Recalling five memorable England cricket wins in Asia – including Hampshire legend Shaun Udal’s Test-best figures

England’s seven-wicket win over Sri Lanka in Galle today was their fifth in a row on the island and their latest successful attempts to master Asian conditions.
Shaun Udal celebrates with Andrew Flintoff and Ian Bell after taking the key wicket of Sachin Tendulkar  at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, in March 2006. Photo by Ben Radford/Getty Images.Shaun Udal celebrates with Andrew Flintoff and Ian Bell after taking the key wicket of Sachin Tendulkar  at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, in March 2006. Photo by Ben Radford/Getty Images.
Shaun Udal celebrates with Andrew Flintoff and Ian Bell after taking the key wicket of Sachin Tendulkar at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, in March 2006. Photo by Ben Radford/Getty Images.

Here, The News looks at five of their best performances on the sub-continent since 2000 - including the most memorable moment of Hampshire legend Shaun Udal’s international career.

2000: England beat Pakistan by 6 wickets (Karachi)

A quite remarkable display from the tourists and one of the highlights of Nasser Hussain’s captaincy. Pakistan boasted a 34-match unbeaten streak on home turf, with a pair of draws setting up a series decider at the National Stadium. Michael Atherton’s final Test hundred was vital but the match is remembered for Graham Thorpe and Hussain’s brilliant chase in dreadfully poor light, with street lamps needed to help them finish the job.

Shaun Udal celebrates with Andrew Flintoff after England's 212-run victory in Mumbai in March 2006 - their largest ever win in India by margin of runs. Photo by Ben Radford/Getty Images.Shaun Udal celebrates with Andrew Flintoff after England's 212-run victory in Mumbai in March 2006 - their largest ever win in India by margin of runs. Photo by Ben Radford/Getty Images.
Shaun Udal celebrates with Andrew Flintoff after England's 212-run victory in Mumbai in March 2006 - their largest ever win in India by margin of runs. Photo by Ben Radford/Getty Images.
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Scoreboard: Pakistan 405 (Inzamam-ul-Haq 142, Yousuf Youhana 117, Ashley Giles 494) & 158 (Darren Gough 3-30, Ashley Giles 3-38), England 388 (Mike Atherton 125) & 176-4 (Graham Thorpe 64no, Graeme Hick 40).

2001: England beat Sri Lanka by 4 wickets (Colombo)

England recorded an unprecedented 3-0 whitewash on their 2018 trip to Sri Lanka, but 17 years earlier they edged a much tighter series 2-1 in the decider. Crucially, the hosts had their all-time A-listers on parade, with Muttiah Muralitharan, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Aravinda De Silva and Chaminda Vaas all in place. Graham Thorpe made a wonderful first-innings hundred in a low-scoring game before England dismissed their opponents for 81 second time around as Ashley Giles claimed four for 11.

Scoreboard: Sri Lanka 241 (Robert Croft 4-56) & 81 (Ashley Giles 4-11, Darren Gough 3-23), England 249 (Graham Thorpe 113 no, Chaminda Vaas 6-73) & 74-6 (Graham Thorpe 32no).

2006: England beat India by 212 runs (Mumbai)

Andrew Flintoff’s stint as England skipper was not exactly littered with triumphs, but this series-levelling raid on the Wankhede Stadium was an achievement of note. Without several first-choice players, his side leveraged a first-innings of 400 and a century from Andrew Strauss before veteran Hampshire spinner Shaun Udal basked in a Tes-best four for 14 to roll the hosts.

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Udal had celebrated his 37th birthday on the first day of what was his fourth - and, as it turned out, his last - Test match, having played three times in Pakistan the previous November and December - the last Tests that England played in Pakistan. Among Udal’s wickets in Mumbai was talisman Sachin Tendulkar, who was his country’s top scorer with 34 as they remarkably collapsed from 75-3 to 100 all out.

It remains England’s best ever victory in terms of margin of runs in a Test in India, Pakistan or Sri Lanka.

Scoreboard: England 400 (Andrew Strauss 128, Owais Shah 88) & 191 (Andrew Flintoff 50), India 279 (M S Dhoni 64, James Anderson 4-40) & 100 (Shaun Udal 4-14, Andrew Flintoff 3-14).

2012: England beat India by 10 wickets (Mumbai)

A comprehensive defeat in Ahmedabad rendered Alastair Cook’s team an unfancied bunch heading back to Mumbai but the captain’s defiant hundred and a slice of genius from Kevin Pietersen, who made a classic 186, gave them a chance. Graeme Swann and the recalled Monty Panesar then shared all 10 wickets in the second innings, beating India at their own game to finish with combined match figures of 19 for 323.

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Scoreboard: India 327 (Chet Pujara 135,, Monty Panesar 5-129, Graeme Swann 4-70) & 142 (Monty Panesar 6-81, Graeme Swann 4-42), England 413 (Kevin Pietersen 186, Alistair Cook 122) & 58-0.

2012: England beat India by 7 wickets (Kolkata)

A week after squaring the series, England arrived at the vast Eden Gardens and claimed another victory which would end up giving them a first win on Indian shores since 1984/5. Cook did the heavy lifting for his side, occupying the crease for nearly eight-and-a-half hours for his 190. England’s bowlers shared the load this time, with James Anderson taking three in each innings to prove he did not need a swinging Dukes ball to make his presence felt.

Scoreboard: India 316 (Sachin Tendulkar 76, Monty Panesar 4-90, James Anderson 3-89) & 247 (James Anderson 3-38, Steven Finn 3-45), England 523 (Alistair Cook 190, Jon Trott 87, Kevin Pietersen 54) & 41-3.

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