- June 18, 2025
There is something wonderfully surreal about the Test series in England: the weather being raw and miserable, the feeling that the Duke’s ball is hovering and still swinging through the air, and the procession of clever crowds surrounding the very institution of cricket in England that only the real heavyweights (and best players) will take in. Whose bat image, in Tests against England, has made the biggest impact from India? From the flawless efficacy of Sachin Tendulkar, to the stoic resistance of Rahul Dravid, to the arrogance of Sunil Gavaskar, below is a look back (and forward) at three of India’s highest Test run scorers in England – and what each means to me today.
Sachin in the Swing of Things: How the Little Master Owned England
Let’s be honest: Sachin Tendulkar is included in any discussion regarding Indian cricket. Sachin’s grand career consisted of 17 Test Matches over 21 years in England between 1990 and 2011 and had the astounding record of 1575 runs from 30 innings at an average of 54.31. Equally impressive was Sachin’s ability to adapt his game to play more in relation to the degree of the environment he was in, again tantamount to the ages of boyhood and adulthood.
You remember his 119 at Old Trafford in 1990, don’t you? Only 17, looking baby-faced, but facing Wasim and Waqar and a swinging ball – England was his first canvas overseas and he painted it superbly. Four centuries and 8 fifties later, he was not just scoring runs – he was actually outclassing the opposition bowlers, at their home ground! His timing, balance, and almost sixth sense for swing made him a tormentor for England and a pride for India.
Rahul Dravid: The Quiet Storm That Silenced England
While Tendulkar would light up the scoreboard, the other end would often have Dravid like a stone wall, resisting all attacks with his grace and closing it out in Stoic fashion. Between 1996-2011, Rahul Dravid played 13 Tests in England, averaging 68.80, scoring 1376 runs, which was by far the best for any Indian batter in Tests played in England.
Rahul Dravid had the unique capability to tire out bowlers mentally. His 602-minute 217 at the Oval in 2002 is still regarded as one of the greatest knocks by India overseas. Now consider 2011, where he is forty and still India’s best batter on that unlucky tour. He scored three centuries, and the rest struggled with the weight of runs on their shoulders.
Sunil Gavaskar: The OG of Grit and Glamour
Before we even started talking about Tendulkars and Dravids, there was Sunil Gavaskar: India’s first true batting hero in foreign conditions. Gavaskar played 16 Tests in England from 1971 to 1986, and scored 1,152 runs at 41.14, comprising 2 hundreds and 8 fifties.
You may say that you aren’t too impressed by this statement, especially in light of some of the statistics that are collected these days, but just keep in mind the era in which he played, uncovered pitches, very few helmets, and bowlers who bowled fast and fearlessly.
His memorable 221 at The Oval in 1979, made in the fourth innings, wasn’t just a great innings, but a statement. A statement that said that, yes, Indian batters can travel abroad and not just survive but prosper in difficult conditions.
That was the beginning of it all. Gavaskar walked, so the others could run. The question is—can the new gen batters follow suit and indeed keep that legacy going? Which young Indian batter do you think has the best chance to one-day top that list?
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