Famous 5 wins

A look at five other occasions India won Down Under 1977: Sunil, Chandra shine at MCG

India were 2-0 down when the third Test began in Melbourne on December 30 and when Sunil Gavaskar, who had scored centuries, fell for a duck in the tourists’ first-innings 256, it looked as though the series could be gone. Leg-spinner Bhagwat Chandrasekhar had other ideas, taking 6-52 as Australia crumbled to 213 all out. Gavaskar’s 118 helped set Australia a target of 387, but the hosts slumped to 164 all out with Chandrasekhar bagging an identical 6-52 haul.

1978: The great leveller

India kept the Melbourne momentum rolling into the fourth Test in Sydney on January 7 and levelled the series with an innings and two-run win. Chandrasekhar again was the chief destroyer as he and Bishen Bedi ripped the hosts out for 131. Gavaskar put on 97 with Chetan Chauhan. Gundappa Viswanath (79) and Karsan Gharvi (64) took India to 265-run lead. Erapalli Prasanna then took four wickets as Australia succumbed for 263. But the hosts won the final Test in Adelaide to secure a 3-2 series win.

1981: Gavaskar’s meltdown

Umpire Rex Whitehead raised the finger to Gavaskar for lbw with the score on 165, but the opener was convinced he had edged Lillee’s delivery and stood his ground. When Lillee encouraged Gavaskar to leave with some colourful language, the enraged opener ordered batting partner Chauhan to leave the field with him. Only the swift intervention of team manager Shahid Durrani prevented the innings, match and series being conceded. India set Australia just 143 to win before Kapil Dev took 5-28 in 16.4 overs as Australia crumbled to 83 all out.

2003: Ponting’s epic in vain

Ricky Ponting is probably wondering to this day how his side lost the second Test in Adelaide after he scored a brilliant 242 out of a mammoth 556 first innings. Rahul Dravid’s marathon 233 off 446 balls in reply was backed up by V.V.S. Laxman’s 148 as the pair put on 303 to enable India to post 523. Ajit Agarkar then stepped up with a deadly spell of 6-41 as Australia were skittled for 196. Dravid again proved immovable and his 72 guided India to their 230-run target.

2008: Australia streak ended

After going 2-0 down in losing the infamous ‘Monkeygate’ Test at Sydney, where Harbhajan Singh was accused of racially abusing Andrew Symonds, tensions ran high as the teams headed to the WACA in Perth where the tourists won to end Australia’s 16-match Test winning streak.