The rivalry between the India National Cricket Team and the England Timeline, which dates from the early years of the 20th century, is one of the most storied and competitive in the history of cricket, as a testament to some of the greatest cricketing clashes ever witnessed in Test matches, One-Day Internationals, and Twenty20 Internationals, which created some unforgettable moments and set several records in all formats.
This blog provides a comprehensive timeline of the most important matches and historical statistics of the India vs. England cricket rivalry.
India Vs England First Face-Off: The Birth of the Rivalry
India National Cricket Team vs England Cricket Team (Test Cricket)
1932: First Test Match
- India played its first Test match against England at Lord’s on 25 June 1932.
- England won by 158 runs, thus introducing India to Test cricket.
- Note: CK Nayudu (India), Douglas Jardine (England).
India National Cricket Team vs England Cricket Team (ODI Cricket)
1973: First ODI Encounter
- The first match of England vs India in 1973 was India’s first-ever encounter with England in ODI cricket.
- England won by 4 wickets.
India National Cricket Team vs England Cricket Team (T20 Cricket)
2007: India vs. England in the First T20 World Cup
- The two teams first met in a T20I during the inaugural ICC T20 World Cup in 2007, with India defeating England by 18 runs.
- The match is remembered for Yuvraj Singh’s six sixes in an over against Stuart Broad.
India National Cricket Team vs England Cricket Team: Key Matches & Historical Moments
1952: India’s First Test Victory Over England (Test)
- India gained its first Test victory against England at Madras (Chennai) in 1952.
- India won by an innings and 8 runs, a victory they would never forget against English opponents.
1971: India First series victory in England (Test)
- One of the most memorable days in the India National Cricket Team vs England Cricket Team had already passed.
- Under the captaincy of Ajit Wadekar, India achieved its first-ever victorious series on English grounds. That win came after a very closely contested test series where India had won the last test at The Oval.
1983: World Cup Semi-Final (ODI)
- The greatest battle was in the 1983 World Cup semi-final, where India defeated England at Old Trafford, Manchester.
- India won by 6 wickets and reached the final to beat WI to lift the World Cup.
1986: Won another series in England (Test)
- Fifteen years after they had won their first series, India again won the test series in 1986. This time, under the captaincy of Kapil Dev.
- India won the three-match Test series 2-0 with victories at Lord’s and Leeds. This time, everything was minus those big bangs, and strong play by Indians in both batting and bowling.
2002: NatWest Series Final (ODI)
- One of the most memorable moments in the India National Cricket Team vs England Cricket Team was the NatWest Series Final held in 2002. Played at Lord’s, it was the match where India chased down a target of 326 runs to win the final because of a fantastic performance by Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif.
- The Sourav Ganguly waving his shirt from the balcony of Lord’s is etched indelibly in the annals of cricketing history.
2011: Tied World Cup Encounter (ODI)
- India and England had a thrilling tie at Bengaluru in the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup. Both the teams equaled at 338. This was seen through some classy batting display by Andrew Strauss and Sachin Tendulkar.
2011: England’s victory at home (Test)
- The 2011 Test series in England was a torrid outing for India as England whitewashed India 4-0. The series saw England rise to the No. 1 spot in the ICC Test rankings. Kevin Pietersen, Alastair Cook, and Stuart Broad were some of the notable players who played crucial roles in engineering the dominance of their team.
2013: T20 Champions Trophy, Final Over Thriller.
- In group matches of the 2014 T20 World Cup, India defeated England by 5 runs in a closely contested match where Ravichandran Ashwin was instrumental, pulling off a splendid spell.
Virat Kohli in 2018 (ODI)
- The Indian side of the 2018 series in England was much more competitive. Virat Kohli led the team, and Kohli was brilliant, making two centuries and aggregating more than 500. However, England won the series 4-1, as James Anderson and Sam Curran did put in some performances.
- Virat battle with Anderson became a talking point, even though they did not win. They showed considerable improvement in terms of being able to play in English conditions.
2019: World Cup Clash (ODI)
- In a critical group-stage match of the 2019 ICC World Cup, England edged out India at Edgbaston, ensuring a berth in the semi-final. England won by 31 runs, led by the century of Jonny Bairstow.
2021: India wins historic series in England (Test)
- The India National Cricket Team vs England Cricket Team took another twist in this hard-fought battle in that Test series. India had high hopes for the series but delivered sensational performances when they won the matches at Lord’s and The Oval and took a 2-1 lead in the Test series.
- The final Test had to be postponed because of COVID-19, but India’s performance proved their strength and grit in trying English conditions.
2023: World Cup (ODI)
- The tug-of-war between the India National Cricket Team vs England Cricket Team has been one of the most watched and followed contests around the globe in international cricket.
- Both have talented squads and good leadership, so each series attached a lot of stakes to it. In the 2023 ODI World Cup match, India won this match by 100 runs.
Also Read: IND vs NZ Head to Head in ODI
