The Indian Cricket Team, in the past decade, has had a fortress at home for Test cricket, not losing a Test series in India in over a decade. However, that record has come crashing down in the past year.
Under the management of head coach Gautam Gambhir, India has lost two home Test series in a row, and that too to countries that have not won a red-ball game on Indian soil in decades. First, in 2024, New Zealand whitewashed India 3-0 in Tests. The last time the Kiwis won a Test in India was in 1988. They had also not won a Test series in India ever.
And now, South Africa has thrashed India 2-0 in a Test. This is the first time the Proteas have won a Test series in India since the year 2000.
However, the recent humiliation at the hands of the defending World Test Champions was record-breaking. The first match in Kolkata was a three-day affair, a close match that the Proteas clinched after the Men in Blue fumbled in the final inning. The second Test, on the other hand, weaved a very different story.
A staggering loss by 408 runs is certainly demoralising for the Indian Cricket Team, that too at home. This is also one of the biggest Test defeats for India ever.
Today, we will look at the five biggest Indian Test defeats by runs –
Five Biggest Indian Test Defeats By Runs
5) IND vs AUS – 1st Test 2017 (333 runs)
At this point in history, the Indian Cricket Team had developed an image of not losing Test matches at home, so this result was, at the time, genuinely surprising. While the Indians would go on to win that four-Test series 2-1, the first match in Pune told a different story.
In a low-scoring game, the Aussies thoroughly dominated with the ball. Spinner Steve O’Keefe took 12 wickets as Australia bowled India out for 105 and 107 in their two innings, respectively. And so, despite not crossing the 300-run mark themselves even once, the Kangaroos won the match by a massive margin of 333 runs.
Check Out: Five Biggest Indian Test Defeats By Runs
4) AUS vs IND – 1st Test 2007 (337 runs)
This is Australia’s second, and (spoiler alert!) not the final appearance in this list. This particular match was from the 2007/08 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, played down under. This was a very competitive series that the home side ended up winning 2-1. But the first match was quite a lopsided one.
Australia batted first and made 343 runs. India, in response, got bowled out for 196. In the third innings, the Aussies declared for 351, leaving a target of 499 runs in the final inning, chasing which the Men in Blue only managed to make 161, losing the match by 337 runs.
3) PAK Vs IND – 3rd Test 2006 (341 runs)
This series was the last time India would visit Pakistan for a Test series, with this particular game being their last Test in that country, and it was certainly one to forget for the Indians. After a competitive series till that point, which saw the first two Tests being drawn, the third and final Pakistan vs India Test of the 2006 series saw the home side dominate against an Indian team that, only a couple of years ago, had won a Test series in Pakistan for the very first time.
But this match told a different tale. The two teams, like the series till that point, were about even in the first inning, making 245 and 238 runs in the first efforts, respectively. But then, in the third inning, the Men in Green made a mammoth 599 runs before declaring, leaving a 606-run target for India.
The Men in Blue, in response, got bowled out for 265, losing the match by 341 runs in Karachi. This is India’s biggest Test loss to their arch-rivals.
2) AUS vs IND – 3rd Test 2004 (342 runs)
Before their recent humiliation against South Africa, India’s biggest loss in Test cricket at home used to be this one. In 2004, the Australian Test Team wasn’t quite ‘the Invincibles’ anymore but was still the best team in the world, as shown by them winning this four-game Test series in India 2-1.
The third match was the pinnacle of Aussie dominance in white clothing. Played in Nagpur, Australia, batted first and made 398 runs before bowling India out for 185. Then, in the third inning, the Kangaroos declared after making 329 runs, leaving a massive target of 543 for the final inning, where India managed to get out for 200, thus losing the match by 343 runs.
1) IND vs SA – 2nd Test 2025 (408 runs)
India’s biggest Test loss in terms of runs coming in India, that too after a prolonged period of dominance at home, stings a lot. Especially because not only did this match confirm South Africa winning their first Test series in India since the year 2000, but also the Men in Blue were whitewashed for a second time at home in a year.
India was out of the game since the beginning. With Senuram Muthusamy and Marco Jansen making big runs in the lower-middle order, the Proteas reached the score of 489 in the first inning on a tough pitch. Then, India collapsed and was bowled out for 201.
A declaration after making 260 in the third inning meant India had a target of 549. On the final day, with eight wickets in hand, the Men in Blue either needed to make over 500 runs or survive. They did neither, getting bowled out for 140 instead and losing the match by 408 runs.
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