With another series against England beginning on Thursday, it is the right occasion to have a look back at some of the performances that will be hard to erase from memory. The hallmark of great players is their ability to raise the level of performance to match the situation. Here then is a clutch of those performances that became a part of cricketing history.

Vinoo Mankad, Madras, 1951-52
Vinoo Mankad was, perhaps, the first genuine all-rounder India produced. He was a gutsy batsman and an accurate left-arm spinner who could put the opposition under pressure consistently. It was as a bowler Mankad wreaked havoc against England in this historic Chepauk Test.

He came up with a flawless exhibition of spin bowling to grab eight wickets for just 55 runs in the first innings to restrict England to 266. The visitors had finished the first day on 224 for five, still in with a chance to make a formidable total. But they did not stand a chance against Mankad on the second day as he ran through the middle and lower order.

Hundreds from Pankaj Roy and Polly Umrigar helped India to 457. Then came the day — February 10 — and once again Mankad was in the thick of action, capturing another four wickets (4-53) to give India their first Test win over England.

Impact: Mankad's match-haul, 12-108, carried India to a series-leveling innings and eight runs win.

B S Chandrasekhar, The Oval, 1971
Bhagawat Subramanyam Chandrasekhar was an unconventional leg-spinner, relying more on disconcerting bounce and speed to hunt down his prey. England got the taste of that in the third Test at the Oval.

After two rather tame draws and with the series looking all set for a stalemate, Chandra exploded without warning. After a sedate performance in the first innings (2-76), the Bangalorean destroyed England in one of the best spells by an Indian abroad. On a wearing Oval track, Chandrasekhar hustled England batsman into submission, capturing six wickets for just 36 runs.

A strong batting line-up featuring John Edrich, Keith Fletcher and Alan Knott were bundled out for 101. The Indian batsmen completed the job after some initial jitters.

Impact: Chandrasekhar's spell earned India their first Test win over England in their own backyard, of course a series win as well.

Ian Botham, Bombay, 1979-80
The one-off Test was organised in little bit of hurry to mark the Golden Jubilee of India's Test entry. But that maverick called Ian Botham gatecrashed into the Indian celebrations in his inimitable style, delivering a superb all-round performance.

The pitch was touted as batsmen's ally, but Botham was in no mood to listen to those predictions as he grabbed six wickets to sent India packing at 242. England were in trouble at 5 for 58, but the visitors still had Botham with them.

His beefy blows en route to a 116 meant England gained a vital first innings lead. Still the visitors had to take ten Indian wickets for a second time, and Botham grabbed seven of them, conceding a mere 48 runs. A shell-shocked India were bundled out for 149. Botham graciously left the remaining formalities to Graham Gooch and Geoffrey Boycott to be completed.

Impact: When Ian Terrance Botham in that flow, it might be a little inane to ask for the result, but for the record, England won by 10 wickets. The Test belonged to just one man.

Dilip Vengsarkar, Lord’s,   1986
Dilip Vengsarkar had learned the nuances of cricket in the sultry Mumbai, but it was in the cold and wintry England he displayed his skills in true measure. Vengsarkar had already notched up two hundreds in Lord's and an unprecedented third came when it was needed the most.

Chetan Sharma, never viewed as a great Test prospect, exploited the English conditions for a five-for to restrict the hosts to a manageable score. As he did on many occasions, Vengsarkar led the Indian reply with a brilliantly orchestrated unbeaten hundred.

It was not about ruthless aggression or dazzling strokeplay, but his innings was draped with elegance and superb timing. His knock also instilled loads of confidence in Indian players and they went on to win the first Test by five wickets.

India completed a historic second series triumph in England with a big win in Leeds in the second Test. It was once again Vengsarkar who led the Indian foray with a fifty in the first innings and an unbeaten hundred in the second.

Impact: Vengsarkar's hundred was the foundation on which India built their Lord's win – their first at the historic venue – and it also gave them the belief to travel all the way to the finishing point.

Kapil Dev, Lord’s,  1990
For a long time, India's fortunes in a match depended upon the swing of Kapil Dev's ball and bat. He was the talisman of Indian cricket – a genuine match-winner. Kapil's powers were on the wane during the 1990 tour to England, but the Haryana Hurricane left an indelible mark on that series too.

Graham Gooch's triple hundred, hundreds by Robin Smith and Allan Lamb indicated the way the first Test at Lord's was going. Despite centuries from Ravi Shastri and Mohammad Azharuddin, India were facing the follow-on. When the ninth wicket fell, the visitors needed a further 24 runs to avoid the follow-on, and Kapil adopted the best way possible. He smashed off-spinner Eddie Hemmings for four sixes in a row to save India the follow-on, but it was not sufficient to save the match as England won by 247 runs.

Impact: England captured that series 1-0, but Kapil's effort was a show of determination and his never-say-die approach.