IND V AUS 2020: How many Test matches have Team India won in Australia?

#2. Sydney (Jan 7 - Jan 12, 1978)

Gundappa Viswanath

One of Team India’s most comprehensive Test triumphs came during the Sydney Test of 1978. Australia batted first but were rolled over for 131. Chandrasekhar and Bedi again combined to claim seven wickets between themselves.

Team India responded with an impressive 396 for 8 declared despite Thomson’s four-for. Viswanath top-scored for Team India for 79 while Karsan Ghavri chipped in with 64, batting at number eight. Further, Gavaskar, Chetan Chauhan, Dilip Vengsarkar, and Syed Kirmani all contributed the 40s.

Inspite of Peter Toohey’s defiant 85, Australia managed just 263 in their second innings to hand Team India a memorable triumph by an innings and two runs. This time, off-spinner Erapalli Prasanna stood out with 4 for 51, while Chandrasekhar, Bedi, and Ghavri claimed two wickets each.

India, however, lost the final Test at Adelaide to lose the series 2-3.

#3. Melbourne (Feb 7 - Feb 11, 1981)

Kapil Dev

Team India’s third Test triumph in Australia came at Melbourne in 1981 and remains, to date, one of their most famous wins ever. This Test had everything -- Viswanath’s brilliant first-innings hundred against bowling attack comprising Dennis Lillee, Len Pascoe and Bruce Yardley, Gavaskar’s in-famous walkout after being declared lbw, and, above all, Kapil Dev’s second-innings five-for, bowling with an injured hamstring.

Although Australia ended Day 4 on 24 for 3 in their second innings, they only needed 143 to win the Test, and the series. After Dilip Doshi got Kim Hughes, Kapil began his demolition job by cleaning up Bruce Yardley. India’s hopes were raised further as he then dismissed Allan Border caught behind for 9.

At 55 for 6, Team India’s hopes of the improbable were very much alive. Kapil made it a reality by running through the lower order, sending back Rod Marsh, Lillee and Lim Higgs to roll over the hosts for 83, finishing with 5 for 28.

Apart from Kapil and Viswanath , other memorable performances in the game included a first-innings century from Border and Gavaskar-Chauhan’s opening wicket stand of 165 in the second innings.

#4. Adelaide (Dec 12 - Dec 16, 2003)

Rahul Dravid

Following the Melbourne heroics, it was another 22 years before Team India won another Test in Australia. The heroes of this encounter were Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman and an unlikely name in Ajit Agarkar.

Australia had posted a mammoth 556 on the board, batting first, courtesy Ricky Ponting’s 242. India, however, responded by making an impressive 523. Dravid played a marathon knock of 233 from 446 balls. He featured in a mammoth stand of 303 with Laxman (148) to rescue Team India from 85 for 4.

Agarkar then came up with the best bowling display of his career to restrict the Aussies to 196 in their second innings. The medium pacer sent back Justin Langer, Ponting (for a duck) and Simon Katich, before running through the lower order.

Dravid was again the star with an unconquered 72 in the second innings, with important contributions from Virender Sehwag (47), Sachin Tendulkar (37) and Laxman (32 from 34), as India got home by four wickets in a tense chase. It wouldn’t be wrong to call this Dravid’s Test.