India beat the toss disadvantage
India became the first team to post four totals of 400 or more in a series despite losing the toss four times

India have posted a total of 759 for 7 in their first innings in Chennai, despite losing the toss. This is the fourth time in the series that they have scored 400 or more after having lost the toss. It is also the first instance in Tests that a team has done this in a series.
Including this series, there have been 23 instances in all when a team has posted totals of 400 or more after losing the toss three or more times in any series. Incidentally, three of the last five such instances have been in series played in India. India themselves had got three such totals in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2012-13, and England had done it when they toured India in 2012-13.
Team | Series | Season | Venue | 400+ Totals |
India | England in India | 2016-17 | India | 4 |
South Africa | Sir Vivian Richards Trophy | 2014/15 | South Africa | 3 |
India | Border-Gavaskar Trophy | 2014/15 | Australia | 3 |
India | Border-Gavaskar Trophy | 2012/13 | India | 3 |
England | England in India | 2012/13 | India | 3 |
Including their first innings in Visakhapatnam - where they won the toss - this is their fifth total of 400 or more in this series. Before India in this series, there were only two instances of teams managing totals of 400-plus in the first innings of each Test of a series of five or more matches. Australia were the team to do it on both occasions: over six matches in the 1989 Ashes in England and against Pakistan at home in a series in 1983-84.
Team | Series | 400+ totals | Season |
Australia | Pakistan in Australia | 5 | 1983-84 |
Australia | The Ashes | 6 | 1989 |
India | England in India | 5 | 2016-17 |
This is not the first time India are posting a total of 400 or more in each match of a five-Test series. They had done so in the series against New Zealand at home back in 1955-56. That instance, though, had come in India's second innings of the Kolkata Test when they had declared on 438 for 7.
Team | Series | Season | 400+ Totals |
India | England in India | 2016-17 | 5 |
Australia | The Ashes | 1989 | 6 |
Australia | Pakistan in Australia | 1983-84 | 5 |
India | New Zealand in India | 1955-56 | 5 |
Shiva Jayaraman is a senior stats analyst at ESPNcricinfo.com. @shiva_cricinfo
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