The third day of the first India vs Australia day-night Test match at the Adelaide Oval witnessed India’s lowest score in Test history on Saturday.
Led by Virat Kohli, the Indian cricket team was bundled out for just 36 in their second innings of the pink-ball Test match. It eclipsed its previous lowest Test score of 42 against Mike Denness's England at the Lord's in 1974.
India posted 36/9, after Mohammed Shami became the last batsman to depart retired hurt, to record their lowest total in Test cricket. They had started the day at 9/1 with the out-of-form Prithvi Shaw back in the pavilion.
Pacer Josh Hazlewood was the chief destructor with enviable figures of 5/8 in just five overs. Pat Cummins picked up the remaining four wickets.
Opener Mayank Agarwal was the top-scorer with nine to his tally as no batsman reached the double-figure mark. Hanuma Vihari was the next best with eight runs. Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ravichandran Ashwin recorded ducks in the innings.
It’s the joint fifth-lowest total in Test match cricket, the lowest score by an Asian team and the joint-lowest score in Australia, matching South Africa’s tally from 1932.
Here’s a look at some of the Indian cricket team’s other low totals:
42 vs England in 1974
One of India’s worst batting displays came at the Lords when they toured England under Ajit Wadekar in 1974. Having won the toss, the hosts elected to bat first and had managed to post a massive 629 in their first innings. In reply, India managed 302 in their first innings and followed-on. In the second innings, India collapsed as they were bundled out for just 42 in 17 overs. Chris Old picked up five wickets and Geoff Arnold four with Eknath Solkar top-scoring with an unbeaten 18 off just 17 balls. The visitors lost the Test match by an innings and 285 runs.
46 vs New Zealand in 2024
The Indian cricket team was bundled out for 46 against New Zealand in the first innings of the first Test at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru in October 2024. Electing to bat first, India lost wickets at regular intervals to record their lowest Test total at home. Wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant top-scored for India with 20 while Yashasvi Jaiswal (13) was the only other batter to reach double figures. For New Zealand, Matt Henry was the wrecker-in-chief as he bagged a five-wicket haul while fast bowler William ORourke picked up four wickets.
58 vs Australia in 1947
The Lala Amarnath-led Indian cricket team had a nightmare of a Test series when they visited Australia in 1947. In the first of the five-match series in Brisbane, India suffered a dramatic batting collapse in their first innings as they were bowled out for 58 in reply to Australia’s 382/8. Ernie Toshack picked up an astonishing 5/2 in just 2.3 overs. Team India succumbed to a humiliating defeat as they were again bundled out for 98 in their second innings with Ernie Toshack picking up 6/29, thus recording his best bowling figures in an innings and a match. Australia won the Brisbane Test by an innings and 226 runs.
58 vs England in 1952
India were bowled out for 58 and 82 against England on the same day at the Old Trafford in the third Test of the four-match series in 1952. England fast bowler Fred Trueman was the wrecker-in-chief for the hosts claiming 8/31 -- his career-best bowling figures in Tests -- in India’s first innings. Vijay Manjrekar top-scored with 22. England had won the toss and elected to bat first. Captain Sir Len Hutton had scored a scintillating hundred to help the hosts post 347/9 in their first innings. Led by Vijay Hazare, the Indian cricket team suffered an embarrassing defeat as they lost the Manchester Test match by an innings and 207 runs.
#OnThisDay 1952 - Fred Trueman demolished India, taking 8/31 as India were all-out for 58 at Old Trafford pic.twitter.com/sR5SAhEs5A
— ICC (@ICC) July 19, 2016
66 vs South Africa in 1996
The Sachin Tendulkar-led Team India had registered their fifth-lowest Test total against South Africa in 1996. India had won the toss and elected to field in their first Test match of the three-match series in Durban. Venkatesh Prasad’s fifer had helped restrict South Africa to 235 in their first innings. In reply, India were bundled out for 100 thanks to Allan Donald’s incredible bowling display (5/40). South Africa posted another 259 runs in their second innings to set up a run chase of 394 runs for the visitors. However, India failed miserably as they were bowled out for just 66 runs in 35 overs. Allan Donald’s nine wickets helped South Africa secure a mammoth 328 runs victory in the first Test match. Rahul Dravid top-scored in the second innings with 27 not out.
67 vs Australia in 1948
The Australian cricket team had bundled India for just 67 runs in their second innings of the fifth Test match in Melbourne in 1948. Deciding to bat first, Australia rode on Neil Harvey’s (153) century to post 575/8 in their first innings. Team India showed determination in their reply to manage 331 runs courtesy a hundred by Vinoo Mankad. However, India suffered a dramatic batting collapse in their second innings as they were bowled out for 67 runs. Len Johnson and Doug Ring each picked up three wickets. As a result, captain Don Bradman led his side to victory in the Melbourne Test by an innings and 177 runs and thrashed the visitors 4-0 in the Test series.
