Background

For 18 months, India had not won a Test match — home or away. No victories in Sri Lanka (1985-86) and Australia (1985-86) marred Kapil Dev’s second stint as Test captain. In fact, Sri Lanka helped themselves to their maiden Test win in September 1985 against India at the P Sara Oval in Colombo. 

A 0-5 series loss to the West Indies in the Caribbean meant England were edgy when it came to facing the Indians. All the plaudits David Gower received as skipper of a victorious team in the 1984-85 Test series in India seemed to be evaporating. His captaincy was taken away after the Lord’s Test defeat and Mike Gatting took over. There was no change in result with the new captain as England were outwitted by 279 runs. At Lord’s, Dilip Vengsarkar became the first overseas batsman to score three hundreds there on the bounce. The third Test at Edgbaston was drawn but it could have gone in favour of the visiting team.