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Australia vs India: History in numbers

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Roar Guru
10th December, 2018
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With the completion of Australia vs India first Test match, which India won only narrowly on the final day, it is no wonder why the battle between these two nations has so much history.

Here are some interesting facts that contribute to the significance of the contest between these two proud cricketing nations. Let’s have a little taste of their history.

1947
Was the first ever Test match between Australia and India which was hosted by Brisbane. “The Invincibles” as they were known, completed a convincing win by an innings and 226 runs, thanks largely to Sir Don Bradman’s 185 and a match haul of 11 for 31 by Ernie Toshack who was also known as the Black Prince.

329
Michael Clarke’s highest Test score is also the highest score by any batsman from either side in an Australia vs India Test match. Clarke’s knock consisted of 39 boundaries and a six and was the first triple century ever at the SCG.

Clarke joined Ricky Ponting when Australia were reduced to 3/37, but Clarke and Ponting and then Clarke and Hussey pummelled India to an innings loss.

Michael Clarke celebrates his triple century

Michael Clarke of Australia (Photo by Mark Nolan/Getty Images)

11
The number of centuries scored by Sachin Tendulkar against Australia. This came in 39 Test matches at an average of 55. Sunil Gavaskar had eight centuries in 20 test matches. But the recently suspended Steve Smith has an almost unbelievable seven centuries in ten matches against India at an eye-popping average of 84+.

If you are wondering what was the record of Bradman. Well, he had four centuries in five matches at a rather mediocre average of 179!

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348
This was the number of runs India needed to win the famous tied test in Chennai in 1986. After a first-innings of 210 by Dean Jones in sauna-like conditions that contained urination and vomiting, Kapil Dev brought India back with a rearguard century.

Australia declared at 170-5 and set India the daunting target. India raced along and reached 204-2 with Gavaskar making 90. A flurry of wickets put India in a precarious position at 344/9 needing four of the last over.

Ravi Shastri batting with Manindar Singh got three runs, but Manindar Singh could not get the necessary single as he was adjudged LBW to Greg Matthews. Matthews finished with figures of 10 for 249.

0
The number of series India has won in Australia. The closest they came was the 2003-2004 series where a Sourav Ganguly century helped India draw the match and then over 300 runs by Rahul Dravid secured a historic Test match win in Adelaide.

In Melbourne, India lost even after Sehwag’s 195 as Ricky Ponting was a man possessed when he countered with back to back double centuries. Steve Waugh helped Australia secure a draw in the final Test at the SCG and his last test and henceforth continued India’s winless streak.

111
No, we are not talking about the Nelson. Anil Kumble has taken 111 wickets against Australia. This is the most wickets taken by any bowler in Australia vs India contest.

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It will surprise you that there are only two Australian bowlers in the top ten. They include Nathan Lyon and Brett Lee. One thing that will not surprise you, is that of the Indian bowlers in the top ten only two of them are fast bowlers – Zaheer Khan and the peerless Kapil Dev.

525
2018 Adelaide centurion, Cheteshwar Pujara is the only Indian batsman and fourth overall after Ken Barrington, Len Hutton and Wally Hammond (thrice) to face over 500 balls – 525 to be exact, in an innings against Australia in the third test of the 2016-2017 test in Ranchi. Pujara’s marathon innings of 202 lasted for over 672 minutes.

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77 – In the same Test match, Steve O’ Keefe bowled the most amount of overs by an Australian bowler against India. O’Keefe had figures of 77-17-199-3. Only one bowler has bowled more overs against India and that was Pakistan’s Haseeb Ahsan, who bowled 84 overs at Corporation Stadium, Chennai in January 1961.

21 – In the 1947-1948 series in Australia, India registered the unfortunate and an unenviable record of 21 ducks in a test-match series. This was also Don Bradman’s last test series at home.

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