Highest Scores By Indian Captains In England In Test Cricket: India played their first-ever Test match in 1932 against England in England. It was until 1971 that India recorded their maiden Test match win in England, and it also helped them clinch their maiden Test series in England.
Their next Test series wins in England after 1971 came in 1986 and 2007. Indian captains, the likes of Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, Rahul Dravid, and then Virat Kohli, have led the way for their teams to do well on English shores.
Indian skippers have played plenty of famous knocks in England. Let us see the top five of them.
Top 5 Highest Scores By Indian Captains In England In Test Cricket:
5. Sourav Ganguly – 128, Leeds, 2002
Former India captain Sourav Ganguly played a terrific knock of 128 runs in the Leeds Test of the 2002 tour. In the same innings, Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid also piled up centuries as India went past 600 runs.
India bowled England out for (follow-on) 273 & 309 to win the match by an innings and 46 runs.
4. Shubman Gill – 147, Leeds, 2025
Shubman Gill had a blockbuster start to his Test captaincy tenure. In his first Test as the Indian captain, Gill creamed a beautiful knock of 147 runs at Leeds in 2025. Around him, Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant too hammered centuries as India jogged past 450 and set a massive first innings total.
3. Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi – 148, Leeds, 1967
The legendary Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi recorded a score of 148 against the hosts in Leeds when on tour in 1967. His knock came after England had enforced a follow-on on India.
Pataudi waged a lone battle in India’s second innings with his 147. However, India could manage to set a target of only 125 runs, which England chased down comfortably.
2. Virat Kohli – 149, Birmingham, 2018
Former Indian captain Virat Kohli played one of his best and most famous knocks in Test cricket at Edgbaston, Birmingham, on the 2018 tour of England.
He exorcised the ghosts of his disastrous 2014 tour and compiled knocks of 149 and 51 in challenging conditions against a potent English bowling attack. Yet, India lost the match by 31 runs.
1. Mohammad Azharuddin – 179, Manchester, 1990
Mohammad Azharuddin holds the record for the highest score by an Indian captain in England in Test cricket with his 179 in Manchester in 1990. In reply to England’s 519, Azharuddin’s 179 helped India score 432.
India were set a target of 408 runs. While Azharuddin failed in India’s second innings, Sachin Tendulkar’s maiden Test century helped India draw the game and avoid a defeat.
(Stats correct until 21 June 2025)
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