India vs Australia 2020: From First Win At MCG to Historic Triumph of 2018-19 - India's Glorious Moments Down Under

Australia has been one of the most hostile venues for touring teams over the decades - fast and bouncy pitches, big grounds and hostile crowds leave alone a great opposition which prides in winning at home - are some of the factors which make winning Test matches for visiting teams especially from the sub-continent, Down Under a rare event. India have also not had it easy in Australia. They have won just 7 and lost 29 of the 48 Tests they have played Down Under.

As India get ready to face Australia in another high octane Test series in Australia, we look back at historic moments that have defined India's performance in Australia - the players, performances and matches that have stood out.

1968, BRISBANE - FIRST SIGNS OF AN INDIAN FIGHT DOWN UNDER

Third Test, Brisbane, 1968: India were 0-2 down in the four-match series. Australia, put in, scored 379 led by a 64 from skipper, Bill Lawry and 93 from Doug Walters. India were 9 for 3 with Syed Abid Ali, Ajit Wadekar and Farokh Engineer all in the pavilion. Rusi Surti and captain, Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi then led India's fightback with a 128-run partnership. While Surti scored a patient 52, Pataudi hammered an attacking 74 including 10 fours and a six. Their good work was continued by Jaisimha (74). India were bowled out for 279 but were still in the match.

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Erapalli Prasanna returned with 6-104 in the second innings as Australia were bowled out for 294 setting India an improbable 395 for a win. Abid Ali scored a quickfire 47 but at 61 for 3, India were staring down the barrel. The same pair of Surti and Pataudi again led India's fightback and added 93 for the fourth wicket. Post their exit, India's charge was led by Chandu Borde and Jaisimha who added 119 for the sixth wicket before the dismissal of the former for 63. With no support from the lower order and tail, Jaisimha fought a lone battle and was the last man dismissed with the team total at 355. He scored a brilliant 101 as India gave Australia a real scare, for the very first time in Australia, but ultimately were beaten by 39 runs.

This was the first time in 8 Tests in Australia that India had run Australia close - they had lost 6 by huge margins and one was mostly affected by rain.

THE PACKER-HIT GREAT SERIES OF 1977-78

A Bishan-Singh-Bedi led India took on a Packet-hit second-grade Australian side in the historic tour of 1977-78. The home team were captained by Bob Simpson, who came out of a ten year retirement to lead the side during the crisis. A poor batting performance in the first innings of the series opener at The Gabba meant that India needed 341 for a win in the 4th innings. Sunil Gavaskar led India's charge with a magnificent 113. There was good support from Amarnath, Viswanath and Kirmani but with no other major contribution India fell agonizingly short and were bowled out for 324 going down by a mere 16 runs.

Hundreds from Amarnath and Gavaskar in the second innings of the second Test at Perth set up a steep chase of 339 for Australia. A century from Tony Mann and 83 from Peter Toohey gave the home team a nail-biting two-wicket victory.

THE FIRST WIN - MCG

Fifties from Amarnath and Viswanath helped India post 256. Bhagwath Chandrasekhar returned with 6-52 in the first innings to dismiss Australia for 213 at the MCG. With a slender lead, Gavaskar, once again, led India's charge with a splendid 118 in the second innings. India ended with 343 setting Australia a daunting 387. Chandrasekhar repeated his performance in the second innings (6-52) and Bedi accounted for 4 as Australia were routed for 164 handing India a memorable 222 run victory - their first Test win on Australian soil.

INDIA LEVEL SERIES 2-2

Bedi and Chandrasekhar skittle Australia for 131 in the first innings. 40-plus contributions from 6 Indian batsmen helped India to 396 before they declared their innings. Prasanna picked 4 as Australia were dismissed for 263 giving India victory by an innings and 2 runs. From 0-2 down, India had levelled the series at 2-2.

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India were set a mammoth 493 to win the decider at the Adelaide Oval and did not go down before giving a real fight. Amarnath and Viswanath had taken the visitors to 210 for the loss of two wickets before the latter was dismissed for 73. Vengsarkar (78) and Kirmani (51) kept India in the hunt but they ultimately fell short by 48 runs.

Viswanath, Gavaskar and Amarnath, all scored in excess of 400 in the series. Bedi was the leading wicket-taker with 31 wickets.

THE SERIES-LEVELLING WIN OF 1981

India were beaten by an innings in Sydney while the Adelaide Test ended in a draw. Viswanath then produced one of the finest hundreds by a visiting batsman in Australia - his 114 was almost half of India's first innings' score of 237. Australia took a massive lead and replied with 419. India's top-order fired in the second innings and they posted 324 in the second innings setting the home team an easy chase of 143. However, a certain Kapil Dev had other plans and returned with 5-28 in 16.4 overs as Australia were bowled out for 83. India won by 59 runs and levelled the three-match series 1-1.

THE DRAWN SERIES OF 1985

It was a high-scoring series which ended with three draws. India rallied up totals of 520, 445 and 600 in three of the four innings they batted in the series. They came close to beating Australia in the third Test in Sydney - the home team, following on, battled for 77 overs and ended with 119 for 6. Gavaskar was the highest scorer of the series with 352 runs including two hundreds. Kris Srikkanth had an aggregate of 291 runs including a hundred and two fifties but the most interesting feature of his batting was his strike rate of 83.86!

THE ADELAIDE WIN IN 2003

Rahul Dravid's 233 and VVS Laxman's 148 helped India reach close to Australia's 556 in the first innings. Ajit Agarkar returned with 6-41 in the second innings and bowled out Australia for 196. Dravid, again top-scored for India in the second innings with an unbeaten 72 leading his team to a fine win chasing down 230 set by the home team.

It was India's first Test win in Australia since Melbourne, 1981.

FIRST WIN AT PERTH - 2008

Dravid (93) and Tendulkar (71) help India post 330. RP Singh (4 wickets) and co. bowled out Australia for 212. 40s from Sehwag and Irfan Pathan and a brilliant 79 batting in the lower order by Laxman helped India set the home team 413. Australia fought hard but were dismissed for 340 handing India a famous victory at the W.A.C.A. by 72 runs. Pathan returned with 3 wickets in the second innings.

HISTORIC SERIES VICTORY IN 2018-19

First Test, Adelaide: Cheteshwar Pujara scored a splendid 123 (out of an Indian total of 250) in the first innings. The bowling unit led by Bumrah, Shami and Ashwin ensured that India got a 15-run lead. Pujara again top-scored for India with 71 in the second innings and with contributions from KL Rahul (44) and Ajinkya Rahane (70) helped India to 307. Australia, set 323, ran India close but were bowled out for 291. India had won the series opener for the first time in Australia.

Australia levelled the series with a big win at Perth.

The third Test at MCG saw Pujara score his second ton of the series and along with contributions from Mayank Agarwal (76), Virat Kohli (82) and Rohit Sharma (63) helped India amass 443 before a declaration. Bumrah then produced a magical spell and returned with 6-33 dismissing Australia for 151. India collapsed in the second innings but their massive first innings' lead still put them in the driver's seat as they set the hosts 399 for victory. Bumrah again picked three wickets and with support from Shami, Ishant and Jadeja bowled out Australia for 261. India won by 137 runs and took a 2-1 lead in the four-match series.

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The last Test at the SCG ended in a draw. India piled up a colossal 622 in the first innings, courtesy a third hundred in the series by Pujara and a smashing unbeaten 159 off just 189 deliveries by Rishabh Pant. Australia were bowled out for 300 and were asked to follow on. However, rain wasted a lot of time in the match which ultimately ended in a draw.

More significantly, India had won their first series in Australia in 12 attempts!

Pujara had the highest aggregate in the series - 551 runs in 4 Tests including three hundreds and a fifty. Bumrah was the joint-highest wicket-taker with 21 wickets at 17 apiece.

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