There is spice, there are barbs flying around and there is always intensity in the air. In recent years, an India vs Australia clash invariably provides moments that live long in cricketing memory. Whether it’s outstanding knocks, thrilling comeback or fiery fights, it’s never short of action.
Here, from recent memory, are the five most exciting India vs Australia Tests.
1. Kolkata, 2001
It has many epithets. “The Miracle of Kolkata”. “The Greatest Test of Them All”. And we’ve all heard the story many times now, along with its many colourful characters: Harbhajan Singh, Steve Waugh, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman and a cameo with the ball by Sachin Tendulkar. Suffice to say, this was a revolutionary match, an epochal Test which changed the direction of the game. No other match can come close to the madness of Kolkata 2001.
Brief scores:
Australia 445 all out (Steve Waugh 110, Matthew Hayden 97; Harbhajan Singh 7/123, Zaheer Khan 2/89) and 212 all out (Matthew Hayden 67, Michael Slater 43; Harbhajan Singh 6/73, Sachin Tendulkar 3/31) lost to India 171 all out (VVS Laxman 59, Rahul Dravid 25; Glenn McGrath 4/18, Michael Kasprowicz 2/39) and (following on) 657/7 declared (VVS Laxman 281, Rahul Dravid 180; Glenn McGrath 3/103, Jason Gillespie 2/115) by 171 runs
2. Adelaide, 2003
Indian cricket has always had one god and he came from Shivaji Park in Dadar. Yet, for five days in 2003, even Sachin Tendulkar was trumped by the brilliance of a certain Rahul Dravid. His captain certainly thought so: “Rahul batted like god”, said Sourav Ganguly on the fifth day, after India won a famous Test in Australia in Adelaide. Yet again, it was the Rahul Dravid-VVS Laxman show which saved India with Dravid slamming 233 and 72 not out. But the unsung hero of the Test was Ajit Agarkar, the Mumbai pacer who snapped up 6/41 in Australia’s second innings and set India on the road to victory.
Brief scores:
Australia 556 all out (Ricky Ponting 242, Simon Katich 75; Anil Kumble 5/154, Ashish Nehra 2/115) and 196 all out (Adam Gilchrist 43, Steve Waugh 42; Ajit Agarkar 6/41, Sachin Tendulkar 2/36) lost to India 523 all out (Rahul Dravid 233, VVS Laxman 148; Andy Bichel 4/118, Simon Katich 2/59) and 233/6 (Rahul Dravid 72 not out, Virender Sehwag 47; Simon Katich 2/22, Stuart MacGill 2/101) by 4 wickets
3. Sydney, 2008
A match marked by recrimination, allegations and an almost total breakdown of Indian-Australian relations. Umpiring gaffes played their part but allegations of unsporting Australian behaviour as well as the Harbhajan Singh-Andrew Symonds confrontation took the gloss off an enthralling Test in its own right. At the end, Anil Kumble’s famous quote, “Only one team was playing within the spirit of the game”, rankled and was reminiscent of the Bodyline era. Australia won the Test but the repercussions of the match continued through the tour.
Brief scores:
Australia 463 all out (Andrew Symonds 162 not out, Brad Hogg 78; Anil Kumble 4/106, RP Singh 4/124) and 401/7 declared (Michael Hussey 145 not out, Matthew Hayden 123; Anil Kumble 4/148, Harbhajan Singh 2/92) beat India 532 all out (Sachin Tendulkar 154 not out, VVS Laxman 109; Brett Lee 5/119, Mitchell Johnson 2/148) and 210 all out (Sourav Ganguly 51, Anil Kumble 45 not out; Michael Clarke 3/5, Andrew Symonds 3/51) by 122 runs
4. The Tied Test, 1986
Just like Sydney in 2008, this match too had its fair share of squabbles but it was the result at the end that made everyone forget what had happened in the build-up. Dean Jones battled heat and exhaustion in his heroic 210, Kapil Dev played a last-man standing knock in India’s first innings and Allan Border put up a typically Australian declaration. India seemed coasting towards a famous win before a late collapse suggested Australia would just wring it. Amidst tension and fading light, Maninder Singh was dismissed to give Test cricket only its second tied game in its more than 100-year-history.
Brief scores:
Australia 574/7 declared (Dean Jones 210, David Boon 122; Shivlal Yadav 4/142, Chetan Sharma 1/70) and 170/5 declared (David Boon 49, Greg Ritchie 28; Maninder Singh 3/60, Ravi Shastri 2/50) tied with India 397 all out (Kapil Dev 119, Ravi Shastri 62; Greg Matthews 5/103, Ray Bright 2/88) and 347 all out (Sunil Gavaskar 90, Mohinder Amarnath 51; Ray Bright 5/94, Greg Matthews 5/146)
5. Sachin knocks Warne over, 1998, Chennai
Rarely does a contest between two players elevate a Test match into the “greatest” category but this was one such match that will go down in the annals. Sachin Tendulkar, in the prime of his career, against Shane Warne, the wizard of leg-spin. Champion against champion, legend against legend. And emphatically, it was the Little Master who had the final laugh. Taking guard outside leg-stump as Warne went around the stumps, Tendulkar eviscerated Warne through a spat of pulls and sweeps. Warne and Australia were blown away – India went on to win by 179 runs.
Brief scores:
India 257 all out (Navjot Singh Sidhu 62, Nayan Mongia 58; Gavin Robertson 4/72, Shane Warne 4/85) and 418/4 declared (Sachin Tendulkar 155 not out, Mohammad Azharuddin 64; Greg Blewett 1/35, Mark Waugh 1/44) beat Australia 328 all out (Ian Healy 90, Mark Waugh 66; Anil Kumble 4/103, Venkatapathy Raju 3/54) and 168 all out (Shane Warne 35, Ian Healy 32 not out; Anil Kumble 4/46, Venkatapthy Raju 3/31) by 179 runs