5 best Indian Test victories in Australia

Down Under has always been one of the toughest places to play cricket for visiting teams. In India's case, it has been a mixed bag. Some Indian teams distinguished themselves in the arena, while some had nightmarish tours. Overall, India have managed to win 5 Tests in Australia, including a win by an innings. The team in late 70s was particularly impressive. This might be a good time to revisit India's wins on Australian turf, as they are on the brink of a challenging tour.

#5 Melbourne (1981)

Kapil Dev

India had fond memories of Melbourne from their previous tour. In the third match of the 1980-81 tour, the visitors were down 0-1 and had the series to save. Their previous tour gave them plenty of confidence with a 2-3 scoreline, and a drawn series now would be a great incentive. Conceding a massive 180-run lead to Australia in the first innings, India fought back with a 300+ score in their second innings, thanks to a fighting knock from Chetan Chauhan. Kapil Dev’s 5-for ensured India eventually won the Test by 59 runs and cement the team’s stature as one of the best touring teams at that point of time.

#4 Melbourne (1978)

Bhagwath Chandrasekhar

This was close to edging out the famous Adelaide win under Sourav Ganguly for two reasons. This was India’s first Test victory on Australian soil. Secondly, the margin of victory, coming 0-2 into the Test match, is nothing short of spectacular. However, I eventually chose this to follow Adelaide because of the sheer resilience that allowed India to come from behind in the Adelaide Test.

Nevertheless, Melbourne is still one of the finest gems in the India’s Test win collection. A century by Sunil Gavaskar in the third innings and a fighting knock by Mohinder Amarnath in the first ensured India set Australia a daunting target of 386 in the 4th innings. The hosts crumbled for just 164, giving India a huge victory margin of 222 runs. The standout performer, though, was Bhagwath Chandrasekhar who took 6-fors in both innings as the Australian team never had answers for his legspin.

#3 Adelaide (2003)

Rahul Dravid

Adelaide leaves a lot of contemporary cricket watchers with moistened eyes even now. For many, who grew up watching the Big 4, Adelaide is probably India’s greatest Test win abroad.

For one, it instilled the confidence that the new team could win away from home, after being wallopped in their away tours for decades. Secondly, it made India, probably, the only team apart from South Africa to have an answer for the Australian dominance under Steve Waugh. India managed to draw the series, a commendable achievement against Waugh’s Invincible team playing at home.

What made this win memorable is that Australia had posted a mammoth 556 on the back of a Ricky Ponting double ton. In its first innings, India were 85/4, until the great Dravid-Laxman pair put on a 300+ stand. Rahul Dravid’s double ton and VVS Laxman’s daddy hundred ensured India came close to the Australian total. An Agarkar 6-for ensured Australia were dismissed for 196 in the third innings. Carrying the burden of many defeats snatched from the jaws of victory, Dravid made sure he saw India through the 233-run target, not-out at 72.

#2 Sydney (1978)

The series of 1977-78 could be called India’s greatest tour Down Under. Having never won a match on Australian soil prior to that, India were down 0-2 in the 5-match series. Then came two massive victories that allowed India to level the series at 2-2. However, the 4th Test could be considered a greater win, because India humiliated the hosts, winning by an innings and 2 runs. While the master of elegant skills, Gundappa Viswanath top-scored in India’s impressive total of 396 dec., it was the two spinning wizards E Prasanna and B Chandrasekhar who ensured India got Australia out twice. While Prasanna picked 4 in the second innings, the latter picked 4 in the first, completing what will always be one of the greatest Indian victories in Australia.

#1 Perth (2007/08)

Irfan Pathan

There are many reasons why this could be called India’s finest win on Australian soil. For starters, India walked into this match down 0-2. Secondly, they were in the midst of the Monkeygate controversy, not to mention the manner of their controversial defeat at Sydney. However, Perth showed an Indian team full of spirit and resilience. On the back of fighting knocks from Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid, India posted 330 in the first innings and dismissed Australia for 212, with Ishant Sharma beginning to torment Ricky Ponting.

Walking in at 1-down, Man-of-the-Match, Irfan Pathan scored 46 in the second innings as India set Australia a target of 413. Eventually India won the match by 72 runs, allowing Anil Kumble to call it the best win of his almost 2-decade long career.