In the last decade or so, the Border-Gavaskar Trophy’s (BGT) stature has risen manyfold. Two of Test cricket’s powerhouses – India and Australia – have been battling it out in the BGT since 1996.
And when these two sides meet each other, the intensity and emotions always run high, giving us tight games. Over the years, we have witnessed some riveting Tests between India and Australia.
In this piece, we’ll look at the five most memorable Tests in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT).
5. India vs Australia | Bengaluru, 2017
Australia is one of the few teams that have challenged India in their backyard. And they came well within a distance of causing an upset on Indian soil.
In the 2017 BGT, Australia trumped India in the Pune Test by 333 runs and were on their way to beating them in Bengaluru. But India staged a remarkable comeback.
After deciding to bat first, India mustered 189 runs on the board, with KL Rahul (90) being the lone warrior. Nathan Lyon bagged his career-best figures of 8 for 50.
Australian batters batted somewhat better than their Indian counterparts and scored 276, taking a lead of 87 runs. India then bounced back in their second batting essay and accumulated 274 runs, setting a target of 188 runs. Cheteshwar Pujara (92), Ajinkya Rahane (52), and Rahul (51) led the fightback for India.
Batting in the fourth innings is not easy in India, and the Indian bowlers showed why it is so. Led by R. Ashwin (6/41), India wrapped up Australia for 112 runs and won the match by 75 runs.
4. India vs Australia | Mohali, 2010
The 2010 Mohali Test between these two sides was a complete cliffhanger. It was one of the two matches of the series.
Australia batted first and amassed 428 runs on the board. Shane Watson top scored with a century (128), while captain Ricky Ponting (71) and keeper Tim Paine (92) assisted him well.
India also replied with gusto, scoring 405 runs, falling shy of Australia’s total by a whisker. Sachin Tendulkar was the top scorer for India with his 98-run knocks, while Suresh Raina (86), Rahul Dravid (77), and Virender Sehwag (59) scored fifties each.
In their second innings, Australia could only add 192 runs to their small lead of 23 runs and set up a target of 216 runs.
The chase wasn’t going to be easy for India, and the Aussie bowlers tested the Indian batters vigorously. India lost their first wicket in the first over and kept losing further wickets at a regular interval.
At one stage, India were 124 for eight on the brink of a loss. But then VVS Laxman stitched an 81-run stand with Ishan Sharma, taking India closer to the victory.
At last, India won the match with a wicket to spare, and Laxman remained not out on 73.
3. Australia vs India | Adelaide, 2014
The 2014 BGT in Australia witnessed India giving a tough fight to the hosts. That soared the rivalry between the two sides to another level.
The Adelaide Test set the series rolling, which saw a close battle between both sides. Batting first, Australia declared their innings on 517 runs, with David Warner (145), captain Michael Clarke (128), and future captain Steven Smith (162*) scoring a century apiece.
India replied well with the top order putting up a fight. The visitors marched to 444 runs, with stand-in captain Virat Kohli scoring 115.
Warner again hammered a hundred, helping Australia add 290 runs to their 73-run lead. In the 364-run chase, India faced two setbacks in 20 overs.
But opener Murali Vijay and Kohli stabilised India’s ship with an 185-run stand, taking the total to 242 for 2. Then Vijay lost his wicket on 99, and India’s chase derailed then and there.
Kohli tried his best to fight, but he couldn’t get support from the other end. And his 141 went in vain as Australia knocked out India by 48 runs.
2. India vs Australia | Kolkata, 2001
The 2001 Eden Gardens Test will be forever fresh in everyone’s mind. It witnessed India put in a coming-from-the-back performance.
Australia had challenged the hosts enough and even cleaned up India by 10 wickets in the Wankhede Test. Coming into the second Test, India were under the threat of losing not just the match but the series as well.
Australia put up 445 runs on the board in the first innings. Captain Steve Waugh amassed 110 while Matthew Hayden fell short of a hundred by three runs.
The Australian bowlers then wrapped up India’s first innings in 171 runs and forced them to follow on. VVS Laxman was the top scorer for India with his gritty 59.
Anyone would have thought Australia’s follow on decision was right. But the Indian duo of Laxman-Rahul Dravid and the spinners proved it wrong.
Thanks to the marathon 376-run stand by Laxman and Dravid, India not only surpassed Australia’s total but took a lead of 383 runs. India declared their second essay on 657 for 7.
With a huge target in front, the Australian batters faltered under pressure against Indian spinners. Harbhajan Singh’s 6 for 73 gave India a cherishing win by 171 runs even after following on.
1. Australia vs India | Brisbane, 2021
The 2021 BGT added a new chapter to this intense rivalry. Australia hammered India quite badly in the Adelaide Test, bowling them out for 36.
Then India were without their regular skipper and lost a few players to injuries as the series progressed. The series was in balance heading into the Brisbane Test, with both teams eyeing a victory.
Brisbane was Australia’s unconquerable fortress, and they wanted to keep it as it was, with no Test losses at the venue in 32 years. But India changed the status quo.
The hosts batted first and scored 369 runs. India replied with 336 and then restricted Australia to 294 in their second effort, with Mohammed Siraj taking a fifer.
The Men in Blue were out to bat, chasing a target of 328 runs. First, Shubman Gill (91) and Cheteshwar Pujara (56) showed resistance, and then Rishabh Pant (89) took India over the ropes.
India not only breached the fortress Gabba but registered a memorable series victory down under.
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