -- their lowest Test score and the second lowest Test score ever.

The star-studded Indian team crashed like a pack of cards against Australian pace bowlers Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins.

Captain Virat Kohli now holds the dubious record earlier held by Ajit Wadekar whose team was bowled out for 42 in the Lord's Test in 1974.

A look at India's five lowest scores in Tests:

 

36, versus Australia, Adelaide Oval, December 19, 2020

IMAGE: Pat Cummins celebrates dismissing Virat Kohli in India's second innings on Day 3 of the first Test in Adelaide. Photograph: Daniel Kalisz/Getty Images

None of India's batsmen, including Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara, got to double figures -- only the second time that has happened to any team in a Test match.

None of the Indian batsmen has an answer to the pace of Josh Hazlewood (5-8) and Pat Cummins (4-21).

 

India 42 all out vs England, Lord's, June 24, 1974

Ajit Wadekar

IMAGE: Ajit Wadekar's distinguished Test career ended after the debacle in England in 1974. Photograph: Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Chris Old (4-67) and Mike Hendrick (3-46) ripped apart the Indian batting line-up after the Indians were asked to follow on. India lost the Test by an innings and 285 runs.

Sunil Gavaskar, Farokh Engineer, Ajit Wadekar, Gundappa Viswanath, Brijesh Patel all fell for single digit scores with Eknath Solkar (18) the only Indian to score in double digits.

India were shot out in just 17 overs as the innings lasted over an hour.

India lost the next Test in Birmingham as England completed a 3-0 series clean sweep.

Wadekar was not only sacked as captain, he also lost his place in the national team. He was even dropped from the West Zone team.

That was the last time Wadekar played for India as he announced his retirement from all forms of cricket.

 

India 58 all out vs Australia, Brisbane, December 1, 1947

Lala Amarnath

IMAGE: Lala Amarnath led India on the first tour to Australia after Independence. Photograph: A. Hudson/Topical Press Agency/Getty Images

This was India's first tour of Australia as an independent nation.

Don Bradman's 185 had steered Australia to 382 for eight declared on a rain-soacked pitch. In reply, Lala Amarnath's India were bowled out for a paltry 58 in 21.3 overs.

Amarnath top scored with 22 and his 30-run partnership with Vijay Hazare (10) for the sixth wicket helped the visitors cross the 50 run mark.

India lost five wickets for five runs with left-arm pacer Ernie Toshack picking up the last five wickets in 15 deliveries.

Following on, India folded for 98 in their second innings, to lose by an innings and 226 runs.

 

India 58 all out vs England, Manchester, July 19, 1952

Fred Trueman

IMAGE: England fast bowler Fred Trueman took eight wickets to destroy India in the Manchester Test in 1952. Photograph: Central Press/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

India suffered the same fate five years later during their tour of England in 1952.

Fred Trueman's pace proved to be too hot to handle as the fast bowler claimed 8-31 to send the visitors crashing for a lowly 58 in their first innings in the third Test in Manchester in July 1952.

Captain Vijay Hazare (16) and Vijay Manjrekar (22) were the only two Indian batsmen to score in double digits.

Following on, the Indians came up with another meek batting display on the same day to be bowled out for 82 as England registered a thumping win by an innings and 207 runs.

India was the first team to be bowled out twice on the same day in a Test match. The match aggregate of 140 runs is still India's lowest in a Test match.

 

India 66 all out vs South Africa, Durban, December 28, 1996

Venkatesh Prasad's 5/60 had helped India restrict South Africa to 235.

All his good work came undone when India were sent packing for 100 in the first innings by the fiery pace of Allan Donald, who bagged 5/40.

Prasad took another five wicket haul in the second innings but South Africa set India a stiff 395 for victory.

Dravid, with 27 not out, was the only Indian batsman to score in double digits in the second innings as the visitors suffered a 238 run defeat.

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HARISH KOTIAN / Rediff.com

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