Which was the most painful defeat for India?

[G.I.Joe]

Most painful series defeat. And most painful test match defeat.

Trying to keep it relatively recent, say 1990 onwards, imo - 1997 in the West Indies, and Chennai 99 vs Pakistan.

[chicane]

I didn't see WI '97. All others hurt but 2004 vs Aus the worst one for me.

Worst match defeat - '99 Kolkata.

[Sanz]

One of the most important match that changed the history and (probably the outcomes of many matches) of India-Pak Cricket for years was 1986 Australasia cup final where Miandad hit a last ball six off Chetan Sharma. It took us 17 years to get over that mindset over Pak,. IMO it was another 6 by Tendulkar that finally erased that pain (No for me Jadeja's onslaught on Waqar in 96 wasn't enough).

Also, I would have liked the loss to Pak in Chennai Test in 1998/99 as an option, we were so close yet so far. It hurt so much, not because it was a loss against Pak, but because we were so close.

[Sanz]

Originally Posted by G.I.Joe

and Chennai 99 vs Pakistan.

Why is it not an option, sir ?

[Sir Alex]

Match is 1999 Chennai undoubtedly.

Series 2008 Australia.

[G.I.Joe]

Originally Posted by Sanz

Why is it not an option, sir ?

poll is just for series. technically chennai 99 and kolkata 99 werent from the same series.

[Sanz]

Okay, in that case I have voted correctly.

[vcs]

Worst match loss was Chennai '99.

Some of our match losses in recent drawn home series have been pretty bad - vs. Pakistan in Bangalore in '05, vs. England in Wankhede '06. Just the crushing inevitability of seeing the batsmen fold under pressure on day 5.

I'll go for S. Africa '06-'07 - it was sickening the way we threw it away against Harris and co. with mind-numbingly craven batting in the third innings, after everything the bowlers had done. That series was there for the taking, really.

[Sir Alex]

Originally Posted by vcs

Worst match loss was Chennai '99.

Some of our match losses in recent drawn home series have been pretty bad - vs. Pakistan in Bangalore in '05, vs. England in Wankhede '06. Just the crushing inevitability of seeing the batsmen fold under pressure on day 5.

I'll go for S. Africa '06-'07 - it was sickening the way we threw it away against Harris and co. with mind-numbingly craven batting in the third innings, after everything the bowlers had done. That series was there for the taking, really.

Wasn't that the match when Tendulkar & Dravid indulged in some of the worst ever batting I've seen from those two. I was almost at the edge of swearing to get these two out because they murdered the momentum of that innings.

[vcs]

Originally Posted by Sir Alex

Wasn't that the match when Tendulkar & Dravid indulged in some of the worst ever batting I've seen from those two. I was almost at the edge of swearing to get these two out because they murdered the momentum of that innings.

Yeah, that was the one.

Watching Tendulkar was embarrassing | Cricket Features | India in South Africa | Cricinfo.com

[Cruxdude]

The Chennai test was really tough. I was at the stadium that day and what a lousy feeling it was after the match ended. 2008 Australia is another series that could have been one another time. BCCI should learn that India needs a few practice matches before going into a test series.

[Pratters]

You have not covered the worst defeats here. These are the ones IMO:

http://pratyushkhaitan.blogspot.com/...n-cricket.html

[SJS]

I am surprised that none of the defeats to Pakistan is mentioned. The failure to win even a test match (let alone a series) in Pakistan till 2004 was something that hurt more than anything young Indians today can imagine. The series losses of 78-79 (2-0) and 82-83
(3-0) were very painful indeed.

In more recent times, though the pain was less since the nationalistic fervour had died down, the 1-0 loss in 2005-06 was shocking considering that indian line up included

1. Ganguly
2. Sehwag
3. Dravid
4. Tendulkar
5. Laxman
6. Yuvraj
7. Dhoni
8. Pathan
9. Kumble
10. Harbhajan
11. Zaheer

besides RP Singh and Ajit Agarkar

This is the cream of India's cricket of the last two decades and we lost to...

1. Salman Butt
2. Imran Farhat
3. Younis Khan
4. Mohammad Younis
5. Inzamam
6. Shoaib Malik
7. Kamran Akmal
8. Shahid Afridi
9. Shoaib Malik
10. Mohammad Asif
11. Danish Kaneria

besides Sami, Naved, Faisal Iqbal, Abdul Razzaq

A decent side but surely India had one of its strongest sides in the one that went out from here.

But as i said it was less painful than the defeats to Imran's side.

[Sir Alex]

Originally Posted by vcs

Yeah, that was the one.

Watching Tendulkar was embarrassing | Cricket Features | India in South Africa | Cricinfo.com

Thanks vcs. Now that is what I call a "commentary". Sambit Bal criticized Tendulkar, as rightly that innings deserved that ridicule, but wisely he desisted from making broader conclusions from that or making it a "calling for his head" piece, which Chappelli with all his infinite wisdom erred in. Sambit can get no flak because he offered just his commentary on that particular innings alone.

[gvenkat]

To me the 1986-87 Test series loss to Pakistan rankles me. I was a 10 year old and was gutted when India lost the match.

I was not technically equipped to know the game at that time. However that was heart breaking and when i read later that Gavaskar played a masterful knock the pain increased furhter.

The second has to be the 1999 chennai test. I was in cheapuk and was literally down on my knees after the game. I was standing in the stands long after people had left and a police man came and hushed me away. I gave him a stare that he left me alone.