England 3 India 0 Drawn 0

1979: The Test series was a ‘what could have been’ story for India. After a poor start to the four-Test series India gradually found their feet and ended by coming agonisingly close to levelling in the final Test. England rode home at Edgbeston with big knocks by Geoff Boycott (155) and David Gower (200), aided by good seam bowling. At Lord’s, hundreds from Gundappa Viswanath and Dilip Vengsarkar saved India after Ian Botham (5 for 35) bowled them out for 96. A rain-affected third Test at The Oval was blazoned as a glorious 221 from Sunil Gavaskar took India within nine runs of scoring 438 to win the match in a thrilling draw.

England 1 India 0 Drawn 3

1982: The era of Vengsarkar’s love affair with Lord’s. But Bob Willis and Botham had other plans as they bowled England to a seven-wicket win despite Vengsarkar’s brilliant 157. Poor weather meant a draw at Old Trafford. The Oval was lightened by Botham’s career-best 208 but could not fetch a result. But it was Botham’s duel with Kapil Dev that made it a series to remember.

England 1 India 0 Drawn 2

1986: A series win after a decade-and-a-half. But it didn’t affect them on the field as they won the one-day Texaco Trophy and beat England convincingly in the Tests. A third successive hundred for Vengesarkar at Lord’s paved way for first win. A crushing 279-run win at Leeds added another feather to the cap of India’s World Cup winning captain Kapil Dev. Even the third Test at Old Trafford had India in the driver’s seat but ended in a draw.

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