Following humiliating collapses in the fourth Test at Manchester, the story continued quite similarly in the first innings of the fifth Test at The Oval. Bharath Seervi explains why this run of collapses are one of the worst sequences in their cricket history.
After England won the toss and put India in at The Oval, the Indians displayed almost an encore of their batting in the previous Test at Manchester. At The Oval, Indian team lost its first six wickets for a mere 44 runs. In the previous Test as well, the sixth wicket fell at score of 63 and 66 in two innings respectively. Well, first six wickets mean the complete batting order of the batsmen of a team!
At The Oval, India in their very first over lost Gautam Gambhir to James Anderson. Gambhir was out for a golden duck — the first in his Test career – on the fourth ball of the match. The second wicket was Chesteshwar Pujara on the final delivery of the sixth over, bowled by Stuart Broad. The score was two wickets for ten runs. Next to fall were Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane – both to Chris Jordan – on team’s score of 26 and 28 respectively. The worries were not moving aside of the Indian dug-out as they lost Murali Vijay on score of 36 to Chris Woaked followed by Stuart Binny to James Anderson. At Binny’s wicket the scorecard read six for 44.
The score of 44 runs for 6 wickets is the eighth-lowest score for India at the fall of the sixth wicket in a Test innings. The last time India lost six wickets at score of 44 or less in a Test innings was in 1999 against New Zealand at Mohali when the six wickets fell at 38.
Lowest score for India at the fall of sixth wicket in a Test innings
Score
Final total
Against
Venue
Date
Result
25
66
South Africa
Durban
December 28, 1996
Lost
27
89
New Zealand
Hyderabad
October 18, 1969
Drawn
28
42
England
Lord’s
June 24, 1974
Lost
31
215
South Africa
Port Elizabeth
December 28, 1992
Lost
38
103
West Indies
Ahmedabad
October 10, 1999
Lost
38
83
New Zealand
Mohali
November 16, 1983
Drawn
40
178
West Indies
Kingston
April 14, 1962
Lost
44
148
England
The Oval
August 15, 2014
–
India, as mentioned earlier, were six down for 63 and 66 respectively in the previous two innings as well. It is the first time in the history of Indian cricket that the team lost its first six wickets below 75 runs in three consecutive Test innings.
There are, however, quite a few occasions in the past when India lost its first six wickets for less than a total of 100 in three or more consecutive Test innings. The table below provides the necessary details on it.
India losing its first 6 wickets for less than 100 runs in three or more consecutive Test innings
No. of innings
Score at 6th wicket
Final Total
Against
Venue
Date
Result
4
53
58
Australia
Brisbane
December 1, 1947
Lost
80
98
Australia
Brisbane
December 4, 1947
Lost
95
188
Australia
Sydney
December 13, 1947
Drawn
53
61/7
Australia
Sydney
December 17, 1947
Drawn
3
79
109
New Zealand
Nagpur
October 7, 1969
Lost
27
89
New Zealand
Hyderabad
October 18, 1969
Drawn
50
76/7
New Zealand
Hyderabad
October 20, 1969
Drawn
3
63
251
West Indies
Bridgetown
April 9, 1989
Lost
88
150
West Indies
Port of Spain
April 16, 1989
Lost
92
213
West Indies
Port of Spain
April 19, 1989
Lost
3
92
161
New Zealand
Wellington
December 12, 2002
Lost
76
121
New Zealand
Wellington
December 14, 2002
Lost
70
99
New Zealand
Hamilton
December 19, 2002
Lost
3
63
152
England
Manchester
August 7,2014
Lost
66
161
England
Manchester
August 9, 2014
Lost
44
148
England
The Oval
India lost its fifth wicket at score of 36 in this match and it well on 62 and 61 in their previous two innings respectively. It is only the second time in the history the Indian team lost its first three wickets for less than 65 in three consecutive Test innings. The first time was in 1969 when they lost their third wicket for 59, 21 and 44 in three consecutive innings against Australia and New Zealand.
Let us see the other teams who lost their first six wickets for score of 75 or less in consecutive Test innings. Australia has “achieved” this in five consecutive innings, the most by any team. In fact, they had lost first six wickets for less than 75 nine times in 11 innings in 1888. The only other team to do it in more than three consecutive innings is South Africa, in 4 innings in 1889-1892. England, New Zealand and Pakistan are the other teams before India to have made it in three consecutive innings.
Teams losing their first 6 wickets for score 75 or less in 3 or more consecutive Test innings
No. of Innings
Score
Final Total
Team
Against
Venue
Date
Result
5
18
60
Australia
England
Lord’s
July 17, 1888
Won
49
80
Australia
England
The Oval
August 13, 1888
Lost
62
100
Australia
England
The Oval
August 14, 1888
Lost
43
81
Australia
England
Manchester
August 30, 1888
Lost
7
70
Australia
England
Manchester
August 30, 1888
Lost
4
32
47
South Africa
England
Cape Town
March 26, 1889
Lost
20
43
South Africa
England
Cape Town
March 26, 1889
Lost
47
97
South Africa
England
Cape Town
March 19, 1892
Lost
59
83
South Africa
England
Cape Town
March 22, 1892
Lost
3
57
68
England
Australia
Brisbane
December 4, 1950
Lost
30
122
England
Australia
Brisbane
December 5, 1950
Lost
61
197
England
Australia
Melbourne
December 23, 1950
Lost
3
31
47
New Zealand
England
Lord’s
June 20, 1958
Lost
44
74
New Zealand
England
Lord’s
June 21, 1958
Lost
46
67
New Zealand
England
Leeds
July 5, 1958
Lost
3
47
182
Pakistan
England
Nottingham
July 30, 2010
Lost
41
80
Pakistan
England
Nottingham
August 1, 2010
Lost
36
72
Pakistan
England
Birmingham
August 7, 2010
Lost
3
63
152
India
England
Manchester
August 7,2014
Lost
66
161
India
England
Manchester
August 9, 2010
Lost
44
148
India
England
The Oval
August 14, 2010
–
It has been a terrible performance for the Indian batsmen in the last three Test innings in the England. With one more innings to play for, will they continue this sequence or, for a change, fight back to save the Test?
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