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1933/34: England 2-0

England's infamous 'bodyline' captain Douglas Jardine took the England side over to India for the first ever three test series between the sides in 1933/34 during a time when India was still under colonial rule. England won the first test in Bombay by a comfortable 9 wickets with Valentine weighing in with a fluid 136 and Nichols with 8 wickets. Following a drawn second test in Calcutta, match figures of 11-153 from Headley Verity helped England to a 202 run victory and 2-0n series win.

1951/52: Series Drawn

England had to wait a further 17 years before their next tour of India after a bloody end to the period of colonial rule. This time, the series was a 5 test affair and after the first three matches ended in draws, England took the initiative in the fourth test at Kanpur thanks to inspired bowling from Tattersall and Hilton who finished with match figures of 8-125 and 9-93 respectively in a low scoring affair. In the final test in Madras, however, it was the turn of India's MH Mankad who took 12-108 in inspiring India to a comprehensive innings and 8 run victory and a share of the series spoils.

1961/62: India 2-0

Ten years after England's last tour of India came the hosts first ever series victory against their former rulers. After the first three tests ended in draws, India edged their noses in front in Calcutta thanks to a decisive first innings score of 380 on a low scoring wicket. A second innings total of 252 left England requiring 420 - a task in which they failed by 187 runs. The final test in Madras saw England requiring victory to level the series but once again a large first innings total of 428 proved the difference for the hosts with Nawab of Pataudi jnr top scoring with 103. Although England restricted India to 190 in their second innings, the required total of 337 again proved too much and India ran out winners by 128 runs.

1963/64: Series Drawn

Only a year after their first ever series defeat to India, England were back to reclaim some pride under the captaincy of MJK Smith. Flat, batting friendly pitches proved the order of the series, however, and batsman from both teams were able to fill their boots leaving the series level going into the final test at Kanpur. A massive first innings total of 559 from England put the pressure firmly on India and, after bowling them for 266 in the first innings, England sensed a series victory having enforced the follow on. India's batting did not let them down this time, however, and they finished on a comfortable 347-3 on the final day to tie the series 0-0.

1972/73: India 2-1

Tony Lewis arrived in India for the 1972/73 series to gain distinction as the last man to captain England on test debut. That was at Delhi in 1972-73, when Lewis got a duck - and then guided England to victory with 70 not out in the second innings on Christmas Day. Despite going 1-0 up in the series, England were pipped to the winning post in a low scoring second test in Calcutta to lose out by 28 runs. India then took the series lead in the 3rd test in Madras in another extremely tight encounter but two extremely batsman friendly pitches in the final two tests ended in inevitable high scoring draws to hand India the series. Lewis played only nine Tests in all.

1976/77: England 3-1

After severe and depressing losses to Australia and the West Indies in successive home summers, the tide turned for English cricket during the 1976-77 tour of India and Sri Lanka. For the first time in five ventures since the Second World War, England beat India on their own soil. The margin of England`s victory in the series was decisive - three-one. The extent of England's superiority in achieving these three wins was no less convincing - an innings and 25 runs, ten wickets and 200 runs. No other touring side in India had ever before clinched the rubber over the first three Tests. Captain Tony Greig extracted the maximum effort from influential players such as Barrington, Brearley, Fletcher, Knott, Underwood, Willis and Lever.

1979/80: England 1-0

England came out victors in the one off Golden Jubilee test in Bombay thanks to a wonderful all round performance by Ian Botham. The young all rounder was in scintillating form with both bat and ball, claiming 6-58 in India's first innings and 7-48 in the second. Between destroying the Indian batting line-up, Botham put the opposing bowlers to the sword, bludgeoning 114 off 144 balls in a total of 296. England won by 10 wickets with India only managing a second innings total of 149 against Botham's menace.

1981/82: India 1-0

With the series extended to six test matches, Botham was back. And although the big man topped England's batting averages and took the most wickets, this time it was India who came out on top. A low scoring opener in Bombay saw India come out on top by 138 runs with Doshi, Madan Lal and Kapil Dev all weighing in with 5 wicket hauls. Over the course of the next five tests, the deadlock would not be broken with both sides able to amass large totals on easy paced wickets.

1984/85: England 2-1

It was all doom and gloom for England after the opening test match after Laxman Sivaramakrishnan claimed 6-64 and 6-117 respectively to give the hosts and early series lead against David Gower's tourists. And although Sivaramakrishnan was once again in bamboozling form with his leg-breaks and googlies in the second innings claiming seven more wickets, England's batsmen did enough in their first innings to register an 8 wicket win thanks to fine bowling from Pocock, Edmonds, Ellison and Cowans. After a drawn fourth test, England seized the advantage in Madras with a 9 wicket win inspired by double centuries by Graeme Fowler and Mike Gatting and 11 wickets from Neil Foster. The final test at Kanpur fizzled out in a draw and England claimed the series.

1992/93: India 3-0

Despite the series being reduced to 3 tests, India enjoyed an embarrassingly one sided series, thrashing Graham Gooch's disorganised and ill prepared England team in every game. The first test was all about India Captain Mohammed Azharuddin who responded to press criticism about his form and captaincy with an unbeaten 182 from 326 deliveries in front of a 50,000 crowd. Without 'Aza's' knock, India's first innings total of 371 would have resembled England's two paltry innings of 163 and 286 all out, giving India an easy 8 wicket win. Having racked up a huge total of 560-6 with centuries from Sidhu and Tendulkar, India's three pronged spin attack of Kumble, Raju and Chauhan again accounted for England in Madras, spearheading an innings and 22 run victory despite a valiant second innings century from Chris Lewis. Two down and with only dented pride to play for, England were again humbled in Bombay, an innings and 15 run win wrapping up a 3-0 series victory with Vinod Kambli's 224 the highlight.

2001/02: India 1-0

Nasser Hussain's men arrived in India on the back of another summer home Ashes defeat with only three of the current Ashes holders (Hoggard, Trescothick and Flintoff) in the ranks. The first test in Mohali saw India take a first innings lead of 231 thanks to big knocks from Dasgupta, Tendulkar and Ganguly. Once again it was the Indian spin attack of Kumble and Harbajan that did the damage in a 10 wicket win, finishing with figures of 8-133 and 7-110 respectively. Despite Kumble and Harbajan again claiming 16 wickets between them, more resolute batting from England gave England a sniff of victory in the second test in Ahmedabad before India batted out a draw on the final day for the loss of just three wickets. England's hopes of saving the series in Bangalore were frustrated by rain with the visitors on top with a first innings lead of 98. Rain returned to halt the action on day 4 and a further downpour on the final day gave the Umpires no option but to abandon play.