India’s Lowest Test Scores: All-Time Low Points

India have produced some of the greatest batting lineups in Test cricket history, but even the strongest teams have suffered days when almost everything went wrong. From difficult overseas pitches in the 1940s and 1950s to the shocking 36 all out in Adelaide and the 46 all out at home against New Zealand, India’s lowest Test scores cover several generations.

Low totals in Test cricket often result from a combination of high-quality bowling, difficult conditions and relentless pressure. India have experienced collapses against pace and swing in Australia, England and South Africa, while their lowest home total came in overcast conditions against New Zealand in Bengaluru.

India’s lowest Test innings remains 36 against Australia at Adelaide in 2020. The 42 at Lord’s in 1974 held the unwanted record for more than 46 years, while the 46 against New Zealand in 2024 became India’s lowest Test score on home soil.

Despite these painful innings, several of India’s worst collapses have been followed by impressive responses. The most famous example came in Australia in 2020-21, when India recovered from 36 all out to win the next Test in Melbourne and eventually claim the series 2-1.

India’s 10 Lowest Test Scores

Here are the ten lowest completed innings totals recorded by India in Test cricket.

The list shows that most of India’s extreme batting collapses have occurred away from home. Only three of the ten totals — 46 in Bengaluru, 75 in Delhi and 76 in Ahmedabad — came in India.

India’s Five Lowest Test Innings in Detail

1. 36 vs Australia – Adelaide, 2020

India’s 36 against Australia at Adelaide is the lowest innings total in the country’s Test history.

The collapse was especially shocking because India had been competitive for most of the match. They scored 244 in the first innings and then dismissed Australia for 191, earning a useful 53-run lead.

India started their second innings at 9/1 before the third morning produced one of the most dramatic collapses Test cricket has seen.

Australia’s fast bowlers found movement with the pink ball, and India’s batters could not respond. Josh Hazlewood finished with exceptional figures of 5/8, while Pat Cummins took 4/21. India slipped from 15/1 to 15/5 and never recovered.

No Indian batter reached double figures. Mayank Agarwal top-scored with nine, while Hanuma Vihari made eight.

Technically, India lost nine wickets because Mohammed Shami retired hurt after being struck on the arm, but their completed innings total was recorded as 36. Australia needed only 90 to win and completed an eight-wicket victory.

The number ”36” immediately became associated with one of Indian cricket’s darkest batting days. However, what happened afterwards turned the collapse into the starting point of one of India’s greatest Test series comebacks.

2. 42 vs England – Lord’s, 1974

For more than four decades, India’s 42 at Lord’s stood as their lowest Test total.

England had dominated the second Test from the beginning. They piled up 629 in their first innings, with Dennis Amiss, Mike Denness and Tony Greig scoring centuries.

India responded with 302 and were asked to follow on.

Their second innings then collapsed almost immediately.

Chris Old and Geoff Arnold exploited helpful conditions on the fourth morning. India fell to 14/4 and were eventually dismissed for 42 in only 17 overs.

Old took 5/21, while Arnold claimed 4/19. Eknath Solkar, who finished unbeaten on 18, was the only Indian batter to offer meaningful resistance. England won by an innings and 285 runs.

The collapse became one of the defining moments of India’s difficult 1974 England tour. For decades, whenever India suffered a major batting failure, comparisons were made with the infamous 42 at Lord’s.

That unwanted record finally disappeared in Adelaide in December 2020.

3. 46 vs New Zealand – Bengaluru, 2024

India’s 46 against New Zealand in Bengaluru was remarkable for a different reason: it happened at home.

The first day of the Test was washed out, and India elected to bat after winning the toss when play finally began. Overcast conditions gave New Zealand’s seamers assistance, and the decision quickly turned disastrous.

Tim Southee started the collapse by bowling Rohit Sharma for two. Matt Henry and William O’Rourke then took control.

India were dismissed for 46 in 31.2 overs. Henry produced outstanding figures of 5/15, while O’Rourke claimed 4/22. Five Indian batters in the top eight were dismissed for ducks. Only Rishabh Pant, with 20, and Yashasvi Jaiswal, with 13, reached double figures.

The total became India’s lowest ever in a home Test, replacing the 75 against West Indies in Delhi in 1987.

It was also India’s third-lowest Test innings overall and, at the time, the lowest total made by any team in a Test played in India.

India fought back strongly with the bat in their second innings, with Sarfaraz Khan scoring 150 and Rishabh Pant making 99, but the first-innings damage was too large. New Zealand eventually won the Test and later completed a historic series victory in India.

4. 58 vs Australia – Brisbane, 1947

India’s first Test tour of Australia brought them face to face with a powerful Australian team led by Don Bradman.

In the opening Test at Brisbane, Australia declared their first innings at 382/8 after Bradman scored 185.

India then encountered extremely difficult batting conditions.

Ray Lindwall struck early before left-arm bowler Ernie Toshack tore through the middle and lower order. India were bowled out for 58, with Lala Amarnath’s 22 the highest score.

Toshack finished with extraordinary figures of 5/2. India were forced to follow on and managed only 98 in their second innings, with Toshack taking another six wickets. Australia won by an innings and 226 runs.

At the time, 58 was India’s lowest Test innings. It reflected how difficult the team’s first Australian tour became against Bradman’s dominant side and unfamiliar conditions.

India would later fall for 67 at Melbourne on the same tour, another total that remains among their ten lowest.

5. 58 vs England – Manchester, 1952

Five years after the Brisbane collapse, India were again dismissed for 58 — this time at Old Trafford against England.

The main destroyer was a young Fred Trueman.

Trueman’s pace caused enormous problems for India’s batting lineup throughout the 1952 tour. At Manchester, he produced one of the great fast-bowling spells of the era.

India were dismissed for 58 in their first innings, with Trueman taking 8/31. His combination of pace, accuracy and movement overwhelmed the visiting batters.

The problems did not disappear in the second innings.

India were bowled out again for only 82, meaning they produced two sub-100 totals in the same Test. England won by an innings and 207 runs.

Remarkably, India’s 82 from the second innings also remains one of their lowest Test totals. The match therefore produced two entries close to the bottom of India’s all-time batting records.

Famous Indian Test Batting Collapses

India’s lowest-score list contains several innings remembered not only for the totals but also for how quickly wickets disappeared.

The 66 at Durban in 1996 came against a strong South African pace attack. India were chasing in difficult conditions and were dismissed for 66 in the fourth innings as South Africa completed a comfortable victory.

The 67 against Australia at Melbourne in 1948 occurred during India’s first tour of Australia. Bradman’s side dominated the series, and the Melbourne collapse completed another heavy innings defeat.

India’s 75 against West Indies in Delhi in 1987 held the record for their lowest home Test score for almost 37 years. That record finally fell when New Zealand dismissed them for 46 in Bengaluru in 2024.

Another famous home collapse came against South Africa at Ahmedabad in 2008. India were bowled out for 76 in only 20 overs after Dale Steyn, Makhaya Ntini and Morne Morkel exploited the conditions.

More recently, India made only 78 against England at Headingley in 2021. James Anderson removed KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli as India lost control of the opening session. England eventually won by an innings and 76 runs.

These innings demonstrate that even highly experienced batting orders can collapse rapidly once movement, pressure and repeated wickets combine.

Adelaide 36 All Out: India’s Most Famous Test Collapse

No Indian batting collapse has attracted more attention in the modern era than the 36 at Adelaide.

India entered the third morning in a reasonable position. Instead, Hazlewood and Cummins produced an extraordinary spell of fast bowling that ended the innings in 21.2 overs.

The collapse contained almost no counterattack. India’s highest individual score was nine, and none of the batters could establish a partnership long enough to stop Australia’s momentum.

India eventually lost the Test by eight wickets. Virat Kohli then returned home, Mohammed Shami was ruled out with a fractured forearm, and several other players later suffered injuries during the series.

At that point, a heavy series defeat appeared possible.

Instead, Adelaide became the beginning of an extraordinary turnaround.

How India Bounced Back from Low Test Scores

The response to Adelaide remains the clearest example of India’s ability to recover from a disastrous batting performance.

Ajinkya Rahane took over as captain for the second Test at Melbourne. He scored a magnificent 112 and guided India to an eight-wicket victory, immediately levelling the series.

India then survived a dramatic final day in Sydney to secure a draw despite injuries throughout the team.

The series reached Brisbane at 1-1. Australia had not lost a Test at the Gabba since 1988, while India were missing several first-choice players.

Yet India successfully chased 328 on the final day. Rishabh Pant finished unbeaten on 89 as India reached 329/7 to win the Test and complete a 2-1 series victory.

The contrast was remarkable: on December 19, 2020, India had been dismissed for 36. Exactly one month later, on January 19, 2021, they completed one of their greatest overseas Test victories.

India also showed resistance after the 46 in Bengaluru in 2024. They responded with 462 in the second innings, with Sarfaraz Khan making 150 and Pant scoring 99. Although New Zealand still won the match, India’s response demonstrated how quickly a Test team can recover mentally from a historic collapse.

Low scores can decide matches, but they do not necessarily define a team or series. India’s history contains both humiliating collapses and remarkable recoveries, making these innings important chapters in the larger story of Indian Test cricket.

FAQs

What is India’s lowest score in Test cricket?

India’s lowest Test score is 36 against Australia at Adelaide in December 2020. India were dismissed for 36 in their second innings, with no batter reaching double figures.

What is India’s lowest Test score at home?

India’s lowest Test score at home is 46 against New Zealand in Bengaluru in 2024. Their previous home record was 75 against West Indies in Delhi in 1987.

What was India’s lowest Test score before 36 all out?

Before the Adelaide collapse, India’s lowest Test total was 42 against England at Lord’s in 1974. That record stood for more than 46 years.

Who took the most wickets when India were bowled out for 36?

Josh Hazlewood took 5/8 and Pat Cummins claimed 4/21 as Australia dismissed India for 36 at Adelaide.

Has India been bowled out below 50 more than once in Tests?

Yes. India have recorded three Test totals below 50: 36 against Australia in Adelaide, 42 against England at Lord’s and 46 against New Zealand in Bengaluru.

How did India recover after the 36 all out in Adelaide?

India won the next Test in Melbourne, drew in Sydney and then chased 328 at the Gabba to win the Brisbane Test. They completed a remarkable 2-1 series victory over Australia.