5 occasions when India lost an overseas Test from a commanding position 

Test Cricket is the ultimate challenge for a player as it is a test of endurance, temperament and physical capacity at the highest level. Sound technique, strong temperament, critical evaluation of the conditions and a high degree of athleticism are required to succeed in the longest format of the game. An overseas Test assignment is ever more challenging, with the players required to adapt to alien, hostile conditions and perform in front of an away crowd.

An overseas Test victory is extremely hard earned, as it requires a team to remain extremely vigilant and adaptive in terms of performance as well as team selection. It becomes essential to step up and seal a game, translating the prospects into chances or else the potential of a Test victory might fade away. The recently concluded series against England was a testimony of the same, wherein the series was fiercely competitive in stark contrast to the scoreline, but it hardly mattered, as the results on the paper dictated terms.

India have earned some iconic victories in the past against quality sides at their own backyards in the face of adverse circumstances. At the same time, the team has had a 'so close yet so far' saga on numerous occasions.

We take a look on the 5 occasions when India lost an overseas Test from a commanding position.

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#5 India vs Sri Lanka, The Galle, 2015

India took on Sri Lanka at The Galle in the first Test match of the series, with Virat Kohli chasing his first Test win as captain. Winning the toss, Sri Lanka elected to bat first. Ravichandran Ashwin was at his lethal best, exploiting a purely subcontinental track to perfection, claiming 6 wickets in the process. The Sri Lankan innings was bundled for 183, with Angelo Mathhews and Dinesh Chandimal being the only batsmen to show some respite.

In reply, India amassed 375 runs on the board helped by the centuries of Shikhar Dhawan and captain Virat Kohli, racing away to a huge lead of 192 runs. The Sri Lankan top order failed again, with the team reeling at 95-5. At a point when many would have expected India to wrap up an innings win, but wicketkeeper batsman Dinesh Chandmal notched a glamorous 162, taking the attack back to the opposition. India were set a target of 176, which was never going to be easy, since the pitch had deteriorated, making it extremely difficult for batsmen in the final day.

Rangana Herath spun a vicious spin web around the Indian batsmen, extracting prodigious amount of turn from the track. Shikhar Dhawan and Ajinkya Rahane stayed in the crease for a brief period, however a 7-wicket haul by the left-arm spinner saw the Indian innings falter at 112, handing the Lankans an astonishing 63 run victory.

#4 India vs England, Southampton, 2018

The dismissal of Virat Kohli triggered a dismal collapse

India had staged a gritty comeback in the third Test at Nottingham, being 0-2 down in the series. The match promised to be electrifying, as the two teams were coming afresh after a weeks gap. Indian captain Virat Kohli lost the toss for the fourth successive occasion and England elected to bat first.

India had a host of chances in the game, but failed to capitalize on all of them. The Indian pacers dominated the top order, with England reeling at 86-6. However, India failed to take the game away from the hosts as the tail fought back taking the score to a respectable 246. Once again, India lost the chance to bat the hosts out of the game, with Cheteshwar Pujara being the only batsman to look comfortable.

The visitors did manage to get a 27-run lead, but inefficient channelization of the bowlers and failure of Ashwin to capitalize on the rough allowed England to post a 245-run target for India. The top order collapsed, with the top 3 batsmen inside the pavilion within 25 runs. Half centuries by Kohli and Rahane kept India in the game, but Kohli's dismissal triggered a dismal collapse, with the remaining 6 wickets falling inside 61 runs, handing England a 60-run victory.

#3 India vs South Africa, Cape Town, 2018

The South African bowlers were blitz at Cape Town

2018 was the start of the real scrutiny of the invincibility of the Indian Test team, with overseas assignments in South Africa, England and Australia. India took on South Africa at Cape Town in a bid to surge their dominance on overseas tracks.

South Africa won the toss and opted to bat first, with Bhuvneshwar Kumar wielding wizardry with the cherry, removing the top order inside 15 runs. AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis put all their experience into use as they stitched a vital 114-run stand for the 5th wicket. Crucial contributions from the tail helped South Africa to put 286 on the board, an above par score given the conditions.

The Indian innings started on a disastrous note, with the team struggling at 92-7. However, Hardik Pandya came out all guns blazing, and launched an all out attack on the opposition with his quickfire 93. Complemented by Bhuvneshwar Kumar, India put 209 on the board.

The Indian bowlers bowled beautifully to bowl South Africa out for 130, but the batsmen failed again, with the Proteas prevailing by 72 runs.

#2 India vs Australia, The Adelaide Oval, 2014

Virat Kohli's twin centuries went in vain

With MS Dhoni forced to sit out due to an injury, Virat Kohli captained the Indian side for the first time. Australia batted first after Michael Clarke won the toss, and piled a mammoth 517/7 on the board, with David Warner, Steve Smith and Michael Clarke notching hundreds.

India, in reply, fought back with a score of 444, with Virat Kohli scoring a glamorous hundred on captaincy debut. Nathan Lyon claimed a 5-wicket haul, running through the middle order David Warner scored another hundred in the second innings, and Australia declared their innings and the end of the fourth day, leaving 364 runs for India to chase on the final day.

At a point where almost every other captain would have played for a draw, Virat Kohli decided to go after the target, and led from the front with a valiant 141. Nathan Lyon claimed 7 wickets to add to his previous 5-wicket haul, annihilating the middle order. But Kohli stayed rock solid on one end amidst crisis. However, just when victory seemed inevitable for the visitors, calamity struck in the form of Kohli's wicket. India needed to survive 8 overs for a draw, but lost the remaining 3 wickets in a space of 5 overs and 11 runs, resulting in a disheartening loss for the Indians by 48 runs.

#1 India vs England, 2018, Edgbaston

Virat Kohli's wicket brought an end to India's chances

India locked horns with England in the first Test at Edgbaston, after a keenly contested limited overs leg. India eyed the opportunity to become the first Asian country to upstage the hosts at the venue, in what promised to be a riveting 5 match series.

England won the toss and elected to bat first. England put 287 runs on the board, with half centuries from Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow. Indian batting line up faltered, but Virat Kohli thrived under pressure, batting vigilantly for his hundred, accelerating towards the end with a chivalrous 149. England sneaked a slender 13 run lead.

The mastery of Ashwin and a triple-wicket over of Ishant Sharma saw the hosts reeling at 87-7. At a time when India could have closed in on the game, undisciplined line and length towards the end enabled Sam Curran to score 63 crucial runs. The Indian batting failed for the second successive time in the match, with Virat Kohli once again being the only ray of hope. Virat's wicket once again brought India's chances to an end, as the visitors fell 31-run shy of a mediocre 193 run target.