London: In a series of minimum four Test matches, India on Monday conceded their third worst defeat and the biggest since 1967 when they went down 4-0 to England after losing the fourth Test at The Oval by an innings and eight runs.
Needing to bat out the fifth day to save the game, Tendulkar (91) led a spirited fightback alongwith Amit Mishra (84) but the complexion of the game changed dramatically after their dismissals as the visitors lost as many as seven wickets for a mere 21 runs to be all out for 283 in the second innings just at the stroke of Tea.
The Indians, who started the series as the number one Test team, surrendered the tag after losing the third Test in Birmingham and have now slipped to the number three position following the 4-0 whitewash.
Here are India's worst series defeats in series of four or more Tests:
5-0, England vs India in England, 1959
5-0, West Indies vs India in West Indies, 1961-62
4-0, England vs India in England, 2011
4-0, Australia vs India in Australia, 1967-68
India lost the first Test at Lord's by 196 runs where the hosts dominated the historic occasion of 2000th Test, which was also the 100th between England and India. Team India lost nine wickets on the last day of the match, giving a 1-0 lead.
The second Test had the same story for MS Dhoni's men. The match started in India's favour when they knocked England over for 221. Rahul Dravid then struck a century but Stuart Broad's 6/46 restricted India to 288. Despite the pressure of conceding a lead, Bell came up with an inspired century that helped England to 544 and then the hosts bowled India out for 158 to win by a mammoth 319 runs with a day to spare.
India's honeymoon with the No. 1 rank got over with the loss in the third Test. But more than the defeat, it was the way Team India lost - conceding their third worst loss in Test cricket by an innings and 242 runs inside four days.
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