5 most heroic Indian Test performances at the MCG

The Boxing Day Test at the MCG is fast approaching. The Border-Gavaskar Trophy is currently settled at 1-1 with two Test matches still to be played in the series. India had gained an early advantage with a thumping win over the hosts at Adelaide but Australia stormed back with a vengeance at the Perth Stadium.

The Indian team, at this point, does look slightly shaky with the consistent top-order failures and plaguing fitness issues. India has played 12 Test matches at the daunting Melbourne Cricket Ground and has ended up on the losing side eight times. Even in those defeats, draws, and victories, Indian cricketers have performed heroic feats at one of the grandest theatres in cricket.

Here are five of the best performances from Indian players at the iconic ground.

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#5. Kohli and Rahane salvage a hard-fought draw

Ajinkya Rahane and Virat Kohli

In 2011, a legend-filled Indian team went down 0-4 to a ruthless Australian unit. The haunting treatment of a whitewash was looming large when the hosts defeated India in the first two Tests. India arrived at the MCG in 2014 with the losses at Adelaide and Brisbane.

Australia dominated the proceedings once again. Steve Smith’s bat continued minting runs and on the basis of his stroke-filled 192, India faced a first innings mountain of 530 runs. Virat Kohli (169) and Ajinkya Rahane (147) stitched a fighting partnership of 262 for the fourth wicket which carried India to a position of safety or so it seemed.

After playing out a session on the last day, the Aussies decided to have a go at the Indian batting line-up. When the Australian fast bowlers reduced India to 19/3, it was time for another show of defiance. Kohli and Rahane promptly guarded the wicket for the next 26 overs and saw off the threat. India pulled off a draw with four wickets in hand and prevented a possible whitewash.

#4. Sehwag hammers 195 on the Boxing Day

Virender Sehwag during his inning of 195 on

the opening

day

at the MCG

The 2003-04 series between India and Australia was a pulsating encounter. After a drawn affair at the Gabba in the opening Test, Rahul Dravid championed his cause at the Adelaide Oval to hand India the away advantage. With Australia eager to make a comeback, both the teams arrived at the MCG on the Boxing Day for the third Test.

Indian captain Sourav Ganguly won the toss and chose to bat first as his openers Aakash Chopra and Virender Sehwag strode out to bat. Sehwag batted in his own way and at lunch, India reached 89/0 with the Delhi dasher not out on 51. In the post-lunch session, Sehwag brought up his ton and by tea, he had reached 137 not out.

With 12 overs remaining in the day, Sehwag fell for a valiant 195 from 233 balls as he got out to the left-arm wrist spin of Simon Katich. Next day, India collapsed from 350/4 to 366 all out. Aussies seized the advantage and cruised to a nine-wicket win on day five.

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#3. Bhagwat Chandrasekhar’s 12-wicket haul gives India its first win in Australia

Bhagwat Chandrasekhar in action

The Indian national cricket team arrived on the Australian shores in 1977-78 with the hopes of a series win. The Australian team was stripped of its major players due to Kerry Packer’s parallel World Cricket Series. The full-strength Indian side faced what was at best the third layer of Australian cricket. Still, the hosts snatched a 2-0 lead after the first two Tests.

Choosing to bat first at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, India struggled at 0/2. Mohinder Amarnath and Gundappa Vishwanath rebuilt the innings and the visitors finished at 256 all out. In reply, Australia had reached 122/2, when Bhagwat Chandrasekhar weaved his web. He wrapped the Australian side for 213 and ended with the figures of 6/52.

Sunil Gavaskar found form in the second innings and thanks to his 118, India set Australia the target of 387. The pair of Bishan Singh Bedi and Bhagwat Chandrasekhar ran through the Aussies. Bedi took four wickets while Chandrasekhar repeated the figures of 6/52. The 222-run triumph was India’s first Test win in Australia.

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#2. Sachin Tendulkar plays out a timeless classic of 116

Sachin Tendulkar

The 90s were a hostile time to tour Australia. They had a formidable batting and bowling lineup which spared no one. The visiting Indian team was blown away in the first Test at Adelaide as they conceded a 285-run loss. The demoralized unit arrived at the intimidating MCG for the second Test.

India won the toss and inserted Australia to bat in the overcast conditions. The rain kept intervening and the home side reached 405 all out in the first session on day three. India lost the opener Sadagopan Ramesh just before the lunch and VVS Laxman immediately after it. Sachin Tendulkar walked out to bat at 11/2 on a vicious track against the bowling attack of Glenn McGrath, Damien Fleming, Shane Warne and the debutant Brett Lee.

After Dravid’s fall, Ganguly partnered Tendulkar’s resistance. The Australian bowling attack kept chipping away at the other end but Sachin stood unmoved. On a difficult track, he returned fire with fire and played one of his best counter-attacking knocks against world-class bowlers. India had avoided follow-on when Sachin was dismissed for a legendary 116. He was the top-scorer with 52 in India’s second-innings collapse for 195.

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#1. Kapil Dev completes Melbourne Miracle with a spell of 5/28

Kapil Dev

In 1977-78, The Packer series stripped Australia of its primary squad. Despite the absence, Australia secured a series win by 3-2. When India returned in 1981, all the accomplished Australian players had returned to the fold and India’s dream of winning a series down under remained distant. After losing the opening Test at Sydney, India held on to a draw at Adelaide.

India was asked to bat first in the third Test at the MCG and the batting lineup faltered against the fiery pace attack of Len Pascoe and Dennis Lillee. Only Gundappa Vishwanath stood tall and scored a gallant 114 which helped India reach the first inning total of 237. Australia then secured a grand lead of 182. India in reply notched up 324 and the hosts needed only 143 runs to win on the final day.

The Indian bowling attack was severely hampered. Kapil Dev, Dilip Doshi and Shivlal Yadav were unfit to bowl. Kapil Dev, however, promised to take the field the next day, despite the knee pain.

On a dose of pain-killing injections, Kapil got rid of courageous Alan Border and then ran through the Australian tail on the fifth day. The Australian team was all out for only 83 and India won the match by 59 runs. This remains India’s last Test win at the MCG.

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