England 0 India 2 Drawn 1

1990: Graham Gooch with his 333 and 123 in two innings not only cut India’s string of ODI wins but also inflicted a massive blow with a 247-run win in the first Test. A 1-0 lead as it turned out was decisive. The batting paradise at Manchester was the platform for Sachin Tendulkar to give us a glimpse of things to come with the first Test century. An equally sublime 157 from David Gower saved England the blushes after they were made to follow on at The Oval.

England 1 India 0 Drawn 2

1996: A series that marked the debut of two of India’s finest batsmen—Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid. Besides that there is little that India drew from their 13th tour to England. Mohd Azharuddin was under a constant cloud as a leader over personal and leadership issues - and managed just 42 runs in five Test innings. India lost the first Test at Birmingham by eight wickets after the usual batting collapse. Lord’s fetched a draw, while Nottingham provided a high-scoring draw only notable for hundreds from Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly.

England 1 India 0 Drawn 2

2002: A topsy-turvy tussle that ended square. England got off to a solid start with a fairly comprehensive win at Lord’s. The second Test at Trent Bridge was a batting feast, but the series came alive at Headingley when India romped to an innings victory after amassing 628 for 8, courtesy hundreds from Rahul Dravid, Tendulkar and Ganguly. The series decider at The Oval ended with a washed out last day, but the match had been decided by a perfect pitch as both sides passed 500.

... contd.