Chokers? India’s Embarrassing Chasing Test Record in Post-Sachin Tendulkar Era Raises Eyebrows

India's 2025 defeat at Lord's Cricket Ground marked their 13th loss to England at the iconic venue, out of 20 matches played at the venue.

Chokers? India’s Embarrassing Chasing Test Record in Post-Sachin Tendulkar Era Raises Eyebrows

India have significantly faltered while chasing fourth-innings targets of 150 runs and above, since Sachin Tendulkar's retirement. (via ESPN Cricinfo)

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India’s dismal last-gasp defeat to England by a slim margin of just 22 runs exacerbates their poor record of achieving minimal success when chasing fourth-innings targets. Since Sachin Tendulkar’s retirement in 2013, India has struggled while pursuing targets of 150 runs or more.

The Men in Blue once again trail in the ongoing five-match Test series against England, after having narrowly lost the third match at Lord’s. The Lord’s Test proved to be iconic in its own ways, not merely for being played at the ‘Home of Cricket,’ but because it rekindled memories of intense banter and sledging between both sides, including instances involving captains Shubman Gill and Ben Stokes.

Opting to bat first, England posted a first innings score of 387 runs, guided by a brilliant century from Joe Root. For the visitors, Jasprit Bumrah, making his return to the side after missing the second Test, claimed a five-wicket haul. The Men in Blue responded strongly in their first innings as well, matching England’s 387 runs by putting up an identical score on the board, with KL Rahul scoring an impressive hundred.

With tensions soaring high and the rivalry between the two sides having intensified mid-game, England’s hope of setting a decent target was cut short by India, who bundled them out for a meager 192 runs, with Washington Sundar claiming a four-wicket haul.

With 193 runs to chase in more than a day’s time, the visitors found themselves in a strong position. Yet, fate had a different outcome, as India fell short of the target by only 22 runs, being bowled out for 170 runs.

Ravindra Jadeja and KL Rahul were the only Indian batters, who managed to score past the 20-run mark. Despite Jadeja remaining at the crease until the very end, luck ran out, as the final wicket partnership between the all-rounder and Mohammed Siraj concluded in a disheartening manner. Siraj lost his wicket when a ball from Shoaib Bashir, which he had defended adeptly, rolled behind off his bat to hit the leg stump.

India’s recent failure further highlights the team’s struggles in Test run-chases. Interestingly, since Sachin Tendulkar’s retirement in 2013, the Men in Blue have won only two of their 26 Tests when chasing targets of 150 runs or more. One such victory came against Australia in 2021, where India successfully chased 328 runs in Brisbane, while the second instance was against England, last year, when they successfully chased 192 runs in Ranchi.

Meanwhile, the Men in Blue have suffered 17 losses in similar chasing scenarios since 2013, with the remaining seven matches ending in a draw. Consequently, India ranks last among the eight major Test-playing nations for its poor chasing record, even trailing behind Pakistan, West Indies, and Sri Lanka.

Speculation Mounts Over India’s Playing XI for Must-Win Fourth Test in Manchester

After the heartbreaking loss to England at Lord’s in the third Test, India will be aiming to level the series when the two teams turn up to face each other at Old Trafford, Manchester, on July 23. The visitors are expected to field a much-changed playing XI for the fourth Test. 

India England fourth Test
India is expected to field a much-changed playing XI for the fourth Test against England, in Manchester. (via NDTV Sports)

Jasprit Bumrah could be rested, as a part of his workload management, allowing Arshdeep Singh to make his red-ball debut. Additionally, Rishabh Pant, who had to hand over his wicket-keeping duties to Dhruv Jurel in the third Test due to a finger injury, might also be sidelined. Karun Nair‘s struggle to convert starts into big scores means he too might miss out on a spot in the playing XI for Manchester.

India’s Predicted Playing XI (Manchester)England’s Predicted Playing XI (Manchester)
Yashasvi JaiswalBen Duckett
KL RahulOllie Pope
Sai Sudharsan/Abhimanyu EaswaranJacob Bethell
Shubman Gill (C)Joe Root
Dhruv Jurel/Rishabh PantHarry Brook
Ravindra JadejaBen Stokes (C)
Nitish Kumar Reddy Jamie Smith
Washington SundarChris Woakes
Jasprit Bumrah/Arshdeep SinghLiam Dawson
Akash DeepBrydon Carse/Jamie Overton
Mohammed SirajJofra Archer

India’s probable playing XI could feature Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul as openers, Sai Sudharsan at number three, followed by Shubman Gill, Dhruv Jurel, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, and Washington Sundar. In bowling, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj, and Arshdeep Singh are potential selections.