From Ajit Wadekar to Shubman Gill: Meet seven Indian skippers to win Test match in England
From 1932 to 2025, India played 72 Tests in England, where they won 11, lost 38 and drawn 23. Now, let's have a look at the seven Indian skippers who led India to Test wins on English soil.
Ajit Wadekar - 1971
India's first Test victory on English soil came in 1971 under the captaincy of Ajit Wadekar, where India defeated England by four wickets at 'The Oval'. Legspinner Bhagwath Chandrasekhar was the hero for India, who picked eight wickets in the game.
Kapil Dev - 1986
15 years later, India won back-to-back Tests at Lord's and then in Leeds. Kapil Dev's side triumphed over England, first by a 5-wicket win at Lord's and followed it with a 279 runs win at Leeds. Kapil also grabbed the 'Player of the Match' with five wickets in the Lord's Test.
Sourav Ganguly - 2002
India's only innings victory in England came under the leadership of Sourav Ganguly. Back in 2002, at the Headingley ground, India posted a mammoth total of 628/8. In response, England were bundled for 273 and 309, which led to the visitors' win by an innings and 46 runs.
Rahul Dravid - 2007
Rahul Dravid-led Team India defeated England by seven wickets at Trent Bridge in Nottingham. Left-arm pacer Zaheer Khan was the hero of India with his nine-wicket haul. Tendulkar was the top-scorer for India with 91 runs.
MS Dhoni - 2014
MS Dhoni's sole win in England came at the iconic Lord's cricket ground. Ajinkya's century, powered by pacer Ishant Sharma's seven-wicket haul, guided India to a 95-run victory.
Virat Kohli (2018 and 2021)
Virat Kohli is the most successful Indian Test captain in England with three wins. Kohli had won in 2018 (Nottingham) and 2021 (Lord's and The Oval). Kohli was also the 'Player of the Match' in the 2018 Nottingham Test for his century in the second innings. Notably, Kohli missed a century in the first innings by just three runs.
Shubman Gill - 2025
India's current Test skipper, Shubman Gill, is just behind Virat Kohli with two wins in five Tests. Under the captaincy of Gill, India won in Birmingham and The Oval, respectively. It was Gill's first series as a skipper, and he led from the front, scoring 754 runs in five tests.
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