The India vs Australia rivalry that stemmed 8 decades ago is set to add yet another intriguing chapter in the form of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024/25. This will be the 14th time when Team India will travel Down Under and will vie to down Australia. Unlike the previous occasions, this time India have an unprecedented opportunity to grab.
Entering the Aussies’ den has always opened a portal of ambitions and this time Team India stands on the path of completing a hat-trick of series wins in Australia. It would be a daunting task but Team India is the first to ever have a sight at the feat.
Glance at India’s Test Outings in Australia
As the tantalising 5-match affair is about to commence, let’s take a trip down memory lane and get an overview of India’s cricketing trips to Australia, dating back to 1947.
1. 1947-48: Winner: Australia: 4-0 (5) India toured Australia nearly four months after gaining Independence but were overwhelmed by two legends: Sir Donald Bradman (715 runs; Avg: 178.75) and pacer Ray Lindwall (18 wickets). Vijay Hazare was India’s top-scorer with 429 runs).
2. 1967-68: Winner: Australia: 4-0 (5) Fuelled by a stylish 101 by ML Jaisimha India made a heroic chase of 394 at Brisbane, before losing by a mere 35 runs. But apart from that, Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi’s side was mediocre. India took solace from off-spinner EAS Prasanna emerging as the leading wicket-taker in the series with 25 scalps.
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3. 1977-78: Winner: Australia: 3-2 (5) India had a great chance of claiming the series after winning the third and fourth Test at Melbourne and Sydney. At Adelaide, India chased 493 with gusto as Mohinder Amarnath, GR Viswanath, Dilip Vengsarkar and Syed Kirmani made fifties, but they fell short by 47 runs. Left-arm spinner Bishan Singh Bedi topped the chart with 31 wickets. Although, India could not clinch the series but the valiant effort holds a glorious chapter in the history books.
4. 1980-81: Draw: 1-1 (3) Led by Kapil Dev’s five-wicket haul and Viswanath’s hundred, India defeated Australia in the third Test at Melbourne by 59 runs to draw the series. Australia were bowled out for 83.
5. 1985-86: Draw: 0-0 (3) In this series, Indian batters under top-scorer Sunil Gavaskar (352 runs) fired from all cylinders and their lowest total was 445. The Aussies under transition after the en masse retirement of Greg Chappell, Rod Marsh, Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson could not offer any serious challenge.
6. 1991-92: Winner: Australia: 4-0 (5) A young Sachin Tendulkar made a brilliant hundred at Perth, but Allan Border’s Australia lorded over their opponents with ease in the series, where the world saw the first glimpse of leg-spin wizard Shane Warne.
7. 1999-2000: Winner Australia: 3-0 (3) India never crossed 300 even once in six innings and came a cropper against the relentless Glenn McGrath (18 wickets).
8. 2003-04: Draw: 1-1 (4) Rahul Dravid and Ajit Agarkar were the standout performers as India defeated Australia by four wickets in the second Test at Adelaide to take a 1-0 lead. But the Aussies scored a 9-wicket win at MCG to level the series.
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9. 2007-08: Winner: Australia: 2-1 (4) India won an emotionally-charged Perth Test after a chaotic match at Sydney which saw a slew of umpiring errors by Steve Bucknor, the ‘Monkeygate’ involving Harbhajan Singh and Andrew Symonds and wolfish celebrations by Ricky Ponting-led Aussies that invited diatribe from all corners.
10. 2011-12: Winner: Australia: 4-0 (4) The MS Dhoni-led India went down the slope quickly as a set of ageing stars struggled to deliver. It was also the last international outing of Dravid and VVS Laxman, two storied tormentors of Aussies.
11. 2014-15: Winner: Australia: 2-0 (4) Dhoni relinquished Test captaincy after the drawn third match at Melbourne. Virat Kohli took over the mantle at Sydney and made a fine 147 in his first innings as captain.
12. 2018-19: Winner: India: 2-1 (4) India, under Kohli and coach Ravi Shastri, became the first Asian side to register a Test series win in Australia with victories at Adelaide and Melbourne. Cheteshwar Pujara (521 runs) and Jasprit Bumrah (21 wickets) were the chief architects of that epochal triumph.
13. 2020-21: Winner: India: 2-1 (4) An injury-hit India wore the low of 36 at Adelaide like a ‘badge of honour’ and won at Melbourne and Brisbane as the visitors found a new hero in Rishabh Pant along with more familiar ones such as Pujara and R Ashwin. It was an extraordinary effort as Ajinkya Rahane took over leadership role from Kohli after the latter returned to India in time for the birth of his first child.
(With inputs from PTI)
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