In the history of International cricket, India National Cricket Team and the England Cricket Team have one of the most storied and competitive histories in rivalry. A rivalry that has lasted more than a century is made up of fierce combat, historical references and memorable moments. From the early 20th century to date, the India vs England cricket matches remains an important part of cricket history. This article presents a timeline of some of the key moments and important milestones from the India vs England cricket rivalry.
Early Encounters (1900s–1930s)
In the 1990s, India cricket team and England cricket team faced each other for the first time. Here are the details of their early encounters.
1932: India’s Debut in Test Cricket
The Indian National Cricket Team played their first match against the team of England in 1932. This match was memorable in the Indian cricket timeline because it was the first Test cricket match played by an Indian team. It was played on 25th June 1932 at the Lord’s in London.
1936: The First Indian Victory on English Soil
India had not won a Test match against England until 1936, but this one was still memorable. The Indian team was captained by Lala Amarnath and despite not winning, the team had started to make its presence felt strongly through one thrilling match after another.
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Post-Independence Period (1940s–1970s)

After gaining independence in 1947, India’s cricketing fortunes began to change. The period between 1947 and 1970 was when India began to establish itself as a strong and competitive cricket team. However, at that time, England’s team was still dominant around the world.
1952: India’s First Test Series Win over England
In 1952, India won the Test series against England for the first- ever time. Under the captaincy of legendary cricketer Vijay Hazare in which India defeated England by 1-0 score in the 5- match series.
1971: The Historic Series Win in England
In 1971, India created history by winning the Test series on England soil for the first time. India won the 3- match series 1-0. This was marked as a historic moment for the Indian cricket team because they won the test series for the first time in England. In the same year, another legend Sunil Gavaskar also made his International debut. Where he caught everyone’s attention by scoring centuries in his first two matches and told the world about his talent.
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The 1980s: Competitive Rivalry Intensifies
During the 1980s, both India and England had many talented cricketers and the competition between the two teams began to heat up. During this time, sometimes India won and sometimes England won and performances were seen from both sides.
1983: India’s Historic World Cup Victory
Although it wasn’t a bilateral Test series, the 1983 Cricket World Cup was a very important turning point in the history of rivalry between India and England. India, under the captaincy of Kapil Dev won their first World Cup by defeating West Indies in the final at Lord’s place. India also defeated England in the semifinals in this tournament. This victory was not just a trophy but a message that India had now become a cricketing superpower, this moment made the rivalry between India and England even more intense for time to come.
1986: The Oval Test
The 1986 Test series between India and England was a historic one. Especially due to the great performances seen in the fifth Test at The Oval. India’s Mohammad Azharuddin, played a memorable innings in this series, including a century which helped India secure a win that meant a lot to the team. Although the series ended in a draw, India’s performance proved that they are now ready to compete against England on equal terms.
The 1990s: Rising to the Top
During the 1990s, the Indian team started performing very well and gave tough competition to other teams.
1990: India’s Victory at Lord’s
In 1990, an iconic Test series was played between India and England, the highlight of which was India’s memorable win at Lord’s. With the brilliant performance of Mohammad Azharuddin and the support of legends like Kapil Dev, India achieved a historic victory at cricket’s most prestigious ground. Although the entire series was lost to England by 1-0 scores, the victory at Lord’s still holds a special place in the hearts of Indian cricket team fans.
1996: The Cricket World Cup
India, Pakistan and Srilanka hosted the 1996 World Cup. England was eliminated earlier from the tournament, while India won the World Cup with the defeat of Sri Lanka. This victory further strengthened India’s growing strength on the world cricket Cup stage and made the rivalry with England more intense or deep in the upcoming World Cups.
2000s–2010s: The Golden Era of Indian Cricket
With the new millennium, India proved or occupied its place in International cricket. The team became a strong and aggressive unit and the India vs England match became a marquee sporting event of World cricket for the particular day.
2002: NatWest Series Victory
In 2002, India won the NatWest series in England and defeated them in the final. The captain was Sourav Ganguly. This match marked the new confident and polished skills of the Indian cricket team.
2007: ICC World Twenty20 and 2008: England vs India in Tests
The ICC T20 World Cup 2007 was held in South Africa where India defeated England. In 2008, India toured England and won the Test series by 1-0 score.
2011: The ICC Cricket World Cup Final
India left its dominance in the cricket world by winning the World Cup in 2011 under the captaincy of M.S. Dhoni. Although it did not face England in the final, the whole world realized the dominance of the Indian team.
2012: The 4-0 Whitewash in India
In 2012, England toured India and won the Test series by 4-0 scores. The result was a shock to Indian fans and showed that the rivalry is still unpredictable and fiercely competitive.
2020s: Renewed Rivalry
In 2020 too, the competition between India and England has been exciting or grown in every format – either be it Tests, ODIs, or T20s.
2021: England’s Tour of India
In 2021, England toured India. India won the Test series by 3-1 scores under the captaincy of Virat Kohli. After losing the first match, the Indian team made a tremendous comeback, which shows their growing strength and depth.
2021: The T20 World Cup Encounter
England defeated India in the 2021 ICC T20 World Cup. This match in a shorter format took the intense or deep rivalry between the two teams further.
2023: The World Cup Clash
In ICC cricket world cup 2023, there was intense competition between India and England and India was the winner. This match was a modern version of this old rivalry with new players and with the new energy.
India Team Vs England Team Head to Head Scores
The head to head scores of the India and England cricket team in various formats are mentioned here:
India Team Vs England Team Test Matches
Total matches played | 136 |
India won | 35 |
England Won | 51 |
Drawn | 50 |
First match | 25th -28th June 1932 |
India Team Vs England Team ODI
Total matches played | 110 |
India won | 61 |
England Won | 44 |
Tie | 2 |
No result | 3 |
First match | 13th June 1974 |
India Team Vs England Team T20I
Total matches played | 29 |
India won | 17 |
England Won | 12 |
Drawn/ Tie/ No result | 0 |
First match | 19th September 2007 |
Conclusion
The India national cricket team vs england cricket team timeline is very intense, and gave various memorable moments. Both teams have seen their wins and losses in the match, but every contest comes with new excitement. Be it is Test cricket or limited-overs, ICC tournaments or bilateral series, India vs England always emerges as an amazing cricketing spectacle.
FAQs For India Team Vs England Team
1. When did India play their first Test match series against England?
A: In 1932, India played their first Test match against England at Lord’s, London. This match was the debut of India in Test cricket series..
2. Who won the first Test series played between India and England?
A: In 1932 when the first Test series happened, England defeated India by 2-0 score. India’s performance was praiseworthy, and the third Test match was a draw which was a good sign for the future.
3. When did the India team win a Test series match in England?
A: Yes, in 1971, India won the Test series in England for the very first time by 1-0 score.
4. In which year did India win the ICC cricket world cup for the first time?
A: In 1983, India won its first ICC Cricket World Cup by defeating West Indies by 43 runs in the finals at Lord’s. This victory changed the direction of the Indian cricket team in cricket.
5. Which World Cup match between India and England is considered to be the most memorable?
A: The 1983 World Cup finals, India reached the finals by defeating England in the semi-finals. India also won the final match against west Indies.