Famous Collapses by India in the 21st Century

Collapses in Test Cricket have always been an incredible story.

There have been many occasions in which a side has been cruising, but a tight spell, excellent fielding, rash shots, and luck creates a brief moment of chaos that turns the innings around.

There are also collapses, which include sides struggling to score from ball one after the early wickets.

In any stage of the game, quick wickets instantly create pressure.

Run scoring looks impossible, and within the blink of an eye, the game is out of the side’s hand.

India recently faced such a collapse against Australia.

The Australian bowlers made run-scoring look impossible as anything that touched the bat looked to find its way into the keeper’s glove.

Throughout the 2000s, India has faced such collapses on four other occasions.

Collapses occurred in various scenarios and surfaces.

The surfaces ranged from damp pitches to ones that took a prodigious turn from the word go.

Though India’s 36 is on an entirely new plane, the others are still worth a mention.

99 all-out vs. New Zealand, Hamilton 2002.

New Zealand is a tough country for batsmen.

The swing and overcast conditions are difficult to adjust to, and high scores are scarce from teams in the subcontinent.

The two-Test series in New Zealand back in 2002 saw damp surfaces and the lowest of scores.

India lost the first Test, in which their highest score was 161.

During the second Test, India batted first, and the top order was ripped apart.

Daryl Tuffey was the star bowler, as top Indian batsmen fell for single-digit scores.

India’s highest scorer in the first innings was Harbhajan Singh, with twenty off nine balls.

With his teammates struggling to score, Harbhajan came out to attack the bowlers, and his approach provided some entertainment as India collapsed to 99.

The score became a competitive one as they got a five-run lead after New Zealand batted.

The Test remained alive, but a second-innings collapse sealed the game.

It was one of the many collapses to occur in the tour, as both sides faced a tough time in the middle.

100 all-out vs. England in Mumbai,2006:

While the 99 was in a low scoring game at Hamilton, India’s next low score has come at home on a swinging pitch.

Playing in Mumbai, on a pitch suited for India’s playstyle, India was all-out for a mere hundred runs.

The situation they found themselves in was agreeably a tough one.

Chasing three hundred plus on a fifth-day Mumbai pitch is a near-impossible task, but to fold without a proper fight was unexpected.

With a line-up consisting of stars like Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, Rahul Dravid, Virender Sehwag, and MS Dhoni, a better final innings response was expected.

Off-spinner Shaun Udal was England’s star as he took four wickets in the final innings.

He received good support from Andrew Flintoff and James Anderson as England drew the series against India.

76 all-out vs. South Africa, Ahmedabad, 2008:

Unlike Mumbai in 2006, India collapsed to South Africa on day one of the Ahmedabad Test.

The pacer did the damage, as South Africa put up one of India’s most pleasing display of fast bowling.

Dale Steyn took five wickets as he receives support from Makhaya Ntini and Morne Morkel.

The top-fell quickly, and Irfan Pathan was India’s highest scorer with 21 runs.

Pathan and Dhoni were the only batsmen to cross ten, and the performance was contrasting to the effort in the first Test, in which India put up more than six hundred.

India was all-out for 76, and a double century from Ab De Villiers ensured India lost the game.

94 all-out vs. England 2nd innings, The Oval, 2014:

Into the fifth Test of a disappointing tour, India looked out of steam, with injuries and poor performances.

The tour started well, with a draw and a win at Lords, but India couldn’t sustain the momentum, as the batting collapsed in the remaining Tests.

India batted first in the Test and made 148.

England, in response, made 486, creating a massive deficit for India to cover.

The Test looked over, and India came in to bat with their spirits dampened.

Like in the first innings and previous Test, the top-order collapsed, and India was all-out for 94.

Stuart Binny was India’s highest scorer, 25, and India lost the Test by an innings and 244 runs.