Check cricket is a recreation of persistence, ability, and moments of stress. Over time, Group India has pulled off some heart-stopping wins the place even a couple of runs made all of the distinction. Right here’s a have a look at India’s 5 closest victories in Check matches by run margin, together with the newest thriller at The Oval in 2025.
5. 37 Runs vs West Indies – Port of Spain, 2002
- Match Date: April 19-23, 2002
- Venue: Queen’s Park Oval, Port of Spain
- Opponent: West Indies
- Consequence: India gained by 37 runs
India defended a modest goal of 313 with disciplined bowling. Javagal Srinath, Ashish Nehra, and Anil Kumble took key wickets to bowl West Indies out for 275. This match is remembered for the teamwork and wonderful captaincy by Sourav Ganguly.
4. 31 Runs vs Australia – Adelaide, 2018
- Match Date: December 6-10, 2018
- Venue: Adelaide Oval
- Opponent: Australia
- Consequence: India gained by 31 runs
On this nail-biter, India set a goal of 323. Australia fought onerous however ultimately fell brief, being bowled out for 291. Jasprit Bumrah, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Mohammed Shami shared the wickets, whereas Cheteshwar Pujara’s century within the first innings was the spine of India’s win. This was India’s first Check victory in Adelaide and a powerful begin to their 2018-19 sequence win.
3. 28 Runs vs England – Eden Gardens, 1972-73
- Match Date: December 30, 1972, to January 4, 1973
- Venue: Eden Gardens, Kolkata
- Opponent: England
- Consequence: India gained by 28 runs
England wanted simply 192 to win in Kolkata, however Indian spinners led by Bishan Singh Bedi (5 wickets) and BS Chandrasekhar (4 wickets) restricted them to 163. It was an excellent show of spin bowling on a tricky pitch and showcased India’s house dominance throughout the early 70s.
2. 13 Runs vs Australia – Wankhede, 2004
- Match Date: November 3-5, 2004
- Venue: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
- Opponent: Australia
- Consequence: India gained by 13 runs
This match is remembered for its dramatic collapse and low-scoring rigidity. India set Australia a goal of 107, however the Aussie batting lineup crumbled for 93. Harbhajan Singh and Murali Kartik troubled the Australian batters with their spin bowling. Regardless of the low rating, India’s fightback made it certainly one of their most thrilling wins at house.
1. 6 Runs vs England – The Oval, 2025
- Match Date: July 31 – August 4, 2025
- Venue: The Oval, London
- Opponent: England
- Consequence: India gained by 6 runs
India’s narrowest-ever Check win by runs got here at The Oval, the place the staff stayed calm beneath stress to drag off an exhilarating victory. On the ultimate morning, England wanted solely 35 extra runs with 4 wickets remaining whereas chasing 374. However because of a surprising spell by Mohammed Siraj (5/104) and Prasidh Krishna, India bowled them out for 367, successful by simply 6 runs.
This broke India’s earlier report for the smallest successful margin and has now turn out to be a memorable second in Check cricket historical past.
Abstract Desk – India’s Smallest Wins by Runs
Conclusion
These 5 matches present how India stayed calm beneath stress and saved combating proper till the ultimate ball. The Oval Check of 2025 is the latest and narrowest of all of them, a match that can go down in historical past as certainly one of India’s most dramatic Check wins ever.
Written by Kinjal Walantra
