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IND vs AUS: 5 times India faced shocking defeats to Australia on home soil in Tests
One of the most iconic rivalries in Test cricket is India and Australia.
One of the most iconic rivalries in Test cricket is India and Australia. The Border-Gavaskar Trophy always brings out the best of the players of both these teams. The fact that the players get great results in the away series adds to the series’ hype every time. While India has seen great success in Australia in recent times, Australia has had an excellent record in India in the past. In this article, we will look at the times when India faced shocking defeats to Australia on home soil in Tests.
1998- 3rd Test, Bangalore
Australia (source: Twitter)
While India had already claimed the three-match Test series by winning the first two matches, Australia were looking to end the series on a high note. Batting first, India set a huge score of 424 runs, thanks to Sachin Tendulkar‘s 177. In reply, Mark Waugh scored 153 to help his team get close to India’s total. They managed to score 400 runs, trailing only by 24 runs.
In the next innings, the Australia bowling unit was at its best as they restricted India to a score of just 169. Michael Kasprowicz was the pick of the bowlers with his five-wicket haul. Gavin Robertson also chipped in with three wickets. Australia comfortably chased down the 194-run target with 8 wickets to spare. Mark Taylor scored (102 runs) scoring yet another century of the match.
2001- 1st Test, Mumbai
Australia (source: Twitter)
Unlike the previous tour, Australia started this series on a winning note. An entire team effort helped Australia win this match comfortably. Shane Warne (4/47) and Glenn McGrath (3/19) kept India at bay from the start, and they finished with a score of 176/10. Adam Gilchrist (122) and Matthew Hayden (119) each scored centuries to help the Kangaroos to a score of 349.
With a 173-run lead, Australian bowlers were once again at their best, limiting India to a score of 219. Only Tendulkar (65) scored more than 50 runs in the innings. The team led by Steve Waugh then chased down the target with 10 wickets to spare in only 7 overs.
2004- 1st Test, Bangalore
Australia (source: Twitter)
Batting first on a flat wicket in Bangalore, Australians had a great time as Michael Clarke (151), playing his debut game, and Adam Gilchrist (104) scored centuries to help the team get to a massive total of 474 runs. India could only manage 246 runs on the board, with McGrath (4 wickets) troubling their batting unit.
While Harbhajan Singh (6 wickets) put up a good fight against the batters in the second innings, Australia managed to score 228 runs and set a target of 457 runs. Despite their valiant efforts, the home team was unable to reach the target, losing by a massive margin of 217 runs.
2004- 3rd Test, Nagpur
Australia (source: Twitter)
With a chance to claim a series win in India for the first time in 35 years, Australia played a great game on a surface that suited them well. Damien Martyn (114) scored a century in the first innings to help get to a total of 398 runs. In reply, India could only score 185 runs, thanks to Jason Gillespie’s 5-wicket haul. Australia took a 213-run lead in the first innings.
In the following innings, Australia produced another outstanding performance, with Simon Katich (99) and Damien Martyn (97) nearly missing centuries. They scored 329 runs before declaring the innings. India could only manage 200 runs while chasing 543 runs, thanks to Gillespie’s (4 wickets) another brilliance. With this, Australia won the match and the series as well.
2017- 1st Test, Pune
Australia (source: Twitter)
Despite a flat wicket in Pune, India had back-to-back batting collapses in the match. While Australia scored 260 runs in the first innings, the Indian team scored just 105 runs to hand the away team a 155-run lead. Steve O’Keefe led Australia’s bowling attack, taking six wickets in the innings.
The visitors then carried on their winning ways from the previous innings, with Steve Smith scoring 109 runs in the second. They managed to score 285 runs as they set a target of 441 runs for the home team to chase down. India had another falling apart as O’Keefe yet another 6-wicket haul restricted them to a score of 107 runs. With this, Australia registered a massive 333-run win.
