Team India 5 Narrowest Test Defeats: In the Test match between England and India at Lord’s, the host team won by 22 runs and also took a 2-1 lead in the series. To win this match, India got a target of 193 runs in their second innings, which the team failed to reach. Ravindra Jadeja’s struggle could not prevent Team India’s defeat. This is the fourth time in Test cricket that India has faced defeat by such few runs. In this article, we will talk about the 5 closest defeats of India in terms of runs in those Tests.
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5. 25 runs – vs New Zealand (Wankhede, 2024)
Team India: Last year, the New Zealand team played a three-Test series on their tour of India. The third match of this series was played at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, in which the Indian team had to face defeat by 25 runs. In the fourth innings of the match, the Indian team had to score 147 runs, but Rohit Sharma and company were all out for 121 runs.
4. 22 runs – vs England (Lord’s, 2025)
The Indian team’s shameful performance continues at Lord’s ground. On Monday (July 14), India suffered its 13th Test defeat at this ground. This time England defeated India by 22 runs. This is the first time that India had to face defeat by such a low number of runs on this ground.
3. 16 runs – vs Pakistan (Bengaluru, 1987)
In 1987, the Pakistani team came on a tour of India. The 5th match of the Test series between the two teams was played in Bengaluru, in which the hosts had to face defeat by 16 runs. With this win, Pakistan won the series 0-1.
2. 16 runs – vs Australia (Brisbane, 1977)
Before Pakistan, India had lost to Australia by 16 runs. However, this defeat was suffered abroad. In this match, Team India was all out for 324 runs while chasing 341 runs.
1. 12 runs – vs Pakistan (Chennai, 1999)
Narrowest defeats for India in Tests (by runs)
— Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) July 14, 2025
12 runs vs PAK, Chennai 1999
16 runs vs AUS, Brisbane 1977
16 runs vs PAK, Bengaluru 1987
22 runs vs ENG, Lord's 2025*
25 runs vs NZ, Wankhede 2024#ENGvIND
The closest defeat that India has faced in terms of runs in Test cricket is by 12 runs. Which it faced from Pakistan in 1999, that too on its home ground. In this match, Team India proved to be a failure in chasing the target of 271 runs.
