In the second Test at Nottingham, England thwarted India's comeback with a resounding 319-run victory
On this day, fourteen years ago, England made cricket history by dethroning India from the top spot of the ICC Test rankings. In a stunning display, Andrew Strauss's men crushed MS Dhoni led team India by 242 runs in the third Test at Edgbaston, Birmingham.
This victory marked England's first time at the No. 1 spot in 32 years, showcasing their dominance in red-ball cricket. It was a historic shift as the English Lions roared to the pinnacle of the game.
England began as No. 3 in their bid for the top spot, a ranking introduced in 2003. England roared to life, starting strong by thrashing India by 196 runs in the first Test. Their dominant performance set the tone for a series that would rewrite cricket history, showcasing their fierce determination and skill.
England thwarted India's comeback in the second Test at Nottingham with a resounding 319-run victory. Under Andrew Strauss, England continued their dominance and set the stage for a historic claim to the top spot in Test cricket. In the third Test at Edgbaston, they sealed their ascent with a crushing 242-run victory, marking the end of India's reign. England's 2011 Test team carved their names into history with a commanding performance that defined their era.
India began their innings on the fourth day of the third test, trailing by 451 runs and starting at 35/1. James Anderson had already gotten Virender Sehwag out on the first ball of Day 3, just like Stuart Broad had done in the first inning.
India had a rough start to the day when Gautam Gambhir was dismissed for 14 after being caught by Anderson off a delivery that moved away from him. India lost their second wicket without increasing their total from the previous day, making their situation even worse.
Rahul Dravid was also quickly out, falling victim to another impressive Anderson delivery. On this occasion, the edge was very subtle, barely touching the bat before being caught by wicketkeeper Matt Prior. Dravid got out after scoring 18 runs, resulting in India being at 40/3.
When Hot-Spot was reviewed, there was no evidence of an edge, and even Dravid himself was uncertain if he had made contact, which made his choice to leave the field even more confusing. Anderson, in excellent shape, then dismissed VVS Laxman with only two runs. India's situation became more precarious as they were at 56/4.
Next up was off-spinner Graeme Swann, who made his mark by dismissing Suresh Raina cheaply for ten runs, leaving India at 87/5. Raina might have been out earlier, but England captain Andrew Strauss missed a catch at gully.
Sachin Tendulkar, holding firm at the other end, faced an unfortunate run-out. A low drive from MS Dhoni grazed Swann's fingertips and struck the stumps at the non-striker's end, catching Sachin out of his crease. He fell for 40 with eight boundaries, and India was reduced to 89/6.
At lunch, India struggled at 116/6, with Dhoni and tail-ender Amit Mishra at the crease, trailing by a massive 370 runs. In the second session, Mishra was dismissed after failing to clear Stuart Broad in the cover region, leaving India at 130/7.
In the final stages, Praveen Kumar and Dhoni managed to score some boundaries in order to prevent their most devastating loss ever. Praveen's quick attack came to an end as he top-edged a shot off Broad and was caught by Ravi Bopara. He scored 40 runs with five boundaries and three maximums.
Ishant Sharma was dismissed lbw by Broad, leaving Dhoni as the only fighter. Dhoni displayed great bravery, making an undefeated 74 runs, but India's batting collapsed rapidly. England, with a dominant 3-0 advantage in the four-game series, strengthened their status as the top Test team globally, marking a monumental occasion in cricket.
