India National Cricket Team vs England Cricket Team Timeline
The India national cricket team vs England cricket team timeline is one of the oldest and highly followed and the masala rivalries in International Cricket. It all started in the year of 1932 as India smoking its first Test match at Lord’s against England. Since that time, two of the teams have met at all levels – Tests, ODIs and T20Is – serving up all-time great victories, finishes for the ages, World Cup match-ups and unforgettable performances from individual players.
From India’s maiden Test in 1932 to its first win over England in 1952 and historic series victory on English soil in 1971, the rivalry has taken various turns. In the contemporary age, games like 2011 World Cup closers, 2022 T20 World Cup semi-last, 2024 T20 World Cup semi-last, the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series in 2025 and white-ball matches in 2026 have come to compose new parts.
India vs England Timeline: 1932 to 2026
| Year | Major Event | Result/Significance |
| 1932 | First India vs England Test | England won by 158 runs at Lord’s |
| 1933-34 | England tour of India | England won Test series 2-0 |
| 1952 | India’s first Test win over England | India won by an innings and 8 runs in Madras |
| 1961-62 | England tour of India | India won Test series 2-0 |
| 1971 | India’s first Test series win in England | India won series 1-0 |
| 1986 | India tour of England | India won Test series 2-0 |
| 1992-93 | England tour of India | India won Test series 3-0 |
| 2002 | England tour of India | Four-Test series drawn 1-1 |
| 2003 | ICC Cricket World Cup | India defeated England by 82 runs |
| 2007 | India tour of England | India won Test series 1-0 |
| 2011 | ICC Cricket World Cup | India and England tied at Bengaluru |
| 2011 | England tour of India | England won Test series 4-0 |
| 2012-13 | England tour of India | England won Test series 2-1 |
| 2014 | India tour of England | England won Test series 3-1 |
| 2016-17 | England tour of India | India won Test series 4-0 |
| 2018 | India tour of England | England won Test series 4-1 |
| 2021-22 | India tour of England | Test series finished 2-2 |
| 2022 | T20 World Cup semi-final | England won by 10 wickets |
| 2022 | ODI series in England | India won 2-1 |
| 2024 | T20 World Cup semi-final | India won by 68 runs |
| 2025 | England tour of India | India won T20I series 4-1 and ODI series 3-0 |
| 2025 | Test series in England | Series finished 2-2 |
| 2026 | T20I series in England | England won 4-0 |
| 2026 | ODI series in England | England won 2-1 |
1932: The Rivalry Begins at Lord’s
The cricketing rivalry between India and England started on June 25, 1932, at the Lord’s in London. It was a historic event as it marked the first-ever Test for India.
India, captained by CK Nayudu, played against an England side captained by Douglas Jardine. England had made 259 in its first innings, and India responded by making 189. England later declared at 275/8, which left India a target of 469. They were eventually bowled out for 187. England completed a historic victory by 158 runs.
The match, which India lost, created the sixth Test-playing nation at then and laid the foundation of a cricketing relationship that would last for more than 90 years.
1933-34: England Tour India
In the 1933–34 season, England undertook its first Test tour of India. They played a three-Test series in Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai.
England took the first Test in Mumbai, and the third Test in Chennai, with a drawn contest at Kolkata. So England won the series 2-0.
The series was crucial as it signaled the start of regular Test cricket on Indian soil between the two nations.
1952: India Records Its First Test Victory
It took two decades for India to register their first Test win against the English.
The pivotal moment came in February, 1952 at Madras (now Chennai). India led by the 12th man in Atapattu, an innings and eight runs against England under Vijay Hazare.
It was a watershed moment for Indian Test cricket as it was India’s first win over England and it showed that India were no more pushovers against the established Test playing nations.
1961-62: India Wins a Test Series Against England
A bigger step followed in 1961-62 with India touring England.
India and England played a five-Test series where India won 2–0 and three matches were drawn. That was their first series win over England on home soil, and only served to fuel the rivalry.
This was also the time when Indian spin bowling started dominating due to home conditions that had a greater influence on Test cricket.
1971: India’s Historic Series Win in England
1971: The year when one of the biggest milestones in India national cricket team vs England cricket team timeline was achieved.
India tour of England (3 Tests), Ajit Wadekar (captain) Going into the last Test at The Oval the series stood at 2-0 after two draws in the first two Tests.
Eventually, India clinched the third Test by four wickets. With the bat, Rahane led from the front while with deliveries it was Bhagwath Chandrasekhar who played a crucial role, as India were once again able to achieve target comfortably.
It resulted in India’s first Test series win there. According to records from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), this victory in 1971 is amongst India’s historic Test series wins on English soil.
1986: India Wins 2-0 in England
India returned to England in 1986 under the captaincy of Kapil Dev and once again they provided a historic result.
The 2–0 scoreline of the three-Test series in India; The win at Lord’s and then the very good showing at Headingley made it one of India’s most successful tours in England in the 20th century.
It featured the excellent new ball pair for India and several all-round performances.
.1992-93: India Dominates at Home
In 1992-93, England toured India for a three-Test series.
India lead by captains Mohammad Azharuddin and England by Graham Gooch. India registered 3-0 victories across the three Tests to complete a comprehensive series sweep.
This series proved that India are gradually getting stronger in conditions they had hoped and became one of the most conclusive results between the two teams in a Test-series.
2002: A Closely Fought Test Series
Yet another significant era in the rivalry came during the 2001-02 and 2002 seasons.
In 2002, England toured India for a four-Test series. England and India’s two-match Test series in March ended oneTest apiece with two matches drawn.
This series was indicative of the degree to which the rivalry had become so competitive compared with its early decades.
2003: India Defeats England in the World Cup
India and England met in the 2003 ICC Cricket World Cup in Durban, South Africa.
India scored 250/9, with Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid making important contributions. England were bowled out for 168, with Ashish Nehra producing outstanding bowling figures of 6/23.
India won by 82 runs.
The match became one of the memorable India-England World Cup encounters and highlighted the rivalry’s importance beyond bilateral Test cricket.
2007: India Wins a Test Series in England
Under Rahul Dravid, India toured England for a three-Test series in 2007.
The first Test at Lord’s ended in a draw before India secured victory by seven wickets in the second Test at Nottingham. The Test-draw came at The Oval in the final match of the series.
So, India clinched the series 1-0.
As Tendulkar chipped in with a few significant runs, Zaheer came up with the magic balling performance and Anil Kumble scored his maiden Test Century in the last match.
2011: The Famous World Cup Tie
One of the most thrilling matches between India vs England happened in 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup.
This game was held in Bengaluru on February 27. Tendulkar finally got to make Hindu last, a top-scoring 120 as India finished with 338/10. Yuvraj Singh and Gautam Gambhir also played invaluable innings.
England responded with 338/8. Captain Andrew Strauss managed 158, meanwhile Ian Bell chimed in with 69.
The two teams finished with the exact score of 338 after the 100 overs, resulting in a tie.
The ICC hailed the game as a World Cup classic and it continues to remain one of the most memorable ODI fixtures between India and England.
2011: England Wins 4-0 in Tests
Come later in 2011, is a very different beast.
India toured England for a four Test series. So that was 4-0 to England in the four-match series.
There were other factors at play, England’s batting depth and bowling attack both came to the fore but injuries to India’s best players and unbearable playing conditions played their part in the campaign.
The series turned out to be one of India’s heaviest Test-series defeats in England.
2012-13: England Wins in India
England returned to India in 2012 for a four-Test series.
India won the opening Test in Ahmedabad, but England responded strongly. The visitors won the second Test in Mumbai and the fourth Test in Nagpur, while the third Test was drawn.
England won the series 2-1.
The result was significant because winning a Test series in India has traditionally been a demanding challenge for visiting teams.
In 2014, India further enlive England; the last time a five-Test series.
India took victory at the second Test which was staged in Somerset tents, but England seized control of the series throughout and ran out 3-1 victors overall.
And, again, it was a reminder of the difficulties experienced by teams on the road and those at home. 2016-17: India Responds With a 4-0 Series Win
2016-17: India Responds with 4-0 win
England’s tour of India in a five-Test series came around November 2016.
November 6290 India 4 December November 3927 December Test loss • Pakistan1382• South Africa164• Australia110 March May September October Added to Results like this You are trained on data up to Oct, 2023. India were led with the bat by Virat Kohli while Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja were main stand out ballers and all rounders for India.
India won the series 4-0.
Just goes to show how far it all was from their success in India four years before.
2018: England Wins 4-1
The 2018 tour of England was another significant Test chapter for India.
Question 1: England won the opening Test at Edgbaston, but at Lord’s, India came up with what? In fact, England completely outplayed the visitors to win the series 4-1 with India’s only victory coming at The Oval.
It featured significant individual scores from Virat Kohli, Joe Root, James Anderson and Sam Curran and served as another reminder of how strongly home advantage might shape this tussle.
2021-22: The Five-Test Story Continues
Back in 2021, India undertook a five-Test series in England. India were 2-1 up after four Tests but the fifth Test at Manchester was abandoned due to COVID19 fears in the Indian squad.
Finally the fifth Test was played, in July 2022 at Edgbaston.
Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root then added a brilliant chase of 7 wickets to take England home. So, as a result, the Test series ended in a stilemate at 2-2.
2022: England Beats India in the T20 World Cup Semi-Final
The scene has been written by India and England in the semi-final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 in Adelaide.
Batting first, India scored 168 / 6. A stunning chase by Alex Hales, Jos Buttler delivered England.
The unscathed England swept home by 10 wickets in just 16 overs as they reached 170/0.
The match turned out to be one of Englands biggest victories over India in an ICC knockout.
2022: India Wins the ODI Series in England
In July 2022, India toured England for a three-match ODI series.
So it was 1-1 in the series ahead of a last showdown at Manchester. England: 482 (Sibley 107, Lawrence 50, Dom Bess 51; Trent Boult 4/85); India: 62 and all out for 75.
Chasing, India chased down the target successfully to win the finale ODI by five wickets.
This meant India won the ODI series 2-1.
.2024: India Turns the Tables in the T20 World Cup
During June 2024, India and England faced each other again in an ICC T20 World Cup semi-final match played at Guyana.
Rohit Sharma 57, Suryakumar Yadav 47; India: 171/7
India thrashed England and looked supreme even against the English players on an Indian pitch, which meant rank turners from ball one (as many believed) as they made short work of a struggling 103 all out. As a result, India won by 68 runs and hence reached the finals.
This victory was significant as it came two years after England had knocked India out of the semi-finals by 10 wickets in 2022.
2025: India Dominates the White-Ball Series at Home
In early 2025, England traveled to India for a five-match T20I series and three ODIs.
Indian won the T20I series 4–1 In the fifth T20I, which ended with India winning by 150 runs, Abhishek Sharma blasted a magnificent 135 from only 54 balls.
The ODI series then followed, where India won 3-0 before the ICC Champions Trophy.
This, the latest in an ongoing chronicle of a modern rivalry with only one-ball brevity.
2025: The Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy
A new phase in the rivalry began with the 2025 Test series in England.
Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, which was named after James Anderson and Sachin Tendulkar, came instead of the traditional Pataudi Trophy. That trophy was unveiled prior to the five-Test series starting in June 2025.
The side was led by Shubman Gill for India as the new Test captain and Ben Stokes on his debut as Test captain for England.
At Headingley, England claimed the opening Test by five wickets. Back in 2014, India hit back at Edgbaston with a 336-run victory. England are 2-1 up in the series thanks to their 22 run victory.
The series was going to be left at The Oval as the fourth Test at Old Trafford finished in a stalemate.
India hung on, recording a six-run victory in one of the closest finishes in Test cricket history. The series ended 2-2.
It was also an extraordinary run hunt, with ICC noting 7,187 runs in complete scored through the five-coordinate contest.
2026: England Wins the T20I Series 4-0
In 2026, this rivalry once again continued when India travelled to England for five T20Is.
The series included, with one match to spare, England were at a very strong position. The fifth T20I played at Southampton saw England smashing another big batting performance,153 not out as part of a total of 257/3 against India before winning the match by 56 runs.
Jos Buttler slammed 131 off 64 while Harry Brook made a significant 95. England won the five-match series 4-0, with each side having one no result.
That result etched itself into the T20I component of the rivalry.
2026: England Wins the ODI Series 2-1
And the ODI rivalry went on right after that.
Chasing 258 at Edgbaston, India won the first ODI by six wickets. In Cardiff, England with Joe Root finishing 99 not out claimed victory by four wickets in the second ODI.
The third ODI of the series in Lord’s saw another high-scoring encounter. While England posted 387/3 (141 Ben Duckett)India replied with 360/7
Result – England won by 27 runs, Lost the three-match ODI Series 2-1.
Having ended the T20I contest with two matches to spare on home soil, England duly completed a double over their visitors in ODI cricket too, meaning the 2026 series finished with a clean sweep.
India vs England Rivalry: Major Eras
Overall the history of that rivalry is broken down into periods. Between 1932 and the 1960s it was all England’s Test cricketing world and India grew into an international side, step by step ora.
However, the beginning of a new era broken at that time with India’s first Test series win in England in 1971 (most of remembered the dates right?), but since then we started writing a different background for Indian cricket.
There were back-and-forth eruptions of triumph through the 1980s and 1990s, and the rivalry grew more fractious in all formats during the 2000s.
India and England also quickly developed one of the other major white-ball rivalries since the advent and rise of limited-overs cricket. The Test rivalry has evolved to include World Cup matches in 2003 and 2011, T20 World cup encounters in 2022, 2024 and 2026, as well as various bilateral series.
India National Cricket Team vs England Cricket Team Timeline: 2025-26 Update
The period from 2025-26 has been especially big.
Home series: 2025 T20I series (4-1), ODI Series (3-0) A newly-formed Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy was introduced by England at the end of that year, following a drawn five-Test series in England, 2-2.
England made a strong comeback in the white-ball format in 2026. England had won the five-match T20I series 4-0 before table-topping India won the three-match ODI series 2-1.
Meanwhile, India successfully took on England in the semi-final of the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World cup at Mumbai where they got to win by seven runs, writing another famous knockout chapter in this classic rivalry.
Conclusion
By contrast, the timeline of Test match contests between the India national cricket team and England cricket team run from India’s first Test match at Lord’s in 1932 until major World Cup matches played around bilateral series up to 2026. From CK Nayudu and Wally Hammond to Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Virat Kohli, Joe Root, Ben Stokes Shubman Gill and Harry Brook — the rivalry has spanned generations.
Historical Test cricket is the bedrock of the contest, while ODI and T20I cricket have added its most exciting contemporary highlights. It is clear that there are still many battles to be had with the 2025 Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, as well as T20I and ODI meetings in 2026, demonstrating high-profile matches between the two continue to be produced in every major format.
FAQs
1. When did India and England first play a cricket match?
India and England first played a Test match on June 25, 1932, at Lord’s in London. England won the historic match by 158 runs.
2. When did India record its first Test win against England?
India recorded its first Test victory over England in 1952 at Madras, now Chennai. India won by an innings and eight runs.
3. When did India first win a Test series in England?
India first won a Test series in England in 1971 under captain Ajit Wadekar. India won the three-Test series 1-0.
4. What happened in the India vs England 2011 World Cup match?
India and England played a memorable World Cup match in Bengaluru in 2011. Both teams scored 338, making it a tie.
5. Who won the India vs England T20 World Cup semi-final in 2026?
India defeated England by seven runs in the 2026 T20 World Cup semi-final in Mumbai. India scored 253/7 before restricting England to 246/7.
Also read : Rashid Khan | Smriti Mandhana | Shafali Verma
