1 in 32,768! India's Unbelievable Toss Losing Streak Hits 15 In Final Test vs England
India's Test captain Shubman Gill, who has now lost five tosses in a row in this series alone, seemed unflustered on the surface but couldn't escape the growing scrutiny around this strange streak. The odds of losing 15 straight tosses, each with a 50-50 chance, stand at a staggering 1 in 32,768 — a statistical improbability that has now become a stark reality.
Unbelievable Toss Losing Streak Becomes Historic
India's toss-losing run, which began in January 2025, includes 2 T20Is, 8 ODIs, and now 5 Test matches. The last time an Indian skipper won a toss was during a T20I against England in Rajkot under Suryakumar Yadav. Since then, it's been a never-ending downward spiral of coin-flip defeats, culminating in a world record that no team would want.
Previous records include the West Indies' 12 consecutive toss losses in 1999 and England's 11 between 2022 and 2023. India's current streak now sits atop that unfortunate list.
Oval Test Begins with Four Changes for Both Sides
With conditions overcast and some green on the pitch, Pope had no hesitation in bowling first — especially with swing likely to aid the pacers early on. "Bit overcast, no-brainer to have a bowl on this pitch,' Pope said after winning the toss. 'We bat deep. We're not here to settle for a draw, we want to win it."
England made four changes, including resting regular captain Ben Stokes due to a shoulder injury. Also missing were Jofra Archer, Liam Dawson, and Brydon Carse. New faces like Jacob Bethell and Jamie Smith added youthful exuberance to the lineup.
India responded with their own shuffle. Out went star pacer Jasprit Bumrah, wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant, all-rounder Shardul Thakur, and batter Cheteshwar Pujara. In came promising talents: Akash Deep, Dhruv Jurel, Karun Nair, and Prasidh Krishna.
'We don't mind losing the toss if we win the game,' Shubman Gill stated. 'The wicket looks good despite the overcast. If we can put up a good total in the first innings, we're confident the bowlers will deliver.'
India's Playing XI: A Blend of Youth and Experience
Batters: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Karun Nair All-rounders/WK: Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Washington Sundar
Bowlers: Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj
England's XI saw Joe Root return to form alongside Pope, with the exciting Harry Brook and Zak Crawley forming a solid top order. The bowling unit, led by Chris Woakes and supported by Atkinson, Overton, and Tongue, looks lethal in English conditions.
Can Gill Break the Curse?
While losing tosses doesn't directly impact the scoreboard, it can influence match strategy — especially in Tests, where overhead conditions and pitch freshness play a major role. For Shubman Gill, a captain yet to win a toss, the mental challenge grows with every flip.
However, Gill's positive outlook and India's consistent team performances offer hope. The side has come agonizingly close to wins throughout the series — often missing out by fine margins. With this being the series decider, the team will be keen to push that extra 5-10% Gill spoke of and finish on a high.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
2 hours ago
- First Post
'Did not expect such big reaction from him': Prasidh on how he unsettled a usually composed Joe Root at The Oval
Indian pacer Prasidh Krishna and English batter Joe Root were involved in a heated back-and-forth on Day 2 of the fifth and final Test. Krishna revealed that it was a plan to get a reaction from Root. read more Prasidh Krishna and Joe Root were involved in a heated back-and-forth on Day 2 of the Oval Test. AFP Indian pacer Prasidh Krishna enjoyed the back-and-forth he had with Joe Root on Day 2 of the fifth and final Test. Following the end of the the pacer revealed that he took the onus to provoke the ire of England's batting general. Prasidh and Root indulged in a heated confrontation that required interventions from the umpires. The usually calm and composed Root lost his cool when Prasidh hurled something at him following a boundary in the 22nd over. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Prasidh Krishna on heated banter with Joe Root Krishna's words did not sit well with Root, who showcased his animated side to the Indian pacer. After the culmination of the day, Prasidh made it known that it was nothing but just a banter between the two 'good mates' that comes within the confines of the game. 'Well, it was a very small thing. I think it was just a competitive edge among us that was coming out. Both of us are good mates off the field. It was just a little bit of a banter, and both of us enjoyed it,' said Prasidh in the post-day press conference. The Karnataka pacer further stated that bringing out a reaction from Root was not an accident; rather the act was carried out with a purpose. 'That was also the plan. But I didn't really expect a couple of words that I said to get such a big reaction from him. But like I said, I love the guy that he is. He's a legend of the game. 'And for him to come out there, it's great when two people are out there wanting to do their best,' said Praisdh who took a four-wicket haul alongside Mohammed Siraj to script India's impressive comeback after the onslaught of Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley in the first session. Prasidh further said that trading barbs with the opposition batter tends to get the best out of him. 'I try and enjoy bowling if it means that I have a bit of a chatter with the batsman. And it does help me when the batsman also is, I can get under the nerves and get a reaction from him. And I think I was just running in well,' said the lanky fast bowler. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Prasidh on how bowlers readjusted after morning beat-down As India suffered a clobbering at the hands of Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett in the morning session, the bowlers decided to brush aside the beating and worked on improving. 'As a team we knew what happened before lunch and the three fast bowlers, I think we got together in a small corner and decided, what's happened has happened. 'And all of us know what we need to be doing and we just said, every time we are on the field, at the mark, we trust each other enough, go speak to each other, tell them if you're not on the right track, and just make sure you're bowling the right lines and take it from there. 'And as a team as well, we spoke about the same thing. Like, if the next three, two hours, if we can show some body language, I think it's going to make a big difference and it made a big difference,' he said. The 29-year-old stated that when the chips were against them, they concentrated on getting the basics right and reaped the results in the form of wickets. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'I think they are playing a lot of shots and as a bowling unit, it's very hard for us to keep bowling the same areas, knowing they're going to do all kinds of things and try to score runs. But that's the challenge in itself. 'If you can still come there and know what your lengths and lines are and keep bowling the same good balls again and again, I think it's a matter of time. And that's the challenge, to be able to bowl the good lengths in spite of the aggressive intent of the batsman.' India ended the day at 75/2 after 18 overs, taking a lead of 52 runs. Jaiswal and Akash Deep are currently in the middle. A topsy-turvy day for both teams has set the tone for a thrilling Day 3.
New Indian Express
3 hours ago
- New Indian Express
India all set for a strong show at Asian Surfing C'ships
CHENNAI: The waves off the coast in Mahabalipuram are set to grace the wave-blades of top surfers as the week-long Asian Surfing Championships is set to kick-off on Sunday. The event is crucial as it serves as a qualifier to next year's Asian Games at Aichi Nagoya, Japan. Over 150 athletes from 20 Asian countries have landed here to prove their mettle as well as grab quotas for the Asian Games. India have already been secured two quotas last year and this event will give them an opportunity to grab some more. For Surfing Federation of India's (SFI) president Arun Vasu, this Asian meet is of a huge significance. Apart from overlooking the sport since 2012 (when the organisation was not even recognised by the sports ministry), organising this tournament, he reckons, is a big step towards matching the world standards, something he saw in the 2023 and 2024 Asian meets in Maldives. "When we travelled there, we saw how they maintained their standards in organising tournaments. It's an amazing opportunity for our Indian team because one, of course, to compete at such a (high) level and secondly, it's their home break," he added. Eight of the 12 Indian team athletes are from Tamil Nadu and have trained in the same waters that they are set to compete in. Senior national champions like Kishore Kumar and Kamali P are expected to put on a strong show.
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
3 hours ago
- First Post
Esports World Cup 2025: Carlsen crowned champion as Erigaisi finishes fourth after defeat against Nakamura
Arjun Erigaisi's campaign ended with back-to-back defeats as the Indian Grandmaster, representing Gen.G at the Esports World Cup, lost to Hikaru Nakamura 2.5-3.5 to finish fourth. Magnus Carlsen, meanwhile, beat Alireza Firouzja to be crowned champion. read more Magnus Carlsen and Arjun Erigaisi finished first and fourth respectively on chess' debut at the Esports World Cup. Image credit: Esports World Cup Indian Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi's campaign ended with back-to-back defeats as Magnus Carlsen was crowned champion on chess' debut at the Esports World Cup in Riyadh on Friday. After storming into the semi-finals with a hat-trick of victories, including against compatriot Nihal Sarin, Erigaisi was halted on his tracks by French GM Alireza Firouzja, who handed him a 4-1 defeat to advance to the final. On Friday, Erigaisi – representing Gen.G – suffered a second defeat in as many games to finish fourth on chess' debut at the Esports World Cup, suffering a 2.5-3.5 loss at the hands of world No 2 Hikaru Nakamura. This despite the 21-year-old Indian winning Game 1 with white pieces and holding the American GM to a draw in the second. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Nakamura would surge ahead by winning the next two games, which was followed by Erigaisi leveling the scores at 2.5-2.5, collecting another victory with white pieces. Nakamura, however, won the decisive game to clinch the contest and finish third on the overall standings. 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐄𝐖𝐂 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓 Arjun Erigaisi finishes in 4th Place! ♟️🏅 This concludes Gen.G's debut in CHESS at the EWC. We want to extend our deepest gratitude to all our fans for following along and supporting us throughout this week, with a special shoutout to those… — Gen.G Esports (@GenG) August 1, 2025 Carlsen stamps his authority in Riyadh Team Falcons thus had two players finishing among the top three – Firouzja and Nakamura at the second and third positions respectively. Team Liquid's Magnus Carlsen, who has been the Classical world No 1 since 2011 and is also a five-time world champion, was crowned the inaugural chess champion at the Esports World Cup after winning both sets in the best-of-three-sets final against Firouzja by 3-1 margins. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Carlsen thus takes home a prize money of $250,000 (Rs 2.18 crore) while Firouzja and Nakamura won $190,000 (Rs 1.65 crore) and $145,000 (Rs 1.26 crore) respectively. Erigaisi took home $115,000 which is just over Rs 1 crore. Sarin, who had represented Indian Esports organisation S8UL after confirming his place via the Last Chance Qualifier, finished in the 5th-8th bracket after his quarter-final defeat against Carlsen. He wins $85,000 (Rs 74 lakh) for his efforts.
