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Most Thrilling Series Played By India In Test Cricket History Ft. England Tour 2025

Arnav Chopra

India vs Australia 2001 (Source: @ICC/X.com)India vs Australia 2001 (Source: @ICC/X.com)

The Indian cricket team has had a long, successful history in Test cricket, where they have managed to outplay the opposition, much stronger than them. From the Gavaskars to the Tendulkars to Kohlis, now to Gills, the Indian Test side has transitioned through phases, years, generations, and, most importantly, through different rough patches.

Despite all the fight for survival, the Indian team has come out on top on many occasions. Therefore, in this article, we will have a look at the most competitive Test series ever played by the Indian men's cricket team in history.

5. India Tour Of Australia, 1977/78

Starting in the fifth position is India's iconic tour of Australia back in the years 1977-78. India toured Australia for five Test matches and played out a thrilling series right from day one until day 25, when India lost out to the home side by a margin of 3-2. The first two Tests ended in Australia's favour, where they won by 16 runs and two wickets, respectively, while India came back strong in the next two games, winning by mammoth margins of 222 runs and in the next match by an innings and two runs.

The fifth Test turned out to be a humdinger, where Australia sealed the series winning by a bare margin of 47 runs. This series is long remembered for Bishan Singh Bedi's 31 wickets at an average of 23.87 in 10 innings, where he outlasted Australia in all those games. While for India, with the bat, Gundappa Vishwanath's tally of 473 runs was only bettered by Australia's Bob Simpson, who scored 539 runs in the series.

4. Pakistan Tour Of India, 1999

Now moving to the number four spot is a high-octane series between the arch rivals India and Pakistan back in the year 1999, where India went on to draw the series against the arch nemesis.

In the first Test at Chennai, Pakistan won by just 12 runs to a rousing standing ovation from the knowledgeable Chennai crowd, whereas in the Delhi Test, India won by 212 runs, due to an iconic 10-wicket haul in an innings by Anil Kumble, who bowled Pakistan out in the fourth innings, helping India gain victory and level the series with Pakistan.

3. India Tour Of England, 2025

Now, the number three series on this list is the recently concluded Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy between England and India, which was played in England. England won the first Test by five wickets, while India, with the help of Shubman Gill's valuable knocks, won by 336 runs in the second Test. Following which England strongly returned to win by just 22 runs in a high-octane thriller at Lord's, while the fourth Test, after India's hard fight, was drawn, as the series was currently with England, as they had a lead of 2-1 runs going into the 5th Test.

However, much to the enjoyment of fans, the fifth Test turned out to be an absolute thriller, one of the best India has ever played in their long history of Test cricket, as they won by just six runs at the Oval in London after Mohammad Siraj and Prasidh Krishna's spirited show in the final innings. That meant India drew the series again with England at 2-2.

2. India Tour Of Australia, 2020/21

The number two spot is occupied by another India-Australia series that was played in Down Under. Back in the year 2020-2021, which is also remembered as one of India's best comebacks ever, after being all out for 36 runs in Adelaide, to returning back in Gabba, Brisbane with a spirited chase courtesy of Rishabh Pant.

Australia won the first Test by eight runs, while India won the second match by eight runs as well. The third was drawn, while India won the fourth Test by just three wickets, where a young Indian lineup, without many of the senior players, showed unresolved spirit and resilience against the dominating bowling lineup to return the odds as they won in a classic of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy to grab the series 2-1, which no one had actually predicted.

1. Australia Tour Of India, 2001

Without any doubt, the number one spot on this list is occupied by another India-Australia classic, played in the year 2001. The dominant Australian side, back in the era, came on the back of a 15-match winning streak into the series and won the first Test at Wankhede comfortably by 10 wickets.

Then, a 16-match streak was broken by an Indian VVS Laxman-Rahul Dravid classic in the Kolkata Test, while Harbhajan Singh was on fire with the ball as he grabbed a total of 32 wickets in six innings in the three games to help India in the third Test, as well as they won by just two wickets in Chennai to earn the series victory against a rampant Australian side by a margin of 2-1.

That is why this series is written in the folklore of Indian cricket; from Kolkata's high to Chennai's triumph, India were at their best when they defeated the Aussies in the most unimaginable manner.