India will go in to the second down Test in Chennai, one-down in the series, having lost the first Test in Bangalore, but skipper Sourav Ganguly can take some inspiration from the fact that in the 2000-01 series against Australia, they were in a similar situation at the start of the second Test.
India made history in the second Test at Kolkata and then went on to win the series by virtue of an exciting win in the third Test at Chennai.
There have been only half a dozen instances when India managed to either win or draw a series (of at least three Tests) after losing the first Test. Four of these six have come at home soil.
Ganguly is the only Indian captain to have done so twice. The other occasion (apart from series against Australia in 2000-01 was in 2002 series against England in England.
Will Ganguly be third time lucky?
Opponents | Series | Tests | Result | Captain | Venue |
Australia | 1964-65 | 3 | 1-1 | Nawab of Pataudi,Jr. | India |
England | 1972-73 | 5 | 2-1 | Ajit Wadekar | India |
Australia | 1980-81 | 3 | 1-1 | Sunil Gavaskar | Australia |
West Indies | 1987-88 | 4 | 1-1 | Dilip Vengsarkar & Ravi Shastri | India |
Australia | 2000-01 | 3 | 2-1 | Sourav Ganguly | India |
England | 2002 | 4 | 1-1 | Sourav Ganguly | England |