Here is Team India’s Test record against Australia at Melbourne, where the two sides will square off on Boxing Day in the third test of the four match series.
Out of the 12 games played so far between the two sides in the Victorian capital, Australia have won 8 of them. The Aussies haven’t lost to India at the MCG for nearly four decades- no one in this Indian team was even born when the visitors last won a test against the home side at the G.
India’s victories came way back in the year 1977 and 1981. In 1977, they triumphed thanks to some key contributions from their batsmen. Chief among them was Gundappa Viswanath, who scored fine half centuries in both innings and Sunil Gavaskar, who scored the only century of the match in the second innings. A magnificent spell of spin bowling from spinner Bhagwath Chandrasekhar who bagged 12 wickets in the game, helped the visitors win by 222 runs.
Viswanath was also to play a key role in the 1981 win– scoring 114 in the first innings when no other Indian batsman crossed 25.
Gavaskar and Chetan Chauhan in the second innings then played vital roles by scoring 70 and 85 respectively after the visitors had given up a 182 run lead. Legendary all rounder Kapil Dev took 5/28 as India bowled out Australia for just 83 in the fourth innings, thus successfully defending a modest target of 143.
However since 1981, India have never won a test, which is why many fans and pundits, including those at will regard the Aussies as marginal favourites. Five of the seven tests after 1981 have ended in defeat. However the MCG has become a little more batsman friendly in the last decade, and the 2014 clash ended in a draw, with Steve Smith, Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane all scoring mammoth hundreds in that game.
The two teams go into the Melbourne test with the series evenly poised at 1-1 with 2 games left to be played. India have plenty of fitness issues ahead of Wednesday, with senior players likes Ravi Ashwin, Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja appearing to be doubtful starters.
Young teenager Prithvi Shaw has been ruled out of the test series and has been replaced by Mayank Agarwal. It could be a real baptism by fire for young Agarwal, who could be in line to make his test debut at the G given the current poor form of both KL Rahul and Murali Vijay.
Australia after their impressive showing in the Perth Test would be fully charged up and raring to go. There remain some concerns over their batting order, but the difference in Perth was the Australian tail wagging while India’s did not. Both teams look equally matched on paper though, and this should be an enthralling contest in front of the best attended test venue in the world.
2 of the 12 test matches have ended in a draw.
India defeated Australia by 137 runs at Melbourne Cricket Ground.
| Year | Result |
|---|---|
| 1 Jan 1948 | Australia won by 233 runs |
| 6 Feb 1948 | Australia won by innings and 177 runs |
| 30 Dec 1967 | Australia won by innings and 4 runs |
| 30 Dec 1977 | India won by 222 runs |
| 7 Feb 1981 | India won by 59 runs |
| 26 Dec 1985 | No Result |
| 26 Dec 1991 | Australia won by 8 wickets |
| 26 Dec 1999 | Australia won by 180 runs |
| 26 Dec 2003 | Australia won by 9 wickets |
| 26 Dec 2007 | Australia won by 337 runs |
| 26 Dec 2011 | Australia won by 122 runs |
| 26 Dec 2014 | No Result |
| 26 Dec 2018 | India won by 137 runs |