So as Team India prepares to take on the mighty Australians in their own backyard, as part of our series ‘Humbing the Aussies’, lets re-live India’s greatest victories Down Under.

Chandra’s magic at MCG

Melbourne 1978

Although India had toured Australia on two previous occasions in 1947-48 and 1967-68, it took India twelve tests to register their first ever test win on Australian soil.

After narrowly defeating India in the first two tests of the series at Brisbane and Perth, the Australia team, led by Bob Simpson, reached Melbourne, smelling yet another series victory over India. India on the other hand, under Bishen Bedi, was still searching for that elusive win.

Winning the toss and batting first, India were dismissed for 256 in their first innings, mainly due to some fine bowling by Australia’s new ball attack of W Clarke and Jeff Thompson. Only Amarnath and Vishwanath could go past a fifty for India.

After medium pacer Karsan Ghavri gave India a good start by taking two quick wickets, Gary Cosier and Craig Serjeant resurrected the Australian innings for a while. But from then on, it was the ‘Chandra show’. This guileful leg spinner scripted an Australian collapse by taking six for 52 and dismissing Australia on 213 in their first innings.

Gavaskar’s third century of the series was the foundation on which India built an impressive second-innings total of 343, giving Australia a target of 387 on a pitch which was yielding spin and had become quite uneven.

Australia never looked up for the challenge. It was Chandersekher once again, along with Captain Bishen Bedi, who made full of the spin friendly conditions, and hastened India towards a victory.

Chandrasheker took his career best figures of 12 for 102 in this match. It was India’s first ever win on Australian soil and one which would be cherished for a long time to come.

Sealing it with spin

Sydney 1978

This was the fourth test of the 1978-79 series. India, after their first ever test on Australian soil at Melbourne, reached Sydney for the fourth test with a chance to level the series 2-2.

On a rather damp wicket, Australia gambled by winning the toss and choosing the bat first. The decision back fired as Australia batted disastrously and was dismissed for a low total of 131 in their first innings. Australia’s poor batting must not be allowed to detract from fine bowling performances by Chandrasekhar and Bedi, who took four for 30 and three for 49, respectively.

The opening duo of Gavaskar and Chauhan gave India a brilliant start and put on 97 for the first wicket. Although India were 116 for 3 after rain curtailed most of the second days play, India wouldn’t have moved very far had Australia hung onto their catches. Aided by Vishwanath’s 79, an innings full of skillful batting and indiscretions, along with a fine seventh wicket stand between Kirmani and Ghavri, India were able to build a match winning first innings lead of 265 runs.

India’s deadly spin trio of Bedi, Chandrasekhar and Prasanna never let Australia come back into the contest. The ball turned quite consistently on a rain marred Sydney wicket, and Prasanna made full use of the conditions and was the pick of the Indian bowlers with figures of four for 51.

The Australian’s were bowled out for 263 in their second innings, giving India a victory of an innings and 2 runs. This was India’s second win in two games on Australian soil and one which helped them level the 5 match series 2-2.

A near forfeit, a collapse and Kapil’s brilliance

Melbourne 1981

This was a sensational match, not only because of a dramatic fourth innings collapse by Australia against an injury marred Indian side, but also because of the infamous walk off incident involving captain Gavasker, after being wrongly given out lbw by umpire Whitehead of the bowling of Lillee.

A green MCG wicket forced Australian captain Greg Chappell to put India into bat. The move was initially rewarding, Lillee and Pascoe seizing India’s first six wickets for 115 runs, but the Indians were kept in the fight by Viswanath, who scored most magnificent of 114 runs on a difficult wicket and helped into reach 237 in their first innings.

Australia replied strongly in their first innings with Alan Border making a fine century and put on couple of solid partnerships with Chappel and Marsh, aiding Australia to 419 and giving them a 182 run lead over India.

Gavaskar and Chauhan reduced Australia’s lead of 182 by 108, and on the fourth day they added another 57 before Gavaskar’s contentious dismissal and dramatic walk-out. After Lillie dismissed Chauhan few minutes after the Gavaskar incident, the Indian middle order helped towards rebuilding the innings, but once they were gone, the lower order surrendered meekly.

India defending a modest total of 143 knew that they were without the bowling of Kapil Dev, who had strained a thigh muscle, and Yadav, whose injury had worsened from his efforts in the first innings. Nevertheless, a weakened Indian attack made major inroads into Australia’s top order by taking three quick wickets at the end of fourth day.

Kapil Dev, who batted with a runner and didn’t take the field the previous day, entered the field on the final morning and bowled unchanged to take five out of the seven Australian wickets and scripting a sensational collapse. Australia was dismissed for 83 and India won the match by 59 runs.

Stay tuned for more in part 2 of ‘Humbling the Aussies’.

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