India's 5 Largest Wins By Runs In Test Cricket

India registered its 14^th consecutive Test series win after beating New Zealand in the second Test on Monday at Wankhede Stadium. New Zealand, on the other hand, continues to look for a win in a Test match in India. The last time New Zealand won a Test match in India was back in 1988. Besides, they have never won a Test series in India.

India fought hard throughout the tw0-match Test series against New Zealand. In the absence of Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer made his debut in the first Test and scored a century in the very first innings. His century helped India notch 345 runs in the first innings. New Zealand batters too showed great application in the first Test and managed to draw the Test in the end. However, they couldn’t replicate similar performances in the second Test.

The likes of Ravichandran Ashwin, M Siraj and Jayant Yadav ran through New Zealand’s batting unit and bundled them out for 62 and 167 in the second and fourth innings respectively. India, as a result, won the Test by a big margin of 372 runs. Well, it’s not the first time when India have registered a win by such a big margin. The Men in Blue over the years have beaten teams by some huge margins in Test Cricket. And, on that note, here’s a look at the four biggest victories for India by runs in Test Cricket.

SHORTS

View More

Your daily dose of cricket!

Loading...

India’s 5 Largest Wins By Runs In Test Cricket

4. India vs Australia, Mohali 2008- 320 runs

Australia visited India to play a four-match Test series in 2008. The Men in Blue thrashed the Aussies as they won the series 2-0 . The rest of the two Tests resulted in draws. The second Test of the series played in Mohali saw India winning the Test by a big margin of 320 runs. India batted first in that Test and posted a gigantic score of 469 runs in 129 overs. All the batsmen in the top six barring VVS Laxman made significant contributions.

Sourav Ganguly scored a century, while MS Dhoni later added 92 off 124 balls. Australia, in reply, were bowled out for 268 runs. Five batsmen got starts but couldn’t convert those into big scores, thanks to a five-wicket haul from Amit Mishra. Riding on a ton from Gautam Gambhir and an unbeaten 68 from MS Dhoni, India then posted 314 runs in the third innings to set a target of 516 runs for Australia to chase down.

A combined bowling effort from India led to Australia getting bowled out for just 195 runs. India, as a result, won that match by 320 runs. It is the fourth-largest victory for India in Test Cricket.

3. India vs New Zealand, Indore 2016- 321 runs

New Zealand over the years have endured underwhelming performances whenever they have visited India for a Test series. The 2016 tour of India was no different. India won all three matches in the Test series and thrashed New Zealand 3-0. The third and final Test was played at Holkar Stadium in Indore. Virat Kohli scored a sensational knock of 211 runs in that Test, while Rahane scored 188.

The duo’s contribution helped India post a gigantic 557-run total in the first innings. New Zealand managed to score 299 runs in the second innings. Cheteshwar Pujara then scored a century to help India set the Blackcaps a target of 475 runs. Ravi Ashwin ran through New Zealand’s batting unit in the fourth innings, picking as many as 7 wickets for just 59 runs. All New Zealand could manage was 153 and handed India a mammoth 321-run win.

2. India vs South Africa, Delhi 2015- 337 runs

South Africa toured India for an all-format series in 2015. South Africa stunned India after winning the T20 series by a 2-0 margin. It was followed by a dominant performance by Proteas in the ODI series as well. They won the series 3-2. India, however, took revenge in the four-match Test series. The Men in Blue didn’t allow South Africa to win a single game and won the series 3-0.

The fourth and last Test match was played in Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. Ajinkya Rahane starred with the bat in the first innings as his 127(215) propelled India to a 334-run total. Ravindra Jadeja then spun a web around South Africa and bundled them out for just 121 runs. Jadeja picked 5 wickets for just 30 runs in 12 overs.

Ajinkya Rahane produced another sensational knock and scored an unbeaten 100 off 206 balls in the third innings. At 267 for 5 India declared the innings to set South Africa a target of 480 runs. South Africa never looked like coming close to the target, let alone winning it. The Proteas were bowled out for a paltry 143 runs in the fourth innings to hand India a mammoth 338-run victory. With that, India also won the series 3-0. It is currently the second-largest victory for India by runs in Test Cricket.

1. India vs New Zealand, Mumbai 2021- 372 runs

India beat New Zealand in the final of two Tests on Monday by a big margin of 372 runs to win the series 1-0. With that win, India registered its 14^th consecutive Test series win in India. Virat Kohli and Co. exhibited a telling performance from both bat and ball and outclassed Blackcaps in all departments.

Opener Mayank Agarwal showcased grit and determination to score a sensational 150-run knock in the first innings. Despite wicket falling at regular intervals, Mayank held firm at one end and took India to 325 in the first innings. New Zealand batter showed little application with the bat in the second innings and were bundled out for just 62 runs.

With a lot of time in hand, India opted not to enforce the follow-on and batted again. Mayank Agarwal yet again produced a stellar 62-run knock, while Shubman Gill (47 off 75), Cheteshwar Pujara (47 off 97), Virat Kohli (36 off 84) and Axar Patel (41 off 26) also made notable contributions. India declared their innings at 276 for 7 after batting for 70 overs and thereby set a target of 540 runs for New Zealand to win the game.

Daryl Mitchell (60 off 92) and Henry Nicholls (44 off 111) were the only two batsmen who showed some resistance with the bat but it was never going to be enough. New Zealand, as a result, lost the game by a huge margin of 372 runs. It is now the largest victory for India by runs in Test Cricket.