Setting the record straight

New Zealand was in fact India's final frontier as far as the era of bad tourists. Yesterday, India posted its first test cricket win in NZ in 33 years. With this win, India has won at least one test match on every major cricket playing nation's soil in the last 5-7 years.

Rewind to 2002 so that the plight of the indian cricket fan can be put in perspective:
India has not won a test match in Pakistan ever
India has not won a test match in the West Indies since 1976
India has not won a test match in England since 1986
India has not won a test match in Australia since 1981
India has not won a test match in New Zealand since 1976
India has not won a test match in South Africa ever
India has not won a test match in Sri Lanka since 1994

By far, the most important victory in Indian cricket was over Pakistan in 2003-2004. It laid to rest several myths both on and off the field, none more notable than Sehwag's treble in course of which the wizard Saqlain's 'teesra' also went for a six, ending a great career. Saqlain of course broke Indian hearts in that tragi-heroic run chase of '99 in Chennai, with Sachin finally getting that monkey of his back only just a couple of months ago with that dramatic 4th innings century/win against England. India-Pakistan matches tend to make or break some careers. A brief, but incomplete history here:

Zaheer Abbas and Co. terminated the Indian spin era - Bedi, Pras in 1978.
Miandad all but finished off Chetan Sharma's career with that six in 1986.
Wasim Akram ended Srikkanth's test career in 1989.
Sachin all but ended the careers of Akram/Younis after that 2003 world cup match.

Of course, there are several other lesser known players who were sacrificial lambs after a loss to Pakistan or India.