India’s five-match Test series against England begins a new era for the Shubman Gill-led side they take the field for the first time without the likes of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in the playing XI. Both Rohit and Kohli announced their retirements from Test cricket last month.
India’s head-to-head record in England doesn’t look good when it comes to Tests. Overall 136 Tests have been played between two team with England winning 51 out of those. India emerged triumphant in just 35 Tests while the remaining ended in drawn encounters. In England, India have been able to win nine games and lost 36 with 22 games draws.
The first time India had defeated England in England dates back to 1971. India’s latest win in England came four years back. Although history is against the Indian team, the 2025 offers a fresh start to Shubman Gill‘s India and also in the World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle.
How many Test series India won in England?
Although India have toured England numerous times, the visitors were able to win a Test series on English soil only thrice. India’s first Test series win against England in England came in 1971 when the Ajit Wadekar-led side won 1-0 in a three-match series.
India once again won a Test series in England in 1986 under the leadership of Kapil Dev (2-0 in a three-match series). For the next 21 years, India failed to win a single Test series in England until Rahul Dravid’s boys didn’t the unthinkable in 2007 (1-0 in a 3-match series).
As far as Indian leadership in England is concerned, six captains have managed to win Test matches in England. Wadekar was the first to do so, followed by the likes of Dev, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli. Among all, Kohli is the most successful Indian captain in England having won three Tests on English soil.
Can Gill and his boys break the 18-year-old jinx of winning a Test series in England? Can Gill join the likes of Kapil, Dravid and Wadekar in the elite list? Well, we will have to wait till the fifth and last Test at The Oval, beginning on July 31.