As England visit India in 2016.17 for the 32nd test series between these two nations, Cook is set to become the first English captain to lead his team in three different Test series against India. Virat Kohli on the other hand will be the 19th Indian test Captain to lead against England. He will replace Dhoni, who is the only captain to have led the team for 4 series in India vs England test rivalry. Interestingly, in 32 test series, starting from 1932, India’s first ever test, England has seen 28 captains, while India who have lost majority of those series will welcome their 19th test captain against England. How has the Indian captains and English captain performed? Will India’s most successful Captain Kohli, spoil the party of England’s longest test captain Cook? Check the complete records of captains and series in India vs England Test series.
England in India 2016-17: Fixture and Results
Alastair Cook is also set to be the English captain who has led England overall in maximum tests. In the first against India, he will lead England in 55th test, breaking the record of 54 test matches held by Atherton. Cook has won 24, lost 18 and his win percentage is the fourth best among the six captains who led England in more than 40 test matches each. With a win percentage of 44.44, Cook’s winning percentage is just behind Vaughan (50.98%), Peter May (48.78%) and Strauss (48%).
Kohli, on the other hand has captained India for the 17 tests. Winning 10 and losing 2 of them have earned him a winning percentage of 58.82, which is second only to 100% winning record of Ravi Shastri, who won the only test for which he was the captain. Everyone else, including Dhoni (45%), Ganguly (42.85%), Dravid (32%) and other Indian greats are way behind Kohli’s achievement as Test Captain.
MS Dhoni is the only captain who has led the team 4 times in India-England test series history. Indians have three captains who led against England thrice.
- 3 Ajit Wadekar won 2 lost 1
3 Gavaskar won 1, lost 2
3 Azharuddin won 1, lost 2
4 Dhoni won 1, lost 3
Among 18 previous captains, India has seen only 7 captains who won India a test series against England.
- Indian Captains who won series vs England
Nari Contractor 1961/62 2-0
Ajit Wadekar 1971, 1972/73 1-0, 2-1 (1971 was away series)
Gavaskar 1981/82 1-0
Kapil Dev 1986 2-0 AWAY
Azhar 3-0 (Whitewash in 1996) at home
Ganguly 2001/02 Eng 1-0
Dravid 2007 1-0 AWAY
Dhoni 1-0 2008/09
5 of the Indian captains have the dubious distinction of losing the home series, of whom Dhoni was the last captain to lose a Home Test series against England.
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CK Nayudu 1933/34
Bishan Bedi 1976/77 3-1
Viswanath 1979/80 1-0
Gavaskar 1984/85 2-1
Dhoni 2013 2-1
For England, after Jardine and Mike Brearley, Cook is the only English captain who guided England to a series win in both the test series.
- David Gower won 1, lost 1
Gooch won 1, lost 1
Nasser Hussain, lost 1, drew 1
Cook won both
With Cook creating English history of being captain in maximum test, and the only English captain to have led his team thrice against India, England is positive about his hattrick win against Indians.
On the other hand, India has Virat Kohli as captain, who never plays for a draw and his aggressive approach has took India to the top ICC ranking at present.
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