<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/08/Team-India-2.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-275859" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Team-India-2.jpg" alt="Team India" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-275859" class="wp-caption-text">Team India. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

India have embarked on yet another tour of Australia and will play four Tests starting in Adelaide from December 6. The next three Tests will played in Perth (Dec 14-18), Melbourne (Dec 26-30) and Sydney (Jan 3 – 7, 2019). This will be the 25th Test series (featuring more than one match) in which India and Australia will lock horns since 1947 when they first played.

The two teams have met each other in 94 Test matches so far with Australia winning 41, India 26 and 26 ending in draw. One Test was drawn in India in 1986. The Test rivalry between India and Australia have seen some dramatic moments in history – including the tied Test in Chennai and the one in Kolkata in 2001 when the Baggy Greens lost even after giving India follow-on.

In terms of series win, Australia have won 12 of the 24 series they have played against India while the latter have won seven. Five series have been drawn. Only once did the two teams played in a one-off Test match and India were the winner on that occasion.

India, however, are yet to win a Test series in Australia in the 71 year of rivalry. Their best results in Australia have been draws which they did thrice (1980-81, 1985-86 and 2003-04) while Australia have won a Test series in India four times (1956-57, 1959-60, 1969-70 and 2004-05). Two India-Australia Test series played in India were drawn (1964-65 and 1986-87).

Australia beat India 4-0 (5) in Australia, 1947-48:

India took on Australia for the first time in a Test series and the Baggy Green were led by none other than Sir Donald Bradman. Led by Lala Amarnath, India had played in 14 side games on this tour (unthinkable by today’s standards, isn’t it?) but could not do much to avoid four of the five matches that they played.

All the losses that India faced in this series where heavy and their only saving grace was the second Test in Sydney which was washed out after India were left tottering at 61 for 7 in their second innings. The visitors lost by an innings and 226 runs in Brisbane, 233 runs in Melbourne, an innings and 16 runs in Adelaide and an innings and 177 runs in Melbourne. Bradman alone had scored 715 runs in that series.

Australia beat India 2-0 (3) in India, 1956-57:

Australia toured India for the first time in 1956-57 under the captaincy of spinner Ian Johnson and thumped the hosts led by Polly Umrigar in a two-Test series. Australia took a lead in the first Test by winning it by an innings and five runs, thanks to seven-fors by Richie Benaud and Ray Lindwall.

Pankaj Roy’s 79 and Umrigar’s 78 saved India the blushes in the second Test in Mumbai (Bombay then) while the visitors bagged the final Test in Kolkata (Calcutta then) by bowling India for 136 on both innings. Benaud took 14 wickets in the game as India lost by 94 runs.

Australia beat India 2-1 (5) in India; 1959-60:

The Aussies were back in India in 1959-60 for a five-Test series under the leadership of Benaud while India were led by Gulabrai Ramchand. Australia won the first Test in Delhi by an innings and 127 runs but India made history by winning their first Test against Australia when they won the second Test in Kanpur by 119 runs with spinner Jasu Patel claiming 14 scalps. Two of the next three games in Bombay and Calcutta were drawn but Australia won the other one in Chennai (Madras then) by an innings and 55 runs to clinch the series 2-1, their third successive.

India drew Australia 1-1 (3) in India; 1964-65:

The first-ever series that India did not lose to Australia took place at home in 1964-65.  Led by Bob Simpson, Australia won the first match at the Nehru Stadium in Madras by 139 runs but Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi’s India levelled the series in the very next game in Bombay by 2 wickets, thanks to Pataudi (86) and Dilip Sardesai (56). India took a first-innings lead in the final Test in Calcutta but failed to capitalise as Australia drew the series.

Australia beat India 4-0 (4) in Australia; 1967-68:

India toured Australia for the second time and was hammered 4-0 in as many Tests. Australia were led by Simpson and Bill Lawry (two each) and India by Chandu Borde (one) and MAK Pataudi (three) again but the latter found it too hot to handle Down Under. Australia won the four Tests in Adelaide (146 runs), Melbourne (an innings and 4 runs), Brisbane (39 runs) and Sydney (144 runs) with India managing to cross the 300-run mark only twice.

Australia beat India 3-1 (5) in India; 1969-70:

A decade since their last tour, Australia ensured that the outcome of the series was no different. Led by Bill Lawry, the visitors started the series with an 8-wicket win in Bombay and after India drew level in the third Test in Delhi by winning by 7 wickets, Lawry’s men blew the hosts away by 10 wickets in Calcutta and by 77 runs in Madras. Ashok Mankad (357) was the highest scorer for India who were captained by MAK Pataudi while Mohinder Amarnath made his debut in this series.

Australia beat India 3-2 (5) in Australia; 1977-78:

Though Bishan Singh Bedi’s side lost to Australia but it was a much better show by the Asians Down Under. India lost the first match in Brisbane by just 16 runs despite a century from Sunil Gavaskar, his first against Australia. Gavaskar slammed a hundred again in the next Test in Perth but India lost again, this time by just 2 wickets.

Gavaskar scored his third consecutive in Melbourne and this time India won by 222 runs to pull one back. India’s spinners won them the fourth Test by an innings and 2 runs in Sydney to square the series but lost the final match in Adelaide by 47 runs despite fighting valiantly. India scored 445 runs in their chase of 493 with four batsmen chipping in half centuries. Bedi took 31 wickets in this series.

India beat Australia 2-0 (6) in India; 1979-80:

This was historic from India’s point of view for it saw the first time that the Asian side defeated Australia in a Test series. Led by Sunil Gavaskar, India won the third of the six Tests in Kanpur by 153 runs and the final Test in Mumbai by an innings and 100 runs.

The other four Tests in Madras, Bangalore, Delhi and Calcutta were drawn. Australian captain Kim Hughes, however, had a successful series with 594 runs while Kapil Dev with 28 scalps ended up as the most successful bowler. It was also considered to be one of the weakest Australian sides to tour India.

India drew Australia 1-1 (3) in Australia; 1980-81:

This was the first time that India returned undefeated from Australia, drawing the three-match series 1-1. Greg Chappell-led hosts won the first Test in Sydney by an innings and 4 runs with the skipper himself slamming a 200. The second match in Adelaide was drawn by India, thanks to some determined batting from Dilip Vengsarkar (37 off 82 balls), Yashpal Sharma (13 off 169) and Syed Kirmani (14 off 79).

However, it was Kapil Dev’s heroics in the third Test in Melbourne that saw India squaring the series by winning the game by 59 runs. Kapil braved a groin injury to wreck the Australian innings by taking 5 for 28 in the match.

India drew Australia 0-0 (3) in Australia; 1985-86:

India remained unbeaten for two consecutive series in Australia as they drew the hosts 0-0 in a three-match series under Kapil Dev. This meant India remained unbeaten in a series in Australia for 14 years (they would lose the next in 1991) – the longest gap between their series losses Down Under.

Gavaskar slammed two back to back hundreds in this tour – his 31stand 32nd in Tests – that helped India a great deal in remaining unbeaten. India had in fact taken a first-innings lead in all the three Tests of the series but could not convert any of them into wins. This was Steve Waugh’s debut series.

Australia drew India 0-0 (3) in India; 1986-87:

This was the third series in a row between the two teams that ended in a draw. However, this series was special for the first match in Madras was tied as India failed to score the winning run. Double centurion Dean Jones was hospitalised after a severe dehydration in this game.

The second match in Delhi saw no play for the first three days and ended inconclusive. The third match in Bombay saw Jones again rising to the occasion to help his side draw the match. Kapil Dev led India while Allan Border was in charge of Australia.

Australia beat India 4-0 (5) in Australia; 1991-92:

In one of the longest tour of Australia (a full-fledged bilateral series, a triangular series and the World Cup of 1992), India were annihilated 4-0 by the Aussies in the five-game series. This was Sachin Tendulkar’s maiden tour of Australia and Shane Warne too made his debut in this series.

The hosts led by Border won the first Test in Brisbane (10 wickets), second Test in Melbourne (8 wickets), fourth Test in Adelaide (38 runs) and fifth Test in Perth (300 runs). India came closest to winning a Test in the third Test in Sydney where current coach Ravi Shastri hit a double century but eventually the game was drawn. India were led by Mohammad Azharuddin while Australia were captained by Border.

India beat Australia in one-off Test in India; 1996-97:

This was the first time when an India-Australia series was named Border-Gavaskar Trophy after the two legends from either side. Sachin Tendulkar was India’s captain in this Test in Delhi while the visitors were led by Mark Taylor. It was the first time in a decade that the Aussies were playing in India and they lost the game by 7 wickets. Wicket-keeper Nayan Mongia scored his only Test ton (152) in this match while Anil Kumble took nine wickets.

India beat Australia 2-1 (3) in India; 1997-98:

This series saw Azharuddin’s India thumping Australia in the first two Tests in Chennai and Calcutta by 179 runs and by an innings and 219 runs, respectively, to win the series. This series will be remembered for Tendulkar’s murderous batting, especially against Shane Warne who had dismissed him for just four in the first innings of the first Test. Australia pulled one back in Bangalore despite a magnificent 177 from Tendulkar, who ended up as the man of the series.

Australia beat India 3-0 (3) in Australia; 1999-2000:

The first Test series between the two sides in the 21st century and it was completely one-sided. Tendulkar’s side had no chance whatsoever as they were hammered in Adelaide by 285 runs; in Melbourne by 180 runs and in Sydney by an innings and 141 runs.

Indian captain Tendulkar was picked as the man of the series though he wasn’t the highest scorer while VVS Laxman came into the public eye for his 167 in Sydney. Australia were led by Steve Waugh in this series and Brett Lee made his debut. This was the first time in nine years that India toured Australia for a Test series.

India beat Australia 2-1 (3) in India; 2000-01:

The most memorable Test series between the two sides perhaps. Australia came to India as an unbeatable force and won the first Test in Mumbai by 10 wickets even before the hosts blinked. But then history was made. India were made to follow on in the second game in Kolkata and Laxman (281) and Rahul Dravid (180) played the innings of their lives to turn the tables around and India won the match by 171 runs.

The decider in Madras also went down to the wire and India had the last laugh with a 2-wicket win. The Border-Gavaskar Trophy was back with Sourav Ganguly’s India. Steve Waugh was Australia’s skipper.

Australia drew India 1-1 (4) in Australia; 2003-04:

This was the first instance when India took a lead over Australia in a Test series played Down Under. After the first Test in Brisbane ended in a draw (skipper Sourav Ganguly’s 144 did India’s morale a magic), India played out of their skin to beat Australia in Adelaide by 4 wickets even after the hosts scored 556. Rahul Dravid’s double century was the game changer as was Ajit Agarkar’s 6-for in the second innings.

Australia, however, came back strong in the third Test in Melbourne to win by 9 wickets despite Virendra Sehwag’s 195. India came close to winning the series in Sydney but Australian captain Steve Waugh, who was playing his final match, scored 80 to help his side draw the game and the series. Tendulkar was the man of the series.

Australia beat India 2-1 (4) in India; 2004-05:

The Aussies defeated India in an away Test series after 35 years. Led by Adam Gilchrist (first three Tests), Australia won two of the first three games overwhelmingly (by 217 runs in Bangalore in Test 1 and by 342 runs in Nagpur in Test 3) to clinch the series. The second Test in Chennai was drawn.

India, led by Rahul Dravid, won the final Test in a dust bowl in Mumbai by just 13 runs to make it 2-1. Ponting captained Australia in this game. For India, Sourav Ganguly led in the first two matches while Dravid in the final two. Damien Martyn was adjudged the man of the series.

Australia beat India 2-1 (4) in Australia; 2007-08:

One of the most controversial Test series played between India and Australia. Led by Ricky Ponting, Australia defeated India by 337 runs in the first Test in Adelaide. It was the second match in Sydney which made the headlines for dubious umpiring and India lost the game in the dying hours by 122 runs despite taking a first innings lead.

This match was infamous for the MonkeyGate and Indian captain Anil Kumble had remarked after the game that only one team played the match in the spirit of the game. India, nevertheless, came up with a spectacular show in the third and final game in Perth which they won by 72 runs, their first win in this bouncy venue.

India beat Australia 2-0 (4) in India; 2008-09:

India reclaimed the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2008-09 by winning the four-Test series 2-0. The hosts were led by Anil Kumble in the first and third and Mahendra Singh Dhoni in the second and fourth matches. The first match in Bangalore was drawn and India then defeated their opponents by 320 runs in the second match in Mohali. The third match in Delhi was also drawn after both sides scoring big in their first innings. India then rode on Harbhajan Singh’s performance to win the fourth Test in Nagpur by 172 runs to win the series 2-0. This was the last series of Kumble and Ganguly.

India beat Australia 2-0 (2) in India; 2010-11:

India won their first consecutive Test series against Australia when they pocketed the two-match series (also for the first time) at home in 2010-11.  The first match in Mohali was a thriller which India won by just 1 wicket after tail-ender Ishant Sharma scored 31 off 92 balls. The second game in Bangalore saw India registering a more comprehensive victory by 7 wickets after Tendulkar hit a double hundred. Dhoni led India while Ponting captained Australia. Tendulkar was adjudged man of the series.

Australia beat India 4-0 (4) in Australia; 2011-12:

The scoreline in this series was shocking for the Indian fans since there was a lot of hope about the team doing well. Dhoni’s India lost the first Test in Melbourne by 122 runs; second Test in Sydney by an innings and 68 runs (Aussie skipper <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/michael-clarke-and-assistant-sashas-chemistry-makes-wife-kyly-angry/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Michael Clarke</a> hit a triple hundred in this match) and the third Test in Perth by an innings and 37 runs.

The fourth Test in Adelaide went to Australia’s favour by 298 runs and India were led in this game by Virender Sehwag. Virat Kohli was the only centurion in this series for India with 116 in Adelaide. This was the last Australia tour of Tendulkar and the final international series for Rahul Dravid.

India beat Australia 4-0 (4) in India; 2012-13:

Dhoni’s India gave it back when Michael Clarke’s side toured India in 2012-13 by winning all four Tests of the series. India won the first Test in Chennai by 8 wickets; second Test in Hyderabad by an innings and 135 runs; third Test in Mohali by 6 wickets and fourth Test in Delhi by 6 wickets.

Off-spinner <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/jimmy-neesham-and-ravi-ashwin-engage-in-a-friendly-twitter-banter-during-the-brisbane-t20i/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ravichandran Ashwin</a> took 29 scalps in this series to bag the man of the series award. For India. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Shikhar Dhawan and Ajinkya Rahane made Test debuts. Shane Watson led Australia in the fourth Test.

Australia beat India 2-0 (4) in Australia; 2014-15:

This series was special for MS Dhoni abruptly quit Tests in the middle of the series. Kohli and Dhoni led India in two Tests each in the series that India lost 0-2. This was a series which saw an intense batting competition between Steve Smith (769 runs) who captained Australia in the last three matches and Kohli (692 runs). India lost the first match in Adelaide by 48 runs and the second match in Brisbane by 4 wickets. The third and fourth matches in Melbourne and Sydney were drawn after both sides scored big first innings totals. Smith was adjudged the man of the series.

India beat Australia 2-1 (4) in India; 2016-17:

India won the latest series against Australia played at home in 2016-17. Kohli’s men suffered a shock defeat in the first match in Pune when a batting debacle saw the hosts losing by 333 runs. But India came back strongly to win the second match in Bangalore by 75 runs despite conceding a first innings lead. Four different bowler took 6-wicket hauls in this match.

The third match in Ranchi was drawn (Aussie captain Steve Smith hit 178 not out while Cheteshwar Pujara scored a double century in this game) while India won the final match in Dharamsala by 8 wickets to win the series from behind. With 25 wickets, Ravindra Jadeja was picked as the man of the series. Rahane captained India in the fourth Test.

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The two teams have met each other in 94 Test matches so far with Australia winning 41, India 26 and 26 ending in draw.

Australia vs India: History of the seven-decade rivalry

India have embarked on yet another tour of Australia and will play four Tests starting in Adelaide from December 6. The next three Tests will played in Perth